Movement Moment

Move Like a Dinosaur

Supplies:

• Optional: dinosaur visuals of various types. (See my TPT Dinosaur Skeleton Colouring Pages)

Prep:

• Clear an area for running. A hallway, or other long area, would suit this activity well.
• Tip: The recommended book (see below) is a great precursor to this activity.

Time to Play:

• Stand with all your children at one end of the playing area.
• Explain that you are going to move like dinosaurs all the way to the other side of the playing area.
  • Triceratops – Swing your horns
  • Tyrannosaurus rex (T-rex) – Roar
  • Stegosaurus – Swing your tail
  • Brontosaurus – Take long steps
  • Pterodactyl – Fly
  • Velociraptor – Run fast
  • Ankylosaurus – Stomp
• Be excited and have fun with your children.

Art Activity

Sand Painting on a Fossil

Supplies:

• Sand, Cheerios, or other cereal (1 small handful per child)
• Small container/bowl to put sand in.
• Dinosaur fossil colouring page (Click here to download a free Triceratops, or visit my TPT store for a set of 7 Dinosaur Skeletons) (Alternatively use a blank paper)
• School glue (washable white liquid glue)
• Popsicle stick (or paintbrush)

Prep:

• If using Cheerios or other cereal, crush it into a sand-like consistently.
• If possible, print the free dinosaur fossil colouring sheet I have provided. Otherwise plain paper can be used.

Time to Create:

• Explain to your children that dinosaur bones are found in the ground. Tell them you will be putting sand on your dinosaur fossils.
• Give each child a dinosaur fossil colouring sheet.
• Pour a small glob of glue in the center of the dinosaur. Give your child a popsicle stick and encourage them to spread the glue around the picture.
• Once your child is satisfied with how well they have spread the glue, take the popsicle stick away.
• Give them a small container or bowl with sand in it. Show them how to take a pinch of sand in their fingers and sprinkle it on the areas of the picture with glue.
• After your child is done sprinkling the sand on, tip the picture to pour off any loose sand. (For easier clean up, tip the picture over a spare paper to contain the loose sand.)
• Set the picture aside to dry.
• Tip for cleanup: Water dissolves school glue. If glue dries on the table, leave a wet cloth on top of the glue for a few minutes then wipe the softened glue off.

Five-Minute Focus

Let’s Learn the ABCs

Letters of the Unit

TUV

Letter Activity

• Time to Learn: Arm actions
• Using your arms and body, create the shape of each of the letters of the unit.

• For other letter teaching techniques, visit: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/teaching-the-abcs-at-circle-time/

Movement Moment

Zoo Animal Parade

Prep:

• Clear a large area for running and moving

Time to Play:

• Gather your children together and explain that you are going to pretend to be different zoo animals.
• Say, “Let’s all pretend to be kangaroos. Can you jump like a kangaroo?”
• Lead by example and encourage your children to copy you or find their own ways to pretend to be these animals.
• Animal actions ideas:
  • Jump like a kangaroo
  • Stomp like an elephant
  • Swing like a monkey
  • Waddle like a penguin
  • Take big steps like a giraffe
  • Take tiny steps like a mouse
  • Tip-toe like a flamingo
  • Fly like a parrot
  • Go slow like a sloth
  • Race like a cheetah
  • Slither like a fish
  • Swim like a dolphin
  • Crawl like a bear
  • Pounce like a leopard
  • Gallop like a zebra
  • Walk like a crab

Art Activity

Binoculars

Supplies:

• Empty toilet paper rolls (2 per child)
• Tape (or hot glue)
• Markers or crayons
• Optional: Stickers
• Optional: Yarn or other string

Prep:

• Tape two toilet paper rolls together side by side to form binoculars.
• Optional: Attach a string to both sides of the binoculars so the children can hang them around their neck.

Time to Create:

• Show your children the binoculars and how to look through them to search for animals.
• Invite your children to decorate their binoculars using markers, crayons, and stickers. Remind them to press lightly so as not to squish the rolls (a tricky skill to practice for some 3 year olds).
• Have fun pretending to go on an going on an adventure to spot animals.

Five-Minute Focus

Let’s Learn the ABCs

Letters of the Unit

• GHI

Letter Activity

• Supplies: 1-3 pipe cleaners / chenille stems per child

Time to Learn:

• Hand each child 1-3 pipe cleaners or chenille stems.
• Encourage them to bend the pipe cleaners into the shape of each letter.

• For other letter teaching techniques, visit: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/teaching-the-abcs-at-circle-time/

Bonus!

Animal Skin Matching Game Free Printable

I created this Zoo Animal Skin Matching Game. It is available for free download along with suggestions for how to use them here: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/zoo-animal-skin-matching-game/

Movement Moment

Be A Giraffe

Time to Play:

• Gather your children in a fairly open area. Explain that you are going to pretend to be giraffes.
• Take a moment to brainstorm together about a characteristic of giraffes, then model how to act out that characteristic. Encourage your children to join in.
  • Do giraffes have long legs or short legs? Long legs. Let’s take long steps like a giraffe.
  • Are giraffes’ necks long or short? Long. I’m going to reach my arms over my head like a long giraffe neck. See? My hands are the giraffe’s head.
  • What do giraffes like to eat? Leaves. Let’s look for something green we can pretend to eat.
  • How do giraffes drink water? They spread out their legs and bend way down to reach the water on the ground.
• Tip: Pretending to be a giraffe is a great way to engage your preschoolers in large gross motor movements. These movements help strengthen important muscles that may not get regular exercise. For example, raising arms above the head strengthens core muscles needed to help stabilize the arms when holding a pencil.

Art Activity

Giraffe Spots

Supplies:

• Colouring sheet (free download – click on the image below)
• Brown construction paper or tissue paper
• White glue (recommended but not required if using orange paint)
• Orange food coloring (or orange children’s paint)
• Paintbrushes or popsicle sticks
• Small containers for paint
• Optional: dish soap (one drop)
• Optional: paint shirts and table covering

Prep:

• Print one colouring sheet per child
• Rip the brown paper into about one quarter of a sheet of paper per child
• Pour a small layer of white glue into the container. Add 1 drop of orange food colouring and stir (you are aiming for a giraffe skin colour). Ideally have one small container of glue for every one or two children.
• Tip: Adding 1 drop of dish soap to the glue mixture can make clean up easier.

Time to Create:

• Invite your child(ren) to the table and place the giraffe colouring sheet in front of them. Ask them what is missing. The spots!
• Give your child a piece of brown paper. Encourage them to rip it into spots to put on the giraffe.
• Once your child is satisfied with how much they have ripped the brown paper, give them the glue and paintbrush. Encourage them to paint the glue on the giraffe and then put the brown paper spots on top.

Five-Minute Focus

Let’s Learn the ABCs

Letters of the Unit

JKL

Letter Activity: Letter Box

Prep:

• Place 6-9 items beginning with the letters of the unit in a small box.
• For younger children, include items beginning with just one letter.

Time to Learn:

• Show your children the box. Pull one item out of the box at a time. Let them guess what it is. Emphasize the beginning sound of each item and state what letter it starts with.
• For more advanced children ask them to help you determine which of the three letters each item starts with.

• For other letter teaching techniques, visit: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/teaching-the-abcs-at-circle-time/