Ready, Set, Move

I’m Hungry For…

Academic Focus: ABCs

Supplies:

• One puppet or stuffed animal
• Use the pieces from an alphabet puzzle
• Alternatively use:
  • Paper
  • Marker
  • Scissors

Prep:

• If not using an alphabet puzzle, cut a sheet of paper into 2″ (5cm) pieces. Write one letter on each paper.
• Clear a space for active play.

Time to Play:

• Show your children the letters, then place the letters at one side of the room.
• Sit with the puppet at the other side of the room.
• Have the puppet say something along the lines of: “Hi! My name is Harry. It’s nice to meet you. Oh, I’m really hungry. I’m especially hungry for the letter ‘A’.”
• Ask a specific child to find letter “A” and give it to the puppet.
• Have the puppet pretend to eat the letter and say thank you.
• Have the puppet say something like: “That was delicious! But I’m hungry again. This time what I really want to eat is letter ‘G’.”
• Continue until all the letters have been fed to the puppet.

Explore, Learn, Create

Healthy Eating Plate

Supplies:

• Print one serving plate per child or draw your own
• Either use grocery store flyers
• Or print the foods colouring sheet. Print enough for every child to have at least a quarter page.
• Child safe scissors
• Glue stick

Prep:

• Print the needed papers (or collect your own resources)
• Note, the food groups shown on the plate are based on Canada’s Food Guide (2026). This guide classes meats, meat alternatives (nuts and beans, etc.), and dairy as “Protein Foods”. I added a small “Sweets” section to help teach that some sweets are fine, but the majority of our food should be in the other food groups.

Time to Create:

• Show your child the plate. Read the labels on each section.
• Explain to your child that it is healthy to have foods in those proportions.
• Give your child a flyer or the foods print out and a pair of child safe scissors. Encourage them to cut out various food items.
• Next, help your child sort the foods into the different sections of the plate.
• Give your child the glue stick to glue the foods onto the plate.

Ready, Set, Move

Spring’s Coming

Prep:

• Clear a large area for active play
• For your own reference, write down which commands you will use. Have a few extra at the bottom of the list in case your children need an added challenge. Options include:
  • Spring – pretend to grow like a flower: crouch low and move your arms upwards until you are standing tall. Spread your arms wide like a flower.
  • Summer – pretend to go swimming to cool off
  • Fall – pretend your hands are leaves: reach up high with your hands, then have them float gently to the ground.
  • Winter – pretend to put on winter clothing – snow pants, boots, coat, toque, mittens.
  • Could add directions: run to North, East, South, or West. (These would be easier to remember if you put up letter posters for each side. Keep each direction on its true compass direction since your children may use these as a reference point in the future.
• For an added challenge, could use partner actions that involve two children or all the children.
• Optional: Consider making visual cues for each action. For example, hold a yellow object for summer, orange for autumn, white for winter, and green for spring.

Time to Play:

• Gather your children and explain that you are going to play “Spring’s Coming”. They will walk around the area until you call a command. When you call that command, they stop and do the action wherever they happen to be standing.
• Show them two or three actions to begin with.
• Play with those actions until your children get the hang of it, then you can add in more actions one or two at a time.
• Have fun and smile. Participate with your children by doing the actions too.

Explore, Learn, Create

Cloud Names

Academic Focus: Name Writing

Supplies:

• White paper
• 1 blue paper per child
• Optional: yellow paper (to make a sun)
• Crayons to decorate with
• Child-safe scissors
• Glue stick (or tape)

Prep:

• On the white paper, draw enough cloud shapes to have one cloud shape per letter of each child’s name.
• Decide whether you will cut out the cloud shapes or have your child cut them out. If you will cut them out, do that now.
• Consider making a sample picture with your name to show your children.

Time to Create:

• If you made one, show your child the example picture, if not, show them the supplies. Explain that they are going to write their name on the clouds.
• Have your child cut out the clouds, unless you already cut them out.
• Help your child line up the correct number of clouds for the letters in their name.
• Encourage your child write one letter of their name on each cloud.
• Name Writing Tip: If needed, use a yellow marker to write your child’s letters for them, then give your child a dark coloured crayon to trace over top. Be encouraging. It won’t be prefect. (Emphasize how they draw the letters, i.e. starting at the top and the order of which part of the letter to draw first. Don’t worry about proper grasp yet.)
• Help your child glue the clouds on the blue paper in order.
• Optional: Decorate the picture by adding a sun or drawing rain, etc.