When the temperatures drop, bring the educational fun indoors with these fun, easy activities for infants, toddlers, and preschool children.
Infants and toddlers learn and explore the world around them through their senses. You don't have to buy fancy toys in order to create materials that will engage young children's senses—infants and toddlers love to explore everyday materials! This activity allows children to explore their sense of touch in order to describe the differences between each fabric they feel. Get more activities to engage infants and toddlers in the book The Encyclopedia of Infant and Toddler Activities For Children Birth to 3.
printable Sensory Large GroupLearning centers are a great way to "set the stage" for dramatic play with the setting, props, and even costumes. In this dramatic play learning center, children can pretend to be vets by helping their stuffed animals. Through dramatic play, children gain social-emotional skills, language and oral skills, motor skills, confidence, and more. Get the book The GIANT Encyclopedia Of Learning Center Activities For Children 3 to 6 for fresh new learning center ideas from teachers who have used them in their own classrooms!
printable Movement and Play Literacy Language Social Emotional Large GroupSt. Patrick's Day falls on March 17th and celebrates the famous patron saint of Ireland. In this activity, children will use fine motor skills to lace yarn through a shamrock while learning about this Irish symbol for the holy trinity— faith, hope and love. For more festive monthly activities, get the book, The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities For Children 3 to 6.
printable Art Sensory Individual ChildWelcome spring with this nature necklaces activity! We know that interacting with nature is beneficial for children on many levels, but sometimes it can be difficult for teachers to know how to incorporate nature into children's days. This nature necklaces activity from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Science Activities for Children 3 to 6 can be done outside or inside (with collected nature items brought indoors) and incorporated easily into other curriculum or learning centers.
printable Outdoor Learning Art Science Spring Large GroupChildren are naturally drawn to beauty in nature. This activity allows children to observe and ask questions about flowers as they make their own flower arrangements. This activity can be done with fresh flowers from a florist, wild flowers from outside, or dried flowers. For more simple science activities that peak children's natural interest, get the book The GIANT Encyclopedia of Science Activities for Children 3 to 6.
printable Outdoor Learning Science Spring Large GroupThis hands-on relaxation activity helps children begin to develop skills for self-regulation and learn how to move from an excited state to a more calm state. These important social-emotional skills of initiative and self-control will be useful through children's lives as they learn and grow! Get the book Socially Strong, Emotionally Secure: 50 Activities to Promote Resilience in Young Children for more strategies and activities to help children become socially and emotionally healthy for life.
Social EmotionalWhat better way to celebrate Valentine's Day (February 14th) than with a fun craft that children can use to decorate the classroom, or take home to decorate their own space?! Check out the instructions below for creating Valentine Mobiles from the book, The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities For Children 3 to 6.
printable Art Individual ChildGroundhog Day is a tradition observed in the United States on February 2nd each year. According to this ancient German tradition brought to America, if a groundhog comes out of its burrow on this day, sees its shadow and runs back into its burrow, this means six more weeks of winter weather. If the groundhog sees no shadow, this means an early spring.
Teach children about this fun tradition while they create their own groundhogs in burrows with this activity using simple materials from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities.
printable Art Individual ChildThis activity from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Art & Craft Activities for Children 3 to 6 is sure to provide some sensory fun for young children using easy-to-find materials! Children will reap multi-disciplinary benefits from this activity from creatively using their senses and learning about primary and secondary colors to gaining vocabulary and pre-literacy skills, math skills, and more.
printable Literacy Art Sensory Individual ChildCreate sparkle ice sculptures and even fake snow with hands-on activities to entertain kids in and out of the classroom.
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