Magicalms.com ~ Magical Moments

Within the world of early childhood education, there are only a few “absolutes”, things that cannot be altered like respect , sensitivity, and kindness. For everything else, the preschool teacher must be ready and able to be spontaneous and flexible. When teaching young children, advocates of developmental preschools agree that real examples of things are superior to illustrations and/or models. For   example, when teaching the concept of fruits and vegetables, it would be ideal to have foods that the boys and girls could taste, touch, paint, plant, and sort, rather than simply looking at pictures of the aforementioned items. As much I agree with providing my classroom with real objects, I feel as though there are exceptions to the general principle.  Children cannot touch, taste, see, smell or hear prehistoric creatures, and yet, the dinosaur theme seems to be one of the kids’ favorites.  It lends itself to science, math, language, story, history, music, art, critical thinking, geography, and motor activities that are both enriching and fun. 

I will outline a day of dinosaur activities taken from The Magical Moments Curriculum Guide. If you are interested in additional activities, please get in touch with me at donnamavrides@yahoo.com for instructions on how to obtain the thematic guide.

• Day 1:  Day one of The Dinosaur Unit
  • WELCOME TABLE:  The following activities are examples of activities that can be set out for the children to do as they arrive at school.  You may include a variety of miniature toy dinosaurs that can be used for creative play, counting, and sorting.  Puzzles, blocks, playdough, with dinosaur and oval shaped cookie cutters and tools, can also be displayed. You may want to set out an assortment of different sized ovals that the children are encouraged to trace color and/or cut out.  The sensory table may be filled with muddy water (water mixed with a hint of brown paint), plenty of mini dinosaurs as well as large ladles and or small colanders.
  • CIRCLE TIME:  The teacher may distribute small plastic eggs with mini dinosaurs to each child. The teacher may ask, “What do you think is in the egg?”  The teacher should encourage the children to smell, touch, shake, etc. the egg so that they are given possible clues as to its content. The children should be encouraged to try rolling the eggs. After the discussion, have each child open his/her egg. Listen to their explanations as to what they are seeing.  You may choose to write their answers on an experience chart that you can read aloud later in the day.  You may want to discuss other animals and creatures that are born from eggs like fish, turtles, alligators, ducks, ect.   Before announcing that the creatures are called dinosaurs, the teacher should have large models displayed for the children to see. Before telling the boys and girls that dinosaurs are extinct, he/she may ask the children if they have ever seen a dinosaur.  After the discussion, the teacher will explain that dinosaurs are extinct, which means that they do not live any longer.  The teacher will tell the kids that scientists who study dinosaurs are called PA LE ON TOL O GISTS. The children should repeat the word while clapping its syllables with along with the teacher. The teacher may want to tell the boys and girls that they will be “mini paleontologists” as they learn about the extinct creatures.  Have the children pretend to be dinosaurs in their eggs. Ask the boys and girls to move accordingly and then have the baby dinosaurs crack their shells.  Ask the children to demonstrate how they think the dinosaurs would move after they got out of their eggs?  You may want to recite and act out the following poem with the class. Make certain to have the fingerplay written on chart paper.
    • Dinosaurs lived long ago (fingers act as dinosaurs)
      They walked the earth to and fro (have fingers walk this way and that)
      Some were big and some were small (use hands)
      Some were tall and some were small. (Stand up and then get tiny)
    • (To the tune of 10 little Indians)
      10 little dinosaurs
      1 big, 2 big 3 big dinosaurs……10 dinosaurs lived long ago.
  • CENTERS:  Have the students tear strips of paper into small pieces with their fingers and then have them glue the bits onto either precut ovals or onto ovals that children independently trace and cut.
    Fill individual trays with a thin layer of sand, mini dinosaurs, and small plastic eggs.  The teachers will encourage the children to explore and play. You may create a dinosaur game for the children to play in order to reinforce/teach number skills and cooperative play.  You may use either a spinner or dice for the children to use for the game. Children will spin/toss the dice, count the designated number of mini dinosaurs and then give the next child a turn to play.  Play continues until either the children’s attention is diminished or toy dinosaurs are gone.  Children, who are able, should be encouraged to count the dinosaurs that they collected. Try to use comparative words like same, more, less and how many when comparing the number of dinosaurs that have been gathered.  “Welcome table” activities should be available and all typical centers should remain open!
• Suggested Books: 
  • If the Dinosaurs Came Back, Bernard Most
  • How Big Were The Dinosaurs? Bernard Most
  • Dinosaur Roar, Henrietta Strickland
• Suggested Music:
  • Most Amazing dinosaur Bones (CD)

Please refer to the Magical Moments Curriculum for additional age- appropriate and action packed games and activities.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

Even though feelings of being empathetic and respectful should be paramount in our classrooms/homes every day of the year, the holiday of Valentine’s Day lends itself to focusing on loving, family, caring, sharing, hearts, and friendship.  The Magical Moments Curriculum Guide offers an entire week of related language, math, science, motor, art, music, literary, and socio-emotional activities  that can be tweaked for different developmental  levels. Some of my favorite Valentine’s activities include:

• Song:  To the tune of Bingo
  As you sing each verse, eliminate 1 letter. You may want to throw a kiss or clap instead of saying the eliminated letters (make certain to have the word HEART written clearly for the children to see).
  There is a shape and it means love and HEART is its name oh,
  H E A R T,  H E A R T,  H E A R T  and heart is its name oh!
• Fingerplay:
  I put my hands together (place palms together in a v shape)
  This is how I start,
  I curl my fingers right around, until I make a heart! (Curl fingers so that nails from each hand are touching) 
• Game:
  The Heart Pokey
  Distribute a durable heart to each child and then sing and perform the actions to the words in the song, The Hokey Pokey.  Make sure to substitute the word “Heart” for body parts.  For example, Put your heart in, put your heart out, put your heart in and shake it all about. Do the HEART POKEY and turn yourself around, that’s what it’s all about.
• Art Activity:
  Combine equal amounts of shaving cream and glue into a large mixing bowl. Add red or any theme related colored paint to the mixture and then have the children stir.   Provide young children with a thick, heart shaped piece of paper; encourage older children to trace and cut their own hearts. Place a generous amount of the mixture onto each heart and have the boys and girls finger-paint with the delightful paint.  As the decorated hearts dry, different textures will be evident.
• Math:
  Provide the children with a large dice and/or spinner, foamie and/ or paper hearts, and small bowls.  Have the children take turns rolling/spinning and then counting out the proper number of hearts to be placed in their bowls. For younger children, place several large and different colored hearts on the table along with a supply of small hearts. Have the boys and girls sort the colorful hearts.
• Motor:
  Place large red, pink, white, purple foam or paper hearts on the floor.  Provide the children with corresponding beanbags or rolled socks to toss onto the hearts. (Activity 2) Have the children jump, hop, etc. onto the different colored hearts.
• Science:
  Provide each child with three bowls, a spoon, and a medicine dropper on a tray. Fill one bowl with red tinted water, the second with blue water, and the third should be empty so that the child has an opportunity to mix the colors. Make certain that the boys and girls have enough water and that you have a discard bucket and towels placed conveniently to the activity.
• Stories:
  Valentine’s Day Grump by Rose Graydanus
  I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak
  Hug by Jez Alborough
  All Families are Different by Todd Parr

For additional theme related activities, games, songs, etc. please refer to the Magical Moments Curriculum.

May your Valentine’s Day be filled with love, hearts, and happiness,

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

Did you ever wonder how a child feels when his/her accomplishments are not recognized, acknowledged, or cheered on? I thought I understood kids, but, nothing short of a shared experience has the impact of truly helping us to understand how someone else, especially a young child feels. Please allow me to digress for a moment. On Friday night, I was the guest on a friend’s radio talk show.  The show went well; I felt as if I spoke succinctly, communicated my messages without appearing boring or too cocky and then, boom, the show was over.  Dara, the show’s host and I congratulated each other on a job well done and then, well, that was that.  It was then, that the child in me poked its head.  Like the youngster who craves attention, I wanted someone to praise me for a job well done.  Of course, being an adult, I was able to pat myself on the back and move on with the evening. But, in those few moments of isolation, I felt how devastating it must be for kids who never seem to get the recognition/reinforcement for their efforts and or accomplishments.  My friends, the power in the words, “good job”, “super try” and/or in a heartfelt hug should not be minimized.  I do believe that children’s self image is contingent on how others view them and so, our kindness and attention is not only lovely, but is critical in building healthy egos and boosting self confidence.  Of course, false praise can be as detrimental to building healthy children as no praise at all. So parents, teachers, and grandparents, be cognizant that your  attention,  words of praise on specific accomplishments/attempts and/or  extra hugs and high fives for a job well done  are imperative in communicating pride and joy as well as in building healthy and self confident  children.

Share a smile and give your children a special hug!!!

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

Happy 2010!  Let’s hope that is a year of peace, good health, prosperity, joy, laughter, compassion, serenity and inspiration for all of us.  Please join me in creating Magical “New Year’s” Moments for your preschool students by introducing activities from my Magical Moments Curriculum Guide.

THEME: HAPPY NEW YEAR

In order to provide the children with a warm welcome back to school, it might be fun to decorate the classroom with balloons and streamers before their arrival.  As each child enters the classroom, make certain to say, “Happy New Year”!

 I like to begin each day by displaying theme related, hands on activities on a table/tables designated as the Welcome Tables.  The activities get the boys and girls involved in appropriate behaviors as the teacher continues to welcome arriving students and engages in conversation with the children who are already seated and playing.

WELCOME TABLES:  I like to display glittery playdough, number shaped cookie cutters, and rolling pins on individual placemats for the children to play with.  It is fun to encourage the children to use their fingers to create designs, letters, or numbers into sand that has been poured into individual trays.  Objects that make sounds like trains, matching sound shakers, empty water bottles, bells, small pianos, rain makers, and /or other appropriate musical instruments can also be arranged for little hands to play with.  Puzzles, legos and counting/sorting (homemade or store bought) manipulatives are always a wonderful addition to the morning’s activities. The water table or large basins can be filled with shiny confetti, scoops, jars, and party hats so that children can have fun pouring and measuring. 

Additional theme related stories, fingerplays, crafts, musical selections, games, large and fine motor activities, and circle times can be found on each and every page of The Magical Moments Curriculum Guide.

I hope that you join me in making every school day, a day of wonder and joy for your preschoolers.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com