For this lesson you will need:
Drawing of a cake (or a real cake…)
Cut outs of 16 candles (or real candles)
Tape/glue
Counting items (coins, pom poms, stickers, etc)
White paper 1 piece
Construction paper (different colors)
2 Bowls
Bandana
Marbles
Ball
Books: Someone Special, Just Like You by Tricia Brow
Snowmen At Night By: Caralyn Buehner
Pipe cleaners (2 for every child)
Empty cereal box (or piece of thin cardboard)
Marker
Hole Punch
Pen
Bread
Jam
Cookie Cutters
Welcome Song: (To tune of Old MacDonald):
Welcome, welcome everyone
So glad that you are here.
Today we’re gonna have some fun
So let’s give out a cheer
Woo hoo!!
Clap clap clap clap
Slap(legs) slap slap slap
Clap clap clap let’s go! (when you shout “let’s go!”, do a group high five in the center)
Question of the Day: “Can you think of a game you like to play with your friends or family? Tell me about it.”
Allow each child to share their answer. Share your answer with the children as well.
Number of the Day ‘16’: Display the number 16 on a piece of paper or dry erase board and ask if anyone can tell you what number it is.
Say: “If it were my birthday, and I was turning 16, how many birthday candles would I need to put on my cake?” (16!) Display a cake (real or drawn) and have children help you place 16 candles (real or drawn) on the cake. If using real candles, light them and have the children blow them out. If using pictures of candles, have them pretend. Explain that when you turn 16 you are able to get your drivers license which means you get to drive a car by yourself! Share any funny stories you may have about when you were first learning to drive.
Allow children to count 16 of any designated item and put it in the counting jar. Remind children about the special reward they’ll get when the counting jar is full!
Letter of the Day ‘P’: Make a ‘P’ pizza. On a white piece of paper, draw a big circle, and a slightly smaller circle inside of the big circle. Color the smaller circle red. This will be the base of your pizza. Cut out several toppings for your pizza from construction paper (Red circles for pepperoni, Green rectangles for peppers, yellow shapes for pineapple etc.) On the back of most of these toppings, write a word that begins with the letter P. On the back of the remainder of the toppings, write words that do not begin with the letter P. Place the toppings in a bowl and place it next to the pizza. You’ll also need some tape handy.
Ask children if they’d like to help you put together a pizza today. Tell them it’s a special kind of pizza because everything on it will start with the letter P. Point out that it already has pizza sauce on it! Have each child take a turn picking a topping from the bowl. Read the word on the back of it aloud, and let them decide whether or not that word starts with a p. If it does start with P, have them stick the topping on the pizza. If it does not, they will need to throw the topping away (into an empty bowl). Continue until all ‘P’ toppings have been placed on the pizza. You may want to cut a piece for each of them, just for kicks.
Demonstrate how the letter Pp is written and allow children to practice in their writing notebooks. Teach the ASL sign for the letter P, as well as the signs for ‘pizza’ and ‘play’.
Introduction to Topic: “How many of you like to eat? How many of you like to sleep? How many of you like to work? How many of you like to play?”
“All of these things are an important part of our day! We have to eat to give us energy, we have to sleep to give our bodies rest. We have to work and do our chores to keep our homes nice and organized. But my favorite part of every day is Play time. We have to play to keep our bodies and minds healthy and happy!
“What are some ways that you play?” Allow each child to share their answers. Ask how they play at home, how they play with their friends, how they play outside, and how they play inside.
Explain that there are lots of ways to play, and that children all around the world play in different ways. “Would you like to learn about how children from other countries like to play?”
Activity: Lead children in the following games. Explain where each game comes from, and how it is played. Games borrowed from library.thinkquest.org (check it out for more multicultural game ideas)
Australia: Down,Down,Down
This game is for two players at a time.
How to Play
1. Two players throw a ball back and forth.
2. When 1 of the players drops the ball, both, say down, down, down.
3. After that, the player who dropped the ball gets down on 1 knee, elbow,or chin, etc.
4. The game continues on like this until one of the players cannot go "down" anymore.
Laos: Marble Game
For this game you’ll need marbles
How to Play
1. Dig a hole in the ground, then draw a line about ten feet away.
2. Players attempt to throw their marble into the hole.
3. If your marble gets into the hole, you become a tiger.
4. A tiger has the advantage of being able to get people out if their marble touches another one.
Poland:TheBlindWoman The more players for this game the better because it is more fun to play that way. You’ll need a cloth or bandana to cover the ‘it’ person’s eyes.
How to Play
1. Take away anything that can break or get damaged.
2. Choose someone to be the Blind Woman and cover his/her eyes with a cloth so that the chosen person can not see.
3. All the players try to escape the "Blind Woman".
4. If the "Blind Woman" touches anybody, the person touched becomes the new "Blind Woman”.
When finished with games, point out that even though there are many differences between them and the children in other countries, one thing is the same. “You all like to have fun!”
Stories: Someone Special, Just Like You by Tricia Brow
Snowmen At Night By: Caralyn Buehner
Discuss books with children and allow them to ask any questions they may have.
Craft: Pipe Cleaner Acrobat: Draw a body, minus the arms and legs on to a cereal box and cut it out. Draw a face on it, then punch holes on the left and right shoulders for the arms, and also on the left and right of the bottom of the body, for the legs.
Insert a pipe cleaner through the back of the body to make the arms. Do the same for the legs. Curl the tips of the arms a little so he is able to hang on to a pen and twirl around.
Have children give their acrobat a name and put on a little twirling show!
Snack: Piece of bread with jam. Pass out some cookie cutters and a piece of bread to each child. Let them cut different shapes out of their bread and allow them to spread the jam themselves.
Service: Have children help you to gather a few toys that they no longer play with, and put them into a box to be taken to someone who might put them to good use. If you can’t think of any individuals to give them to, drop them off at the Salvation Army.
Good bye song: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and you Know it”
If you’ve learned a lot today, clap your hands (clap clap)
Here’s the letter of the day (sign the letter P), clap your hands (clap clap)
Oh, we’ve had a lot of fun,
Now our preschool time is done (tap index finger to wrist)
See you next time (wave) and we’ll do it all again! (Clap clap.)
