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| The Kissing Hand Back to school mini unit |
| Since we only have 3 days in our first week of school this year, I am beginning with this mini unit to deal with parent child seperation. If you have never read The Kissing Hand, it is a beautiful story about a racoon child's first day at school. His 'Mom' comes up with a lovely way to help him deal with being away from her. In return, Chester gives her something special. |
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| Idea #1: provide the children with die cut hands in the art center. They could choose from hearts or stamps to be place in the center of the hand. The hand could then be glued on a mini poster that has the following poem. And then sent home the first day of school. |
| It's my first day of Preschool and I'm thinking of you I made this precious hand so you'll think of me too. It's my first day of school and The Kissing Hand is what we read It's about a racoon that did just what his parents said Like the racoon's first day of school I was scared and a little shy But because of what you said I was brave and I got by All through the year I'll make more things for you So as I change and learn you can witness my growth too adapted for prek, but found at Mrs Eberhardt's website |
| Art Ideas |
| Idea #2: Depending on the fine motor skills of the group, you can encourage them to trace their own left hand and then cut it out. They might want to color it themselves and then have hearts that are already cut out and they can glue one on their hand. This would be a great time to teach how to use the glue bottle or a glue stick. |
| Cooking Activity |
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| My Mon., Wed., Fri., class will be making the famous kissing hand cookies. I will be asking one of the Moms if she would bring a batch of sugar cookie dough to school on Fri., then we will have the children roll out the dough and cut hands out by using a cookie cutter. They will also put a Hersey's chocolate kiss in the middle of the palm before baking. We will enjoy the special kissing hand cookie before we go home. |
| You can purchase either cookie cutter from Off the Beaten Path. Both are very reasonable below $2.50 without shipping. |
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| Check out a wonderful idea about going on a Chester hunt. The little giraffes' are going to have a great time. I would love to do this activity with my class, but our school is so small, we don't have enough people outside the room for it to be worthwhile. |
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| Coloring pages can be found at The Gable's Racoon World. |
| Mrs Wilt at The Learning Leap has a little book, a hand puppet, a writing assessment, and a Chester award for you :) |
| More to come soon! |
| Idea #3: Stamp each child's hand on a full sized stamp pad. Have child cut out both, if they are able to, and glue them together so as to overlap them, making a heart shape. Have child glue a heart or stick a sticker on the palm. |
| The poem below comes from 'Sandie in Seattle. She posted it on a teacher's bulletin board a while ago. A piece of me I give to you This special heart because "I love you" The heart is you the hand is me It shows that we are A FAMILY |
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| I just found this sweetie at CDK-kids.com. He's only $5.95 before shipping. :) |