These are some of the activities I have planned for today. Please note that most activities are geared towards younger children, but can also be adapted for older children. I try to note any different possibilities for each activity.
They are sorted by major skill category, but may work for multiple categories. Also, I have noted the theme each activity covers after the title in (blue parentheses).
Fine Motor Skills:
- Make cookies from scratch or premade cookie dough with the kids. You can use cookie cutters or if you buy the cookie dough in a roll you can cut them into circles. If you want them to bake into perfect circles though, you have to cut them into cubes. ;) Make sure the light in your oven works so you can let the kids peek as they bake. (circles or other themes you choose to make shapes out of) You can also decorate them with Amethyst or Amber frosting to link the colors of the week.
- Have the kids color a picture of a circle any way they want.
Discovery:
- Look for circles wherever you go. Let the kids point them out first, but if they need some encouragement you can chime in.
- Collect circular objects to touch and discover more closely, or draw them in a notebook. Write the name of each one on a whiteboard or big piece of paper. Teach the kids how to pronounce each word and let them discuss or ask questions. (circle)
- Teach the kids the shape 'circle' and apple in sign language. Click this link to go to a site that has LOTS of signs for ASL, but it's a little tricky. If you click on the tab for ASL for Babies they have fewer signs. Just click the letter that the word begins with then scroll down the column under the letters on the left to get to the word you want to learn the sign for.
Books:
- How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro (apple)
- Round is a Pancake by Joan Sullivan Baranski (circle)
Songs:
- Ten Little Apples (apple)
- 'Round the Apple Tree (apples and circles)
- We Are A Circle (circle)
