Category: Preschool

Jesus Chose at Easter Time – Preschool Easter Song

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

To help you instill the reason we, as Christians, celebrate Easter, I came up with this simple song.

(If you’ve been following along, you may notice this is the same tune I used for my song “Jesus Came at Christmas Time” a few years back. My kids enjoyed it so much, I decided to create this Easter song in a similar manner.)

 

Jesus Chose at Easter Time

Tune: Praise Him, Praise Him (Composer Unknown – Pre 1974)
Song by: S. J. Little

 

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus chose at Easter
To show us that He loves us.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus chose at Easter time.

 

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus died at Easter
To save us from our sins.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus died at Easter time.

 

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus rose at Easter
So we can live with Him.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus rose at Easter time.

 

 

For another super simple Christian Easter song, check out my song: He Rose Again and Lives Today

Dinosaurs – 3.6 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 3 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 6

Dinosaurs

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more...

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Movement Moment

Move Like a Dinosaur

Supplies:

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 FossilFree Triceratops Colouring Page

Supplies:

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

Let’s Sing

5 Little Dinosaurs – Fingerplay

Let’s Read

Blippi: If I Were a Dinosaur

Author: Meredith Rusu
Illustrator: Adam Devaney

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

Our God is an Awesome God

Let’s Read

BIBLE

Read the next story in the picture Bible you are working your way through. Need recommendations for a good Children’s picture Bible? Click Here

Outer Space – 3.5 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 3 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 5

Outer Space

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more...

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Movement Moment

Fly to the Moon

Supplies:

  • Optional: Hula hoops (1 per person)
  • Optional: Space helmets (1 per person)

Prep:

  • Clear a large area for active play.

Time to Play:

  • Gather your children and explain that you are going to play a pretend game. You are going to fly to the moon! (Be excited.)
  • If using hula hoops, explain that the hula hoops are your spaceships. Place one hula hoop per person on the ground with room around them. As you do so, assign each child to stand beside a hoop.
  • Say, “We’re going to fly to the moon, but first, we need to get ready.”
  • “Put your space suit on.” Pretend to step into a full-body suit and do up the zipper.
  • “Put your space boots on.” Pretend to put on heavy boots.
  • “Put your space helmet on.”
  • “Put your space gloves on.”
  • “Open the door to your spaceship and climb in.” If using hula hoops, step into the centre of the hoop.
  • “Buckle up your seat belt.”
  • “Now get ready to blast off.” Crouch low.
  • “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 … Blast off!”
  • Jump up and run around the room several times.
  • Point to a far corner of the room. “There’s the moon! Let’s go land on it.”
  • Run together to that corner and “land” your spaceships.
  • Unbuckle your seat belt, open the door, and climb out of your spaceship. Pretend to moon walk with slow-motion movements and exaggerated jumps.
  • Climb back into your spaceships, close the door, and buckle up. Blast off to fly back to Earth. Run around the room several times before landing on Earth.

Art Activity

Cardboard Tube Rockets

Supplies:

  • 1 cardboard tube per child (use an empty toilet paper roll or cut a paper towel roll shorter)
  • Coloured construction paper
  • 1 paper cone per child (either use a cone-shaped paper cup or roll one using coloured paper)
  • Markers (or crayons)
  • Glue stick (or tape)
  • Hot glue gun and glue (alternatively use tape, but this is more difficult)
  • Scissors
  • Optional: red, orange, and/or yellow tissue paper or streamers

Prep:

  • Ahead of time, use the hot glue gun to secure the cone on top of the cardboard tube. This forms the body of the rocket.
  • Cut out 2-4 triangle fins (per child) from the coloured paper.
  • Optional: Cut 1-inch wide strips of tissue paper that are about 6 inches long. Prepare around 3 strips per child.

Time to Create:

  • Invite your child to the table. Encourage them to take a moment to colour the tube and cone with markers. (Drawing gently on a curved surface is great fine motor practice.)
  • Allow your child to choose which colours of triangle fins to add to their rocket.
  • Fold the edge of each fin, then, using a glue stick, attach each fin around the base of the rocket.
  • Optional: If you have tissue paper, allow your child to choose 3 strips. Attach these strips inside the bottom of the rocket leaving them trailing out behind like fire.

Five-Minute Focus

Let’s Learn the ABCs

Letters of the Unit

  • QRS

Letter Activity:

  • Supplies: 1-2 strings per child

Time to Learn:

Let’s Sing

Zoom Zoom Zoom

Let’s Read

I Want to Go to the Moon
(Book + CD)

 

Author: Tom Saunders
Illustrator: Cynthia Nugent

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

For actions and additional verses, click here.

Let’s Read

BIBLE

Read the next story in the picture Bible you are working your way through. Need recommendations for a good Children’s picture Bible? Click Here

Christmas Stars – 3.C – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 3 Year Old Curriculum – Unit C

Christmas Stars

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more...

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Movement Moment

Hide and Seek Stars

Supplies:

  • Two copies of the free printable colouring sheet (or the full-colour version available on TPT). If you have more than 10 children, print a third copy of the colouring sheet to make additional stars.
  • Scissors
  • Crayons, markers, pencil crayons, etc.
  • Optional: Consider using thicker paper and/or laminating your Hide and Seek Stars board and pieces for greater durability.

Click here for your free Star Search Download

Prep:

  • Alternatively, if you prefer to print a full-colour version, check out the 10 Matching Stars on my TPT store.
  • Decorate the stars keeping the matching stars looking like they match (i.e. the star with five dots should be the same colour on both sheets of paper so that they are evidently a pair.)
  • Cut out the stars from one sheet of paper (these are your stars to hide). Do not cut the other sheet of paper (this is your matching board).

Time to Play:

  • “Hide” the stars around the room in obvious places. Consider placing one on a chair, on a windowsill, or even straight on the floor.
  • Place the matching board in the center of the room. Gather your children around and show them the stars. Discuss what colours they are.
  • Explain to your children that you have hidden the stars around the room. Their job is to find the stars and match them to their pair on the matching board.
  • Be excited with the children as they find each star.

Art Activity

Star Shadows

Supplies:

  • Paper
  • Cardboard or thick cardstock
  • Scissors
  • Crayons (Alternatively use paint, or use light coloured oil pastels on black paper.)
  • Tape

Prep:

  • Cut out stars from the cardboard. You need at least one per child who will be doing art at the same time.
  • Optional: Cut out a moon.

Time to Create:

  • Invite your children to the table. Show them the cardboard star.
  • Demonstrate how to make a star shadow picture by doing an example: put a ball of tape on the back of the cardboard star. Secure the star to the middle of your paper.
  • Use a crayon to draw from the cardboard onto the paper all around the cardboard star.
  • Remove the cardboard star and admire the star shadow.
  • Secure a star to your child’s paper and encourage them to try.

Five-Minute Focus

Let’s Learn the ABCs

Letters of the Unit

MNO

Letter Activity

  • Time to Learn:

Now that you’ve made all the Hide and Seek Stars, help your child arrange the stars in the shape of each letter.

Let’s Sing

I’m A Little Christmas Tree

For lyrics and actions, click here.

 

Let’s Read

Little Blue Truck’s Christmas

Author: Alice Schertle
Illustrator: Jill McElmurry

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

Baby Jesus, Welcome Lord

For lyrics and actions, click here.

Let’s Read

BIBLE

Read the story about Baby Jesus in your Children’s Bible.

Speaking of Christmas…


.

Zoo Animals – 3.4 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 3 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 4

Zoo Animals

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more...

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

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:

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/

Let’s Sing

If You Want To Be A…

Note, this video is very slow. I recommend singing it at 1.5x speed.

For other animals to sing about, check out my post: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/if-you-want-to-be-a/

Let’s Read

Good Night Gorilla

By: Peggy Rathmann

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

The Butterfly Song

Let’s Read

BIBLE

Read the next story in the picture Bible you are working your way through. Need recommendations for a good Children’s picture Bible? Click Here