Add A Little – 4 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 1
Four Seasons
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
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 – be a growing 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.
Let’s Sing
What’s the Weather
Let’s Read
In the Middle of Fall
Author: Kevin Henkes
Illustrator: Laura Dronzek
Check out their books about other seasons as well.
Let’s Sing
Christian Song
Seasons: God Made It So
Let’s Read
BIBLE
Read the next story in the picture Bible you are working your way through.
