SEPTEMBER THEMES
    
    
    
    These pages are dedicated to all the wonderful childcare providers and teachers that have become my friends and support through my daycare email lists. Most of the activities and ideas on these pages come from them. Please visit there sites or send them a note to let them know what you think of their ideas. Also, feel free to email me with ideas of your own for activities or other themes that you feel would be appropriate for any particular month. I will add your ideas with links to your website and email address. Thank you, and enjoy!
    
    
    
    

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    LETTERS: A & B
    
    
    "My B Balloon"

    Help preschool children recognize the letter "B" and words and objects that begin with the letter "B" with this pre-school activity by Lisa B.
    Materials: Old magazines, picture books, scissors, glue, balloon, marker.
    Description: Teacher sits with child and look through a magazine, or picture book. Find as many items as you can that begin with the letter "B", and cut them out. You can even look for the letter "B" and cut them out as well. Show the child his / her balloon and explain to them that balloon also begins with the letter "B". Blow the balloon up and glue the pictures onto the balloon. When you are done you have a fun toy that is also educational. You can ask each child "Where is" questions and have the child find that particular picture. And you can have the child think of other words that begin with the letter "B".
    You can bat the balloon back and forth while saying your ABC'S with each hit and see how far down the alphabet you can get without letting the balloon touch the floor.

    This idea comes from Tracy's website at Lil Treasures Child Care

    
    
    
    
    B is for Butterfly ( can also be used for Butterfly theme)

    Heidi L. combines art with letter recognition in this creative activity.
    Materials: Large B cut out of construction paper. glue. paper towel or toilet paper tubes.
    Description: Have the children glue the B's to the toilet paper or paper towel tubes like butterfly wings. Children can also glue confetti, tissue paper or have them color the wings to add a little creativity. Cut two small strips of dark construction paper, roll them around a pencil and have kids glue them on as antennas. If you use wrapping paper tubes you can cut different sizes. They look very cute hanging from the ceiling.

    This idea comes from Tracy's website at Lil Treasures Child Care

    
    
    
    
    NUMBER: 1
    
    
    Coming Soon
    
    
    
    
    SHAPE: Circle
    
    
    Coming Soon
    
    
    
    
    COLOR: RED
    
    
    Coming Soon
    
    
    Back To School
    
    
    Coming Soon
    
    
    
    
    Apples
    
    
    Try this link recommended by Dawn Smith at email: dawns_daycare@hotmail.com or url: www.buckeyekidsdaycare.com:
    
    
    www.msc.cornell.edu/~weeds/schoolpages/appleseed/welcome.html
    
    

    Apple Tree: (can be used with "red" theme as well)

    Make apple trees. Make a trunk and branch by using childs arm and hand. Place on the table small containers of red paint. Have children dip a finger into the red paint and place red fingerprints onto the tree to make it an apple tree

    kara777@columbus.rr.com (Kara)

    
    
    
    
    The following songs, crafts and ideas come from Tracy's website at Lil Treasures Child Care
    
    
    Johnny Apple Seed Song:
    The Lord is good to me
    And so I thank the Lord
    For giving me the things I need
    The sun and the rain and the apple seed.
    The Lord is good to me
    
    
    
    
    Way Up High In the Apple Tree.

    Way up high in the apple tree,
    Two little apples smiled down at me,
    I shook that tree as hard as I could,
    Down came the apples, ...Um, they were good!

    
    
    
    
    Apple Printing:

    Cut apples in half crossways and point out the inside - I have tried to do this with tempra and if the kids get to much paint on the apples it will not work. But I did try my red ink pad and it worked GREAT! Have the kids stamp their apples onto a large sheet of paper. Looks very neat!

    
    
    
    
    Apple rip sheets

    You will need:
    Small paper plate
    a piece of red paper

    Have the children tear the paper into small pieces then glue the pieces all over the plate add a green paper stem and hang up. (alternate method-cut out an apple shape from a peice of construction paper instead of using a paper plate)

    
    
    
    
    5 Red apples

    Five red apples in a grocery store
    Bobby bought one & then there were 4
    Four red apples on an apple tree
    Susie ate one & then there were 3
    Three red apples. What did Alice do?
    Why she ate one & then there were 2
    Two red apples ripening in the sun
    Tommy ate one, & now there was one
    One red apple & now we are done
    I ate the last one & now there are none!

    
    
    
    
    Family
    
    
    Coming Soon
    
    
    
    
    Farm Animals
    
    
    Try these links recommended by Dawn Smith at email: dawns_daycare@hotmail.com or url: www.buckeyekidsdaycare.com:
    
    
    www.kidsfarm.com/wheredo.htm

    www.davisfarmland.com/index2.htm

    www.toybox.asap.net/farmsite/

    Paper Plate Pigs:

    Glue pink cotton balls to small paper plate. Add ears, eyes, and snout from construction paper or felt.

    Sheep:

    Use a cutout of a sheep and glue onto a paper plate. Spread glue onto the sheep's body and let the children put on the "wool" using dry oatmeal.

    Tractor Prints:

    Have you kids run their tractors through the tempera paint and then onto paper for great tractor prints!

    kara777@columbus.rr.com (Kara)

    
    
    
    
    The following songs, crafts and ideas come from Tracy's website at Lil Treasures Child Care
    
    
    Lamb Pencil Holder or Bunny Pencil Holder

    Materials Needed:
    One empty frozen concentrate juice cardboard container cotton balls, wiggly eyes, construction paper, white glue

    Directions:
    For lamb - Cover juice container with white construction paper. Glue wiggly eyes on and draw in face. Cover with white cotton balls.

    For bunny - Cover juice container with whatever color you want your bunny to be. Glue on wiggly eyes and draw in bunny face. Cut out two long ears out of white constructions and glue or staple to the inside of container so they are sticking out. Add soft white stuffing all around.

    
    
    
    
    PIG FACTS:

    •Pigs are very smart
    •Pigs roll in the mud to protect themselves from the sun and insects.
    •Pigs use their snouts to root for food in the ground.
    •There are several different kinds of pigs.
    •Male pigs are called boars, females are called sows, and babies are called shoats or piglets.
    •When a pig weighs more than 120 pounds, it is called a hog.

    
    
    
    
    CHICKEN FACTS:

    •Hens lay eggs.
    •Some eggs are used for cooking and eating.
    •Roosters are the only birds with a comb on their head.

    
    
    
    
    Popcorn Sheep:

    Draw a picture of a sheep. Pop popcorn in front of the children and then they can glue it onto the sheep.

    
    
    
    
    Grain Collages:

    Add corn, wheat, hay, flax seed, oats, barley, grains that farm animals eat to the art center. The children can make collages with them.

    
    
    
    
    Corn Cob Painting:

    corn cobs, tempera paint, manila paper, paper plates-- Put paint in paper plates. The children dip corn cob in the paint and paint designs on the manila paper. Encourage children to use the side of the cob and roll designs. Let the children dip the top of the cob in the paint and discover what designs they can make using only the top.

    
    
    
    
    Thumb Print Piggies:

    Have children put pink thumbprints on a piece of construction paper and make the prints into pigs.

    
    
    
    
    Cow Spots:

    Ahead of time, cut sponges into chunks. Clip each chunk into a spring-type clothespin. Pour Black paint into shallow dishes. Paint cow spots on large sheets of paper.

    Trace an animal with the stencil onto the tagboard and cut out animal shape. Then children clip on clothespins on the shape to make four legs. The animals will stand up.

    
    
    
    
    Sponge farm

    Using animal sponges have the children sponge paint some animals on a sheet of painting paper. On the top have he children print their have and then "had a farm" after it. At the bottom have the children print "There are_____ animals." The children then count their animals and print the number on the space.

    
    
    
    
    Dramatic Play

    Encourage the children to pretend to be farmers, using any props you have available:

    Milking a glove

    To help the kids understand more about cows, milk a glove! Ahead of time, make a pinhole in each fingertip of a latex glove. Outside, hang a clothesline about three feet above the ground. Clip the prepared glove to the clothesline with a pring-type clothespin. Place a pail below the glove and a low stool or chair beside it. Fill the prepared glove with water. Let the kids take turns squeezing the fingertips of the glove as if milking, so that the bucket goes into the bucket.

    
    
    Milking?

    A friend of mine had one of the Dads of her preschoolers cut out a big cow from plywood with a stand. She attached two of those thin latex gloves to the bottom of the cow, poked needle sized holes in the fingertips. Now the kids can milk the cow!

    
    
    Saw horse

    We took one saw horse, wrapped numerous layers od newspaper around the middle and then a brown blanket. Add yarn tail, paint some spots on saw horse legs, add cow face, made from a shoebox, rubber glove for utters, the children milked it, rode it, combed its tail, one of the best learning experiences for farm in a long time - everyone had a great time.

    
    
    
    
    Barefoot Chick:

    Materials:
    Yellow Paint
    construction Paper
    Crayons
    Glue
    Cornmeal

    What to Do:
    Paint (giggling allowed!) the bottom of the child's foot with yellow washable liquid paint. Have him press his foot onto a sheet of construction paper. When the child's foot is clean and the paint is dry, have him use crayons to add an eye, beak, and legs to his chick. Finally have him spread glue along the bottom of the paper, then sprinkle the glue with cornmeal.

    
    
    
    
    Cottony lambs

    Materials:
    Black construction Paper
    Cotton Balls
    White Chalk

    What to Do:
    Have the child trace their hands on the black paper. Cut these out, placing the "hands" upside down so that the four fingers are the legs and the thumb is the head. Have the kids glue cotton balls to the "body". Use chalk or construction paper or whatever to make the eyes.

    
    
    
    
    Packing Popcorn Lambs:

    Materials: White Paper
    Black Paint
    Glue
    Packing Popcorn

    What to Do:
    Use black paint on the hands and stamp them on a white piece of paper, then decorate. The lambs look cute with packing "popcorn" or white paper reinforcements make great "wool". Also, leftover batting or stuffing can be used.

    
    
    
    
    Wooly Lambs

    Supplies:
    •Poster Board
    •Cotton Balls
    •Glue
    •Clothes Pins
    •Wiggly Eyes

    Cut 6" ovals out of poster board for body, then a 2" for head. Kids glue head on to body. Next, kids glue cotton balls on to the lamb. Glue wiggly eyes on and put clothes pins on for legs. They should be able to stand up.

    
    
    
    
    Bunnies in the Grass

    Materials:
    White Paper
    Crayons
    Glue
    Pom-poms or cotton balls

    What to Do:
    Have child color a white sheet of paper all green (scribbling is just perfect) that have them glue on 10-15 1/2" pom-poms or pieces of cotton balls you now have "Baby Bunnies Hiding in the Grass!"

    
    
    
    
    THE QUACKING DUCK

    Materials:
    1 plastic cup, preferably yellow
    1 yard of thick cotton cording
    1 piece of sponge 1" x 2"
    black permanent marker
    small piece of yellow felt

    Steps:
    1. Make two holes, one inch apart, at the bottom of a plastic cup.
    2. String thread through each hole and knot ends together, leaving a 3-inch tail on the ends.
    3. Using the remaining tail, tie a sponge to the string.
    4. Lightly dampen sponge and wrap around top of strings.
    5. Pull sponge firmly down string to make a quacking noise.

    
    
    
    
    Muddy Pigs:

    Materials:
    Pink Construction Paper
    Shaving Cream
    Brown Paint

    What to Do:
    I ran off copies of a pig on to large pink construction paper, and I or the kids (if they could), cut them out. I give each kid a small cup of shaving cream, added a few drops of brown paint and they mixed it up. Then painted their pink pig with "mud".

    
    
    
    
    Hens

    Materials:
    Construction Paper
    Glue
    Feathers

    What to Do:
    Run off copies of chickens on construction paper. Cut them out, glue feathers on.

    
    
    
    
    Mother - Baby Farm

    To help the children learn the names of some of the baby animals create a farm on the bulletin board outside. We pair up the children and one child draws a picture of the mother animal and the other draws a picture of the baby. They then print the name of each and glue it onto the board outside.

    
    
    
    
    Animal Guess Game:

    Cut pictures of animals (2 of each animal) out of magazines or coloring books. Pin one picture on each child's back. All the children should move around the room behaving like the picture of the animal on their back. The object is for the children to locate their matching animal.

    
    
    
    
    Animal Hospital

    The children can brainstorm ways to make the area look like an animal hospital. Let them make a sign and decorate the area themselves. cotton swabs empty milkbone boxes cloth bandages bandaids rubber gloves long white lab coats stethoscope scale clipboards paper pencils baskets with pillows and blankets for overnight guests dogfood dish water dish stuffed animals from home telephone thermometer plastic toy syringes.

    
    
    
    
    PIGGY PLATE

    Glue pink cotton balls to small paper plate. Add ears, eyes , from construction paper. Make pig snouts from toilet paper rolls cut in half and paint pink .

    
    
    
    
    To The Farm (sung to the tune of Twinkle, twinkle)

    Chicken, kittens, piglets too,
    Donkeys, horses, cows that moo.
    Fish that swim down in the pond,
    Ducklings quacking all day long.
    All these things you can see
    If you go to the farm with me!

    
    
    
    
    Take Me Out to the Barnyard

    Take me out to the barnyard
    Take me out there right now
    Show me the cows,pigs and horses too.
    I hear an oink and a neigh and a moo
    There are chickens laying their eggs
    If they don't lay , it's a shame
    Oh, it's one, two, three eggs today,
    And I'm glad I came.

    
    
    
    
    I like Baby Animals (sung to tune of London Bridge)

    I like baby animals,
    animals, animals.
    I like baby animals,
    I'll name some for you.

    Kittens, puppies, chicks and foals,
    Chicks and foals, chicks and foals.
    Kittens, puppies, chicks and foals,
    I can name some more.

    Goslings, ducklings, lambs and calves,
    Lambs and calves, lambs and calves.
    Goslings, ducklings, lambs and calves,
    I like baby animals.

    
    
    
    
    Ten Little Pigs (Tune- "five little Ducks went out to play")

    Ten little pigs rolled in the mud -
    Squishy, squashy, felt so good.
    The farmer took one piggy out.
    "Oink, Oink, oink," the pig did shout!
    Continue with nine, eight, seven so forth, then...
    No little pigs rolled in the mud.
    They all looked so clean and good.
    The farmer turned his back and then,
    Those pigs rolled in the mud again.

    
    
    
    
    We're on the way to Grandpa's Farm by Raffi.

    We're on the way, we're on the way,
    On the way to Grandpa's farm.
    We're on the way, we're on the way,
    On the way to Grandpa's farm.

    Down on Grandpa's farm there is a big brown cow.
    Down on Grandpa's farm there is a big brown cow.
    The cow, he makes the sound like this________
    The cow, he makes the sound like this________

    We're on the way, we're on the way,
    On the way to Grandpa's farm.
    We're on the way, we're on the way,
    On the way to Grandpa's farm.

    Down on Grandpa's farm there is a little yellow duck,
    Down on Grandpa's farm there is a little yellow duck,
    The duck, he makes a sound like this: "Quack, Quack!"
    The duck, he makes a sound like this: "Quack, Quack!"

    We're on the way, we're on the way,
    On the way to Grandpa's farm.
    We're on the way, we're on the way,
    On the way to Grandpa's farm.

    Then repeat We're on the way...........and add a new animal.

    Use a flannel board with each animal.

    
    
    
    
    The Pig Song (sung to the tune of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider")

    Pigs are black and white and pink
    With a large round snout.
    They have a curly tail
    That they often chase about.
    There are many famous pigs
    That you all may know.

    
    
    
    
    Sort Animal Crackers:

    Animal crackers can provide excellent sorting and matching experiences for children. And the best part is once you have finished the task, everyone gets to eat the assignment.

    Make sugar cookies with animal cookie cutters.

    
    
    
    
    Haystacks:

    Melt a bag of Butterscotch chips (not the store brands they do not melt well, we used Nestles and they worked great!!) in the microwave... on high it takes about 1 min 30 sec. Add 10 oz. of Chinese Noodles and place in piles on a sheet of wax paper... That is all you do... they taste GREAT!!!! and really look like piles of hay ( or straw actually!!)!!!!!

    
    
    
    
    Pigs in a blanket

    Which is a hotdog with a crescent roll wrapped around it and then baked @350 for 15-20 minutes. YUM!!

    
    
    Thanks again, Tracy, for the wonderful songs, crafts and ideas. Dont forget to visit her website at Lil Treasures Child Care
    
    
    
    

    
    
    
    
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