by Cheryl Munger

Created on: August 14, 2009   Last Updated: August 16, 2009

Preschool Activity Ideas I would love to share:

1.) Make a Hand Print Hanging Sun using a paper plate painted yellow- trace child's hand print on two folded papers, cut out the hand print. If you folded several papers into four and placed the child's hand print on it then cut out and it should give you enough hands to attach around the paper plate to use as the sun's rays. Then have the child paint or color a face on the sun. You can also have them glue wiggly eyes on it and draw or paint the mouth of the sun, etc. Then using a string attach to hang it up in the classroom on the ceiling until they take home.

2.) Dry Erase Books: Get a normal three ring binder book, buy some plastic sheet covers for the pages, either use your computer to make big ABCs or pictures, shapes, virtually whatever you want the children to learn. Place the paper of shapes 8 1/2 by 11 and put them in the sheet covers. Then buy some dry erase markers after your book of Shapes or ABCs, etc., are ready and an eraser and let the children draw on the plastic sheet of the book pages to trace the shapes, etc., and they can erase after themselves. My class loved the books I made and I am sure you will see your class will too. I use ours in our writing area of our pre-school.

3.) Paint Recipes: Crystallizing Salt Paint- 1/8 cp liquid starch, 1/8 cp water, 1 tsp powdered tempera paint, and 1/2 cp salt.

Puff Paint- 2 parts non-menthol shaving cream, 1 part white glue, food coloring (optional)

Pumpkin Pie Paint- 1 cup white flour,1 cup wheat flour, 1/4 tsp ground cloves,1/4 tsp nutmeg or ginger, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 cps water.

Dough Recipes: Cloud Dough- 1 cup salad oil, 6 cups flour, 1- cup water (use more if you want to make a soft spongy mix), food coloring may be added, keep this in refrigerator.

Scented Play Dough- Just add Kool-Aid powder any flavor to your regular play dough recipe.

Self hardening clay- 4 cups flour,1 1/2 cups salt, 1 1/2 cups of water (pound, roll and pull) until it no longer falls apart. Do your projects and allow it to dry at room temp. for 2 days or more if larger projects. Paint them and you can store any unused clay in a sealed bag in the fridge.

Clean Mud- rated Ivory Soap, toilet paper, warm water, food coloring if you want.

Make a scented shamrock by painting the shamrock green with glue and paint mixture and then allowing the children to shake the jello powdered sugar mixture from the shaker onto the wet paint and glue.

Hope you can at least use a few of my ideas. I know the kids have enjoyed these and hope you can use them as you prepare for another fun filled day with any child/ren.

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