This is a fun craft to do with preschoolers and they look wonderful displayed on a bullitin board! The teacher needs to give each child half a paper plate and some green paint. Instruct the kids to paint the rim of the plate green and tell them that this will be the rind of the melon. Then give each child a half-circle of red construction paper (cut to fit the inner part of the paper plate half) and have them glue it in place. Now, here's the fun part! Give each child a small pile of watermelon seeds,a dixie cup of glue and a paintbrush. Have them dab dots of glue wherever they want their seeds and they can stick them on. This is such a cute craft and,with a little prep. work on the teacher's part, something they can do almost on their own! Who wouldn't love a nice big slice of watermelon on a hot summer's day?
games to play...
songs to sing...
Cat and Mouse
One child is the cat and hides. The rest of the children are mice and sneak up to the cat's hiding place and scratch. This is the signal for the cat to chase the mice and try to catch one. Then choose another child to be the cat until each child has had a turn.
Have children lying on the floor, pretending to sleep as the set up for this song. It can be done even in a relatively small space.
All the bunnies fast asleep
All the bunnies not a peep
If I should sing my song today
Will all those bunnies get up and play?
(Children get up and hop around room)
Get up little bunnies hopping, hopping
Get up little bunnies hop, hop, hop.
Get up little bunnies hopping, hopping
Get up little bunnies hop and stop!
I do this several times in a row, and preschoolers just love it. The song can easily be adapted for any other animal or theme. ie.balloons - floating, frogs - leap, etc.
Paint the bottom of the child's feet. Make imprints of each foot with the big toe facing outward and the outer edge of the feet touching each other. You will notice the results looks like a butterfly. It helps to clean one foot before you paint the other. Can't seem to keep the little ones still? I do this project while they are in high chair eating a favorite snack.
blue jello mix
gummy fish
crushed graham crackers
Teddy Grahams
gummy Lifesavers
Sea creature crackers
paper umbrellas
clear plastic cups
This is the blue jello ocean cups with a little twist. Mix the jello according to the package. Pour the jello in clear plastic cups and add in gummy fish (you may want to wait until the jello starts to firm up a little so the fish don't all sink to the bottom). Let the jello set in your refrigerator. Once set, take finely crushed graham crackers and sprinkle along one side (on the top) of the jello cup to resemble a beach. Next take a Teddy Graham and insert half way in a gummy lifesavers. You may want to pre-stretch the lifesaver so the bear will fit in easily. Then, stick the feet of the bear in the jello. This should look like a bear with a float around it's waist floating in the water. Then, add a bear to the sandy area with a few starfish crackers. Last, insert the umbrella at an angle in the beach area.
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