November Lesson Plan

November

Fancy Footwork Day

Warm Up

Set up different stations to show students all the fun things that they can do with the feet.  We will set up:

                Hopscotch Mats

                Balance Beams

                Balance Boards

                Stilts

                Catapult Boards

Cool Down using Fall Yoga Poses

Turkey Day

Warm Up

Turkey Tag—Use Laminated Turkeys with masking tape on them.  If you get tagged by a turkey, then you have to go sit in the Turkey Pen until the next round.

Turkey Targets—Tape Pictures of turkeys to bowling pins and have students stand back and try to knock down their turkey with a bean bag.  Have one per student.

Cool Down using Fall Yoga Poses

Obstacle Course Day

Warm Up

Just like the Pilgrims went on a long journey to get to America, we will journey through an obstacle course. 

If time remains: Relay Race talking about the cooperation that is used to make a big Thanksgiving Feast

Cool Down using Fall Yoga Poses

November 24/25— No School

October Preschool PE

Hula Hoop Day

Warm Up

Play Hula Hoop Games—adapt as needed for each class

Line-up – Line all the hula hoops in one long line. Have the children line up behind the first hoop. Give them specific ways to go from one hoop to the other. For example: hopping on two feet, hopping on one foot, hopping switching feet, frog hopping, bunny hopping, walking backwards, tiptoe, stomping, etc.

Roll-a-Hoop – Tip the hula hoop on its side so it is like a wheel. Roll the hula hoop fast and have the kids chase them. They love how they roll randomly different directions and they love chasing them trying to catch them before they fall!  If the kids are a little older show them how to roll the hoops themselves and chase them or do it with a partner!

Hula Hoop Toss – Set up cones in a random fashion. Set them far enough apart so a hula hoop could ring them. Have the children hold the hoops horizontal to the ground, like a frisbee, and try to toss the hoop so it lands around on of the cones. You could also set up three lines and have three cones. Each line is trying to toss their hoop to the one cone in front of them.

Hula Hoop Transportation – Give each child a hula hoop. They can hold it on the outside of the hoop as their car. Have the kids “drive” around in their “cars”. You can play “Red light, Green Light” while they are in their cars too. In this game, all cars stand on one side of the room. The adult stands on the other side. When the adult calls out, “Green Light” (you can also hold up a green circle for a visual aid), the cars are allowed to come towards you. When you shout out “Red light”(and hold up a red circle if you wish), the cars must stop where they are. The goal is for the cars to get to the adult on the other side of the room.  You can also, have the children stay in their hoops and hold them the same way but now they are going to be a big train! Each one will line up next to the other in a line while holding their hoop. They will link up with the person in front of them and behind them. They will need to grab a hold of two hoops in each hand so all the hoops connect. Walk around the room as a long train this way. The kids love this one! It is hard to do with children younger than 3 because their hands are not large enough to hold two hoops!

Cool Down using Fall Yoga Poses

Pumpkins

Warm Up

Play Pumpkin Games—adapt as needed for each class—Have children rotate through the stations

   Pumpkin Golf – Try to hit the golf ball into the jack-o-lantern mouth (Ice cream bucket decorated to look like a jack-o-lantern)

   Pumpkin Bowling – Use foam pins and a real pumpkin for knocking down the pins. Explain that we must roll the pumpkin. Place tape markers on the floor so they can set up the pins on their own.

  Pumpkin Ring Toss – Make paper plate pumpkins and cut a hole in the middle for tossing over a pole.

Cool Down using Fall Yoga Poses

 Halloween

Warm Up

Walk the Webs – Create a web shape on the floor out of tape using the red circle on the floor. Have students walk along the web seeing if they can make it all down all the rows.

Monster Mash Freeze Dance – Show and practice freezing in the different shapes shown on the cards. Start playing the song Monster Mash and have the kids dance around. When the music stops have them freeze like the card you are holding up.

Cool Down using Fall Yoga Poses

September Preschool PE

September

Welcome to Preschool

Warm Up--I do the same warm up each day, which is a stretching greeting song

Tooty Ta by Dr. Jean—Explain the importance of following the directions in the song.  We must follow the directions to be safe and have fun.

Color Sort—Have different baskets placed throughout the room.  Call out different actions for children to help find the color and put in the right basket.  Pick up a red a twirl it into the basket.  Pick up a blue and hop it to the basket, etc

Cool Down using Toe, Leg, Knee by Jim Gill

All About Me

Warm Up

If I Were a Butterfly (The Butterfly Song) by Brian Howard—Have children recreate the action of the animals and then move in ways that only the can during their chorus

Silly Dance Contest by Jim Gill

Cool Down using Toe, Leg, Knee by Jim Gill

Friendship

Warm Up

Friend Exercises

      Row, Row, Row Your Boat—Hold Hands and Touch Feet and Rock back and forth as you sing,

start slow and see if you can get a bit faster.  Switch Partners and say “Hi” to your new friend

     Mirror Exercises—Take turn letting each child try to mimic the other child.  Switch Partners and 

            say “Hi” to your new friend

      Playing Catch

     Musical Shares—No one gets out.  Everyone just sits on each other’s lap.

Cool Down using All Around the Circle by Music with Mar

Parachute Day

Warm Up

Play a variety of parachute games—adapt as needed for each class

Merry-Go-Round: Children turn their bodies sideways and hold the chute with one hand. They then walk around in a circle, making a "Merry-Go-Round." For variety, children can hop, skip, jump, etc. You can stop music as a cue to reverse and go the other direction.

Change Up: Call out names, colors, ages, etc, and those children swap places under the chute before it falls, and run to an empty space.

Parachute Tag: Lift the parachute high overhead. Call one child's name and have her run (skip, hop, twirl or crawl) to the other side before the parachute comes down and tags her.

Shoe Shuffle:  Have some students take off one shoe and throw it under the parachute. On the count of three, raise the chute, and the designated children have to run under and find their shoe before the chute comes down.

Cool Down using All Around the Circle by Music with Mar

Preschool PE

I have so many more ideas that I could share, but I never take the time to upload them.  This summer I was hired for the PE position at a local preschool.  It's an ideal job for me because it allows me to get back into a preschool setting but really offers the flexibility so that I can be in my son's classroom.  I will upload my monthly lesson plans here.  If you are looking for gross motor activities, I suggest taking a look.  Each session is designed to take about 20 minutes.

Rainbow Paint Sticks

So I saw an idea similar to this on Pinterest and just had to make my own twist on it.  To make the stick, I hot glued wooden clothespins to a long shim. I glued them approximately every 2". I added some blue duct tape to give an easy to hold/clean handle.  I also wrote the color words along each clothespins. 

Here is the final product:

I was pretty excited to try them in my classroom. They were quite messy to load, but the kids had so much fun with them and everyone loved the way their very unique picture turned out. Overall, the kids didn't get too messy. I highly recommend trying it soon!

Minute to Win It Valentine's Games

These are all variations of standard Minute to Win it games.  For the catapult, I made four of THESE (click for the link) and they held up pretty well for just being popsicle sticks and hot glue.  You can download cute instructions HERE.

Minute-to-Win-It
Conversation Heart Candy Games

Straw Hearts
Materials:
 1 straw per student
 conversation hearts
 paper plates
Using a clean straw, player sucks a conversation heart onto the end and transfers it from one plate to another.
How many can you move in a minute?
Heart Relay
Materials:
 4 plastic cups
 conversation hearts
 2 spoons
Place two full cups of conversation hearts on the floor, and place two empty cups a few feet away. Divide the class into 2 teams. Each team is given one minute to move the hearts from the full cup to the empty cup using a spoon.
Stack Attack
Materials:
 conversation hearts
 paper plates
How many hearts can you stack on top of each other in one minute? If they fall–start again until time is up.
Sticky Hearts
Materials:
 1 popsicle stick per student
(regular or jumbo)
 conversation hearts
Players carry a conversation heart on the end of a popsicle stick in their mouth. (OR carry stick in hand). Can the entire class travel from one side of the room to the other without dropping hearts?
Separation Anxiety
Materials:
 conversation hearts
 colored paper hearts
With one hand held behind his/her back, players separate a plate of conversation hearts by color. (i.e. place pink hearts on pink paper, yellow hearts on yellow paper) Can you separate them all within one minute?
Heart Catapult
Materials:
 conversation hearts
 catapult
 paper heart
Students take turns launching a conversation heart at a paper heart target (place on the floor). Can you get your heart to land right on the target?
Pick-Up Hearts
Materials:
 conversation hearts
 chopsticks, 1 set per player
 paper plates, 2 per team
Give each team two paper plates – one full of hearts, the other empty. Using chopsticks, players move as many candies as they can from one plate to the other in one minute.
Raining Hearts
Materials:
 conversation hearts
 Valentine box tied to scarf
Choose four players to begin. Tie Valentine boxes around waist. Place equal amount of conversation hearts inside each box. Give the players’ one minute to shake, jump, wiggle the hearts out onto the floor without using hands.



Graphic from http://www.mycutegraphics.com/

Transportation

Theme:  Transportation
Letter of the Week: X

Land Transportation

Create a Traffic Signal (Art, Fine Motor)
Copy enough circles for each child.  I run mine on colored paper so they don't have to take the time to color them, but you could easily just print them on white and have the kids color them.  Here are the size I use. Once they have cut them out, I have them glue them in the right order.  I use the following poem, which I found years ago (mwaybe in a Mailbox Magazine?): Red on top, Green Below, Red says Stop, Green says Go, Yellow says Wait, even if you're late.  For my PreK students, I am going to have them right the three color words and fill in the blank.  Here is a PDF you can print and use for the same thing.

Transportation Pattern Blocks (Math)
I was looking for ways to incorporate a little bit of Math into my unit, and I found these great pattern blocks.  Thanks Kelly for the great download!  I am using only the transportation ones at this time, but will use the others soon :)

Play Red Light, Green Light (Gross Motor, Listening Skills)
Just the traditional game that helps children learn listening skills while still having fun.  Make sure you are a good policeman and send back any kiddos who don't listen.

Add Little Tikes Car Tracks to Blocks (Social Skills, Math)
These are just an old school path that have been around since my brother, who is now 23, was little.  It helps with their math skills because they have to figure out how to build a complete track, which can be quite challenging for some of them.

My favorite type of transportation is a _______________? Why?(Language Development)
I added the why section of the question because it challenges them to think of why they like what they like.  I am excited to see what answers they come up with.  Here is the link the page I created.



Air Transportation

Sing the Little Airplane Song (Music)
This is a simple little song for the kiddos to sing along to.  It goes to the tune of Frere Jacques.
Little airplane, little airplane,
In the sky, in the sky,
I can see you soaring,
I can see you soaring,
Up so high,
Up so high.

Hot air Balloon Trace (Fine Motor, Art)
This really helps control fine motor and then can be colored in patterning skills.  I have them trace with a black marker and then color with crayons.  I created this by tracing around a coloring book page.  It was years ago, so I can't credit the original artists.  Here is my copy.

Make your own Helicopter and Paper Airplane (Science, Art)
This was given to me from a co-worker years ago and the kiddos love making it every year.  You cut along the solid lines and fold along the dotted lines. It is best to put one jumbo paper clip across the bottom, if you don't have access to standard ones work similar.  Below, you will see a demo.

Water Transportation
Letter X Day

Sink or Float? (Science)
This is just your standard lesson.  We will discuss how these things may or not make good boats.

Juice Box Boats (Science, Art)
I found this idea on Pinterest (you can see it here) and think the kiddos will have a great time with it.  I hope that I remember to take some pictures of ours in action so that I can post them here to show off our version.  I think the kiddos will have a great time with them.

X Marks the Spot (Social Skills, Letter Identification, Problem Solving)
I am making up a treasure hunt to take my kiddos around the school and at each new spot they will find the Letter X.  To throw them off, I will have other letters posted with notes that let them know that is not the letter X.  I have not written it yet, but will try to post it here when I am done.

Share Letter Items (Letter Identification and Sound Recognition)
Have students share things around their home that they found that begin with the letter X.   Pretend to be boxing and make the 'ks' sound.