9 Ways to Volunteer for Your Child’s Preschool

Posted on September 9, 2019February 23, 2021 by S. J. Little

There are endless ways to help at your child's preschool. Here are 9 unique ideas to get you started.

There are endless ways to help out your child’s preschool

Another school year is upon us. My, how time flies! As I prepare to welcome a new group of students, and you send your little one off to preschool, here are a few suggestions of helpful ways you could volunteer to support your child’s teacher.

Note that different teachers have different things that they prefer to do themselves, or different licencing rules, or needs in their class. If they say no when you offer to help, accept their answer.

1. Make playdough

Preschoolers benefit in many ways from playing with playdough. Their hand muscles are strengthened in preparation for writing, their creativity is engaged, and teachers can use it as a chance to practice social and language skills. However, playdough costs money, and, with so many little hands touching it, playdough certainly does not last forever. Most preschool teachers I know would be grateful if you offered to make a batch.
Tips:
- Your teacher may have a favourite recipe to share with you.
- Making the playdough can be done with your child (depending on the recipe), which can create fun family time and an opportunity to teach them to get excited about giving something away.

2. Craft prep/cutting

Preschool teachers spend hours cutting paper in preparation for crafts and art projects among other things. However, I have to warn you on this one. Some preschool teachers can be extremely particular about the quality of cutting, others hardly care. Take a few weeks to watch what sort of arts and crafts your child is making, and the quality of cutting the teacher is doing. If you think you can match it, ask your child’s teacher if they would be interested in your help.
Tips:
- If you take something home to work on, be sure to get it back to the teacher at or before the agreed time.

3. Donating your skill/expertise

Sewing
- Is sewing something you enjoy and have decent ability in? Tell your child’s teacher. She may have a cloth doll or a dress-up costume in need of a few stitches. Alternatively, offer to make a few simple costumes for the dress-up corner such as a couple of tutus or capes.
Computer skills
- Not all preschool teachers are skilled with computers. If your child is at a small preschool, an offer to help polish their website, etc. may be eagerly received.
Community Helpers
- A common preschool theme is community helpers. This includes individuals such as firefighters, police officers, doctors, dentists, vets, and librarians. Even construction workers and bus drivers could be included. If this is you, and you enjoy talking with preschoolers, ask your child’s teacher if they would be interested in having you talk about your job for a couple of minutes in class. This would be especially beneficial if you have some sort of items to show the children or even to let the children touch.

4. Donating resources

Wood
- Does your job involve working with wood? What may be scraps of wood destined for the garbage bin to you, may be treasures to your child’s teacher. I once had children make a keepsake craft out of donated flat baseboard. It was a hit!
Boxes and paper
- Does your job involve very large cardboard boxes? Rather than throwing out or recycling a large box, ask if your child’s class could use it. Do you often have stacks of unused, clean paper to get rid of? Offer it to your child’s teacher. Even if the papers are too small for your purpose, many teachers would welcome papers as small as, say, 3″ by 3″.

5. Field trips

Preschools often have a set number of adults needed for field trips and other unique activities. Finding that number of parents willing to come can be challenging. I have had to cancel activities in the past because not enough parents volunteered.

Tips: 9 Ways to Volunteer for Your Child's Preschool - S. J. Little

- Keep an eye open for announcements about field trips or other activities and ask your teacher if they’re looking for volunteers.
- When volunteering, remember that you are there to watch the children, not primarily to stand to the side talking with other adults.
- Come prepared. Dress appropriately for the activity.
- Be aware that some children react unexpectedly when their parent is volunteering. More on that later.

6. Special events

Does your child’s preschool have a Valentine’s party, a picnic day, a Halloween parade, a Christmas party, or a multicultural day? Ask the teacher if they would like a volunteer to help. Depending on the activities planned and the particular group of children, they may say yes or no.

7. Washing toys

Did you know that preschool teachers wash their toys a lot? Some preschools wash toys weekly, others wash them monthly. Whatever the case, if you offer, they may be very happy to accept an offer to help wash some toys, or, based on a variety of reasons, they may have to say no. Note that toy washing is not a glamorous job and is often monotonous.

8. Donations

Depending on your particular preschool program, your child’s teachers may gladly welcome a variety of donations. Many of these items could be donated when your child outgrows them. Be sure the items are in good shape prior to donating and age appropriate. These items could include:
- Clothes (Keeping extra clothes on hand for when a child has an accident but didn’t bring a change of clothes is important.)
- Plastic grocery bags (Clean and without holes. These are valuable when a child has an accident, or for a variety of other purposes.)
- Clean diapers (If your preschool has a non-toilet trained class extra diapers are great!)
- Toys
- Halloween costumes (When a child forgets to bring a costume, having a spare costume for them to use is wonderful.)
- Dress-up clothes, including multicultural outfits
- Snow pants, gloves, swimsuits (If your school does activities requiring these items, having a spare can be a lifesaver.)

9. Volunteering in the classroom

Now I suspect the first thing you think of when someone suggests volunteering for your child’s preschool, is staying in the classroom as an extra set of hands. There is a reason I didn’t put this first on the list. Every school has their own policy on this: some encourage it, some discourage it. Wonder why? There are several reasons.

It is always intriguing to me to watch the way a child’s behaviour changes when their parent stays in the classroom for a day. Some children barely change their behaviour, while others can go from perfectly behaved and good at listening, to rolling on the floor in a temper tantrum. Others can go from mischievous to well behaved. I suspect it depends a lot on how the child responds to the parent at home. This is why some preschools discourage parents from staying in the classroom, at least for the first couple of months of the school year. It is not because they don’t want the help, or because they are trying to hide anything, but because sometimes having a parent volunteer is more trouble than help.

Tips:
- If your child cried the first couple days of school (many do), then volunteering to stay in the classroom right away may not be beneficial. If your child has just begun to settle in, your presence may throw that off and slow the adjusting process. Instead, wait until later in the school year to volunteer.
- The first couple of days of class can be hectic. Some preschools bring in extra staff or volunteers to help. If you have childcare-type experience and your child is not disrupted by your presence, the teacher may welcome your help.
- Respect your preschool’s policies surrounding parent volunteers. They are there for a reason.

Conclusion

I hope this list has given you food for thought when it comes to volunteering for your child’s preschool. There are endless ways you can help. When you save the school money, by donating items, or save the teacher time, by volunteering for tasks, you enable that time and money to be spent in other ways to provide an even richer preschool experience for your child. However, as mentioned, keep in mind that each preschool is different and may have different needs and policies. What may be a tremendous help to one teacher, may not be welcomed by the next.

On behalf of all the teachers and preschoolers who will benefit from your volunteered time, skills, and/or resources. Thank you!

7 Fantastic Animal Guessing Books for Preschoolers

Posted on August 14, 2019April 21, 2021 by S. J. Little

The following are some of my favourite animal picture books that get children interacting at storytime. These guessing books for preschoolers give clues, whether visual or through words, about what animal may be hiding on the next page or under the flap. Especially at the beginning of the school year, I find these books intrigue youngsters who are otherwise unwilling to sit for stories.

1. Are You My Mommy?

(Lift the flap)

Written and Illustrated by Mary Murphy Are You My Mommy? by Mary Murphy - review by S J Little

This is currently one of my absolute favourite preschool books. The storyline – a puppy looking for his mommy – is simple enough for my two year old class to follow and enjoy. As the puppy asks each hidden animal if they are his mommy, the children try to guess the animal based on visible clues. My two year olds enjoyed naming each farm animal after I opened the flap, while my three year olds were typically able to guess the animal before I opened it. Now here’s the part that makes this little board book so fantastic. I found that most of my three year olds were well versed in, and becoming bored of, the typical farm animal names: horse, cow, pig… In fact, many of my two year olds knew them all. Mary Murphy doesn’t stop with just the standard farm animals. Instead, under each flap is a baby to go with the mommy. These baby animal names were brand new for my three year olds. They hadn’t heard of ducklings, piglets, and calves before. This kept my advanced students engaged and learning while still providing review of the standard animal names for my children who were newer to learning English.

Reading tips:

By using identical phrasing on each page you can invite your children to say it with you: “Are you my mommy?” “No, I’m a ___(allow children to name the animal)__, and this is my baby calf.”
I like to use a different voice for each animal. It helps the children stay attentive.
Because this book is, to my knowledge, only available as a small board book, some older preschoolers may scoff at it as being for babies. Therefore, how you introduce this book is important. I like to tell the children I need their help naming the animals. Also, because the baby animal names were new to my class, I decided to read it on two days during our farm week. To prepare the children for this, I told them I was going to read the book today, and then a different day I would read it to them again to see if they remembered it. This way I didn’t get any “we already read that” complaints when I pulled the book out the second day.

2. Peek-a-Boo! Ocean

(Lift the flap)

Written and Illustrated by Jess Stockham Peek a Boo! Ocean and Peek a Boo! Safari by Jess Stockham

This series of books is right up there among my favourites. They are good-sized board books with only 5 page spreads each. The sad thing about these books, however, is that, to my knowledge, they are no longer in print. Also, since children are often rough on lift the flap books, they are quickly disappearing from my local library.

As a preschool teacher, I find that many children have trouble settling into our circle time routine during the first number of classes. Especially with my two year olds, I find it works best to start with songs for the first few weeks, then slowly transition to adding some books in those times of singing. These Peek-a-Boo books are excellent first books for circle time during that transition. With my two year olds, I might wait a month before beginning to introduce these books and then moving to other books, while for the three year olds I’d start with these books in the first week or two.

What’s so great about these books? Let me tell you. My favourite part is the way Jess Stockham has left little clues visible so the children can try to guess which animal is hiding behind the flap. For example, the children might be able to see the animal’s tail or ear. Another thing I appreciate about this book is how bold and simple the pictures are. On top of that, the flaps are large, nearly as large as the book.

Reading tips:

When you read the words, such as “Who’s ear is this?” Point to the place where you see the ear peeking out from behind the flap.
After opening the flap, your children might enjoy it if you tell them something about the animal, such as the sound it makes or where it lives, for example: “The polar bear lives at the North Pole where it is really cold.”

Other titles in this series include:

Peek-a-Boo! Safari
Peek-a-Boo! Forest
Peek-a-Boo! Jungle

3. Do You Want to Be My Friend?

Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle Do You Want To Be My Friend? by Eric Carle - review by S J Little

This nearly wordless picture book is a lot of fun for 3-4 year olds. Each page shows the tail of the animal you will see when you turn the next page. Children enjoy trying to guess which animal each tail belongs to. The book includes a wide variety of animals some of which my three year olds were not familiar with. The variety of animals would fit well with a zoo theme. When I tried this book with my two year olds, it seemed too long and the animals and their tails too tricky for guessing. Therefore, I’d recommend this one for 3-4 year olds.

Reading tips:

Only two of the pages have words on them. I typically end up repeating the same phrase on every page: “Do you want to be my friend?”
Wait a moment before turning the page and encourage the children to guess.

4. My First Peek-a-boo Animals

(Lift the flap)

Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle My First Peek-a-boo Animals by Eric Carle - review by S J Little

This short book is unique. Each page has a four line poem giving clues to what animal might be hiding behind the flaps. The large flaps do not cover the entire animal leaving toes, tails, and maybe a nose sticking out. 2-4 year olds can enjoy this book, however, I would say that my two year olds were not able to guess based on the poems. Also, as a teacher at a preschool that uses typical themes, I find it hard to know which theme to use this book in. It has a random combobulation of animals from a lion, to a horse, to a butterfly, to a turtle, to an elephant and more. Still, regardless of what theme you put it under, this is an engaging book for preschoolers.

Reading tips:

Based on the age and development level of your children decide whether or not to read the poems. If you wanted, you could encourage the children to guess simply based on the visual clues sticking out from under the flap and read the poem after you’ve revealed the animal.

5. Dear Zoo

(Lift the flap or pop-up version)

Written and Illustrated by Rod Campbell

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

The simple repetitive words and basic storyline of this classic book make it excellent for youngsters. Only a couple of the pages have visual clues as to what animal is hiding making them hard to guess. Each animal has a description word, such as big, fierce, scary, jumpy, etc. These words could be used as clues to encourage guessing. They also enhance the learning side of this book as the children may not be familiar with some of the description words.

Reading Tips:

I highly recommend the pop-up version rather than the lift-the-flap as the pop-ups add tremendously to the excitement and engagement factor. However, note that the pop-up version is more likely to rip if left unsupervised in little hands.
One small group of 3-4 year olds I read this book to, enjoyed it so much that we read it several times in the first sitting. By the third or fourth time through, the children had memorized most of the animals and description words. They loved being able to fill in the words rather than hearing me read it.

6. Bugs From Head to Tail

Written by Stacey Roderick

Bugs From Head to Tail and other books in the series Written by Stacey Roderick, Illustrated by Kwanchai Moriya

Illustrated by Kwanchai Moriya

I highly recommend the Bugs and Ocean Animals books of this fairly recent series. Both books have a wide variety of animals some of which are familiar to most preschoolers and some of which will be new to them. While these books do not have flaps to lift, the pages have been cleverly designed so that on one page you see a part of an animal as a clue, such as their feet or tail, etc. Then you turn the page to find out what animal it is.

While I really enjoy the Bird book, most of the birds are far too specific for 2-3 year olds, unless the children have a specific interest in knowing unique animal names.

Reading Tips:

On the page that reveals which animal it is, the animal name is given as well as a lengthy blurb about that animal. The details in the blurb are targeted for a much older age group, therefore I entirely skip them. (Also, the dinosaur book’s blurbs are primarily based on speculations about the dinosaurs’ behaviours, not known facts, so I don’t read them.)

Other titles in this series include:

Dinosaurs From Head to Tail
Birds From Head to Tail
Ocean Animals From Head to Tail

7. I Spy Under the Sea

Written and Illustrated by Edward Gibbs I Spy kid's guessing book series by Edward Gibbs

I was surprised how much my wiggly three year old class enjoyed this book! First, we look through a spy hole to see what’s on the next page. I read the clues, such as “my arms are called tentacles.” Then the children try to guess what animal it might be before I turn the page. My class guessed some of the animals easily while others they’d never heard of which kept the book from being boring for my more advanced children. While the artsy illustration style is not my favourite, my class had no problem with it.

To my knowledge, this series is available as hardback and board book.

Reading Tips:

Encourage the children to try guessing even if they’ve never heard of the animal. Be sure your response to their guesses is encouraging. Especially with the quieter children, when they gather the courage to voice a guess, be careful not to turn them off by laughing at their guess.
Read the book ahead of time so that you know what’s coming. That way you can provide extra clues. For example, when I read the Under the Sea book to my class, we’d seen clownfish on our field trip the week before which I was able to use as an added clue.

Other titles in this series include: (Each focuses on various preschool topics as listed below.)

I Spy With My Little Eye (colours and clues)
I Spy Under the Sea (clues and numbers)
I Spy Pets (food and clues)
I Spy in the Sky (colours, big/small describers, and clues)
I Spy on the Farm (colours, first letters, and animal sounds)

Interested in learning other ways to capture your young audience at storytime? Skim through these creative tips and ideas: Ways To Engage Preschoolers With Stories

7 Simple Christian Songs for Preschoolers

Posted on July 5, 2019May 11, 2024 by S. J. Little

Recently, I’ve had a couple of people ask me about simple Christian songs to sing with preschoolers. Songs that don’t need a CD player, or a major in music, to sing. 7 Simple Christian Songs for Preschoolers - Read Your Bible Pray Every Day - S. J. Little

Having taught Sunday school for many years and having been a teacher at two Christian preschools, I have gathered a number of solid Christian songs with great actions for engaging children.

These songs work excellent for transitions, such as moving from play time to story time, or if your children have to wait. Children 1-6 years old are likely to appreciate these songs. Some of them are best sung standing up, providing an opportunity to get some wiggles out, while others help calm and settle the class.

Beyond that, these songs are excellent teaching tools for hiding timeless truths in children’s hearts. While I don’t remember the stories I was taught in Sunday school when I was 4, I still remember the songs, several of which are on this list.

Please note: The sample videos I have included were chosen for the clarity of the song and actions. I am not associated with any of them and have not done extensive research into the groups who posted them. Also, while I tried to find videos similar to how I prefer to sing these songs, some actions and/or words may vary from the versions I have recommended for you.

1. Read Your Bible, Pray Every Day

(Tune: I Will Make You Fishers of Men)

By: Harry D. Clarke

A great energy outlet song. Children stand up and crouch down and stretch super high! While there are other verses for this song, I prefer to only use the words I have included below and then sing the song again faster, and faster!

Read your Bible, pray every day,

Pray every day, pray every day.

Read your Bible, pray every day,

And you’ll grow, grow, grow,

Read your Bible, pray every day,

And you’ll grow, grow, grow,

Actions:

Read your Bible – Hold hands together, then open like book

Pray every day – clasp hands in praying posture

Grow – Start very low, then become a little taller each time you say “grow”. For the last time you say “grow” stretch on tippy toes with arms extended above head.

2. Happy All The Time (In-right, Out-right)

By: Anonymous (before 1942)

Another excellent stand up song. I heard this song in grade 10, when helping with a kid’s program, and knew I’d heard it before. I finally remembered I’d learned it in Sunday school when I was 4 years old. It was one of my favourites.

I’m in-right, out-right, up-right, down-right,

Happy all the time.

I’m in-right, out-right, up-right, down-right,

Happy all the time.

Since Jesus Christ came in, and cleansed my heart from sin,

I’m in-right, out-right, up-right, down-right,

Happy all the time.

Actions:

In-right, out-right, up-right, down-right – Point in each direction as you say it.

Happy all the time – Clap on every other beat (happy all the time)

Jesus Christ came in – Point to sky, then point to self

Cleansed my heart from sin – motion with both hands as though swatting something away

3. My God is so Big

By: Cedarmont Kids (1993)

This classic song includes simple truths children can begin to grasp, yet such profound truths that even as an adult I cannot fully wrap my mind around them. Depending on how you sing it, this song can be an active, shake-some-wiggles-out song or a quieter sit down song.

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty,

There’s nothing my God cannot do.

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty,

There’s nothing my God cannot do.

The mountains are His, the rivers are His,

The stars are His handy work too.

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty,

There’s nothing my God cannot do.

(optional) For you!

Actions:

God – point up

Big – spread arms wide (optional: do a star jump, then jump back in when doing “strong”)

Strong – make muscles with both arms up

Mighty – make muscles with one arm up and one arm down

Nothing my God cannot do – wag finger to say “no”

Mountains – touch fingers together above head making triangular point

Rivers – move hands back and forth wiggling fingers

Stars – alternate opening and closing hands

For you – point to someone

4. God Made Me

Traditional

I saw another preschool teacher using this song and enjoyed it so much I wanted to do it with my own class. This is a quieter song with powerful truths simply told.

God made me, God made me,

In my Bible book, it says that,

God made me.

God loves me, God loves me,

In my Bible book, it says that,

God loves me.

Other verses:

God helps me

God keeps me

Actions:

God – point up

Me – point to self

Bible – hold hands together and open like a book

Made – stack fists on top of each other (resembling sign language “make”)

Loves – make heart with hands

Helps – cup hands as though receiving something

Keeps – hug self

5. He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

Traditional African-American Spiritual (before 1927)

Another timeless classic. What a beautiful reminder that God is in control. Pick and choose which verses you want to use, or make up your own.

He’s got the whole world in His hands,

He’s got the whole world in His hands.

He’s got the itty bitty baby in His hands,

He’s got the whole world in His hands.

Actions:

Whole World – start with both hands at top, bring down tracing a large circle

In His hands – cup hands in front of self

Itty bitty baby – pretend to hold baby and rock from side to side

There are endless other verses including:

The wind and the rain… (Sweep hands from side to side, then move hands up and wiggle fingers while moving hands down)

The sun and the moon… (hold arms above head in circle, then twist arms into crescent)

You and me, brother… (point to boys)

You and me, sister… (point to girls)

The Mommies and the Daddies… (point to parents)

Everybody here… (motion to everyone)

6. The B-I-B-L-E

By: Anonymous (before 1924)

One teacher I knew always sang this song with the kids before reading a Bible story. It showed that this isn’t just another storybook.

The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me.

I stand alone on the Word of God,

The B-I-B-L-E

Bible!

Actions:

B-I-B-L-E – open hands like book (could also nod the beat)

Yes – nod head and do sign language “yes”

For me – point to self

I stand alone on the Word of God – stomp

7. I’m in the Lord’s Army

Traditional (before 1947)

Little boys love this action song, as do little girls. I remember this being one of my favourites when I was young. I encourage you to explain to your children what it means to be in the Lord’s army. Our life has purpose.

7 Simple Christian Songs for Preschoolers - I'm in the Lord's Army - S. J. Little

I may never march in the Infantry,

Ride in the cavalry,

Shoot the artillery.

I may never fly o’er the enemy,

But I’m in the Lord’s Army. Yes, sir!

I’m in the Lord’s Army. Yes, sir!

I may never march in the Infantry,

Ride in the cavalry,

Shoot the artillery.

I may never fly o’er the enemy,

But I’m in the Lord’s Army. Yes, sir!

Actions:

March – march in place

Ride – pretend to ride a horse

Shoot – start with one hand at hip and other up high, clap, put hands in opposite positions

Fly – move arms wide and lean side to side as though flying

I’m – point to self

Lord’s army – point up

Yes, sir! – stand straight and salute

If you doubt whether kids enjoy this sing, watch this cute video.

Bonus:

He Died Upon the Cross

By: Colin Buchanan

This is one of my favourite preschool kids songs, however, it doesn’t sound as good without instruments. Thankfully the song can be bought online as an mp3 file. I highly recommend you buy it and sing it with your children as this song captures the very core of Christianity as seen in 1 Cor. 1:3-4.

The song is available for purchase here (you can choose to only purchase this song #33, or buy the whole CD) https://colinbuchanan.com.au/products/practise-being-godly-cd-mp3-album (Note: prices on website are in Australian dollars. This is not an affiliate link, I just like the song so much!)

He died upon the cross.

He died upon the cross,

For me, for me, for just for me.

One day when I was lost,

He died upon the cross.

He died upon the cross,

For me, for me, for just for me.

Additional verses: (Repeat “One day when I was lost” chorus after every verse)

They laid Him in the grave.

He rose up from the dead.

He’s coming back again.

Actions:

For – hold up four fingers

Me – point to self

Just – (optional for older kids) make “j” with pointer finger and thumb

One day when I was lost – point to self, then tilt head back and put back of hand to forehead as though tired and hopeless

He died upon the cross – point up, then spread arms wide like the cross and let head hang forward

They laid Him in the grave – move both arms downward as though laying something down

He rose up from the dead – move arms upward with hands outstretched

He’s coming back again – motion as though for someone to come closer

Did you enjoy these 7 Simple Christian Songs for Preschoolers? If so, be sure to check out the follow up post titled “Another 7 Simple Christian Songs for Preschoolers.“

Other preschool songs on SJLittle.ca:

Another 7 Simple Christian Songs for Preschoolers (7 more songs)

If You Want To Be A… (Action song for almost any animal)

It’s Cold Outside Today (Simple winter song youngsters love)

My Favourite Preschool Christmas Song

Never-Ending Outdoor Painting

Posted on June 11, 2019July 28, 2023 by S. J. Little

Ever struggled to wash paint off a child’s hands, or sent chalk-covered children home? Ever had someone complain because your children used chalk where someone else didn’t want it? I have.

Outdoor painting with water can eliminate all that.

Supplies Needed:

Container to hold water (i.e. bucket)
Water
Old paintbrush or alternative
A sidewalk, fence, deck, etc.

Prep

It’s simple, really. Dress your children for the weather. Put a inch or two of water in your container and hand your child a paintbrush.

How It Works

When the wet paintbrush touches the concrete sidewalk, or other surface you choose to paint on, it leaves a wet mark creating the illusion of being painted.

Your children can paint and paint to their heart’s content and while they do so, their older paintings will gradually dry up giving them room to create still more paintings. In this way, the painting fun is never-ending for they never run out of space. When they are done and head inside, all their paintings will dry up leaving no mess behind. (Not that I think children’s chalk pictures are a mess, but I’ve been in settings where our outdoor play area was shared with others who complained about the drawings.)

Note, some children will dump the water, perhaps on themselves. Therefore, you could end up with wet children which is not a bad thing on a hot day.

Benefits

Low cost – once you have your bucket and paint brushes you are good to go. No more buying chalk
Low mess – your children may become wet, but they will not be covered with chalk or paint
Low prep – fill the bucket, dress your children for outside and you are set
Low clean up – the paintings dry up leaving no trace behind

Don’t Have Paintbrushes?

If you don’t have paintbrushes, or none that you want to use outside, try finding an alternative such as a small piece of sponge or a pompom. Adding a clothespin as a handle could help protect little fingers from scraping against the sidewalk when using such small painting tools.

What About Chalk?

Am I discouraging the use of chalk? No. I use chalk with my children often. However, if leaving chalk pictures behind or having chalk-covered children concerns you, this is a handy alternative.

Water painting. Fun alternative to chalk. Read more at SJLittle.ca

Also, if you use chalk often, switching it up with painting with water will create renewed interest due to the novelty of the activity.

What are you waiting for? Grab a bucket, a brush and a child and go have fun!

Run, Run, Run

Posted on May 10, 2019May 5, 2021 by S. J. Little

When running in circles is a very good thing for children…

Ah, spring is in the air. That lovely time of year when grass turns green and flowers begin to bloom. I love this time of year for so many reasons.

Unfortunately, this season also gets into the children. Teaching circle time becomes far more challenging than before. The children become extra antsy, wiggly, and sometimes more irritable.

I am writing this article in the spring because this is when children need more time to run. At the same time, I highly recommend increasing the amount of running throughout the year, as many children today spend far too much time sitting.

The Running in Circles Strategy

What’s the strategy? It’s very simple really. Let your children run in circles. Not only that, but encourage them to do so.

Let me explain.

The vast majority of preschool schedules include a segment of time for gross-motor play, such as running and jumping. Most preschools call this gym time.

Different teachers handle this time differently based on their children, space, and the materials available to them. Some teachers put out a variety of toys from balls to tricycles and consider gym time as free play. Others plan structured games, such as Red Light/Green Light, for the entire length of gym time. Still other teachers will go halfway in between with some structured time and some free play.

I have worked with teachers who do gym time in all three ways. Letting children run in circles can be done in any type of gym time.

Why Circles?

Two children running fast

By running in circles rather than to a wall and back, the children can run at their own pace. Faster children might run 5 laps while slower children may only run 2 laps. No one has to wait for the slower ones to catch up, and everyone has fun together.

What it Looks Like

How does this look in my gym class? I’m glad you asked.

As the children arrive in the room used for gym, I have them stand (or sit) in a particular place. Typically, I use a wall or a line on the floor for them to stand along. Always beginning gym time this way eliminates a large amount of chaos, which can come from transitions.

Once everyone is lined up, I like to do some sort of warm-up whether stretches or singing a standing up song, such as Head and Shoulders.

That done, I tell the children to run in circles around the room.

The first few weeks I find it helpful for me to run with the children, modelling one large circular track around the room. I make sure I’m excited about it and encourage them to join me. As they become accustomed to this, I can simply encourage them to run, while I stand in the middle. However, I don’t stay standing long. To increase their endurance more, I wait until they start losing steam, then I join them by running in circles too. This typically spurs the children on for another lap or two.

Benefits

What is the point of this strategy?

I have seen two tangible results in my classes.

First, the children’s endurance improves. One class of two and a half year olds, whom I implemented this strategy with, noticeably improved their endurance in a couple months of running in circles once a week. They also appeared to greatly enjoy running after the first few weeks.

Second, in running those laps, the children burn through some of their hugely abundant energy and then are more ready to play structured games such as Red Light/Green Light.

Those are just from my observations. Many studies and personal testimonies exist about the benefits of physical exercise for children, such as the following links:

The Daily Mile – Scotland school fights obesity with exercise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtxuwC6lbQQ

Active Kids, Active Minds | Kathleen Tullie | TEDxNatick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsyHmLPApPI

Aren’t Standard Games Enough?

Various structured games do get the children moving which is excellent. I, however, still like to have the children run in circles prior to playing structured games. This helps them focus on following the instructions later. Also, the children who struggle most to follow the dos and don’ts of a structured game are often the very children who need to run the most. Running in circles is easy and doesn’t require following complicated instructions. Besides this, many structured games do not keep the children at a high level of physical activity the same way simply running does.

Running in Circles at Home

Parents, did you know there are many ways of encouraging your children to run in circles at home too? Mom and Girl Running

You can take them to the back yard and encourage them to run laps around it. For older children, you can have them run around the outside of the house.

If you have a house like the one I grew up in, you may have a circular path in your house that can be used for running on days too cold to go outside.

Motivation can be tricky when it comes to encouraging your child to run at home. Your child will likely enjoy it more if you or another child runs with them. If you aren’t able to run with them, for older children, you could try timing them. How long does it take to run 5 times around the yard? Can they do it faster tomorrow?

Conclusion

We often hear how important physical activity is, but can find it tricky to include in our children’s day. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as easy as running in circles.

Looking for easy active games for your child? Try these: