Curriculum

ART

Purpose

Encourage creativity using variety of materials by modeling that anything can become art or a means to create art (e.g. paint with trucks, sculpt with coat hangers, etc.)

Practice fine motor skills such as cutting with scissors, holding paintbrush, etc

Focus is on process and NOT the final product (i.e., not all finished products should look the same and there can be art projects without a take home product such as pudding painting).

Sample Projects

Painting with marbles, trucks, toothbrushes, socks filled with sand, sponges, etc

Making collages with tissue paper, magazine cut outs, scrap paper, etc.

Clay projects or plaster of Paris

Beading necklaces and bracelets with string or pipe cleaners

Glued structures using wood, Popsicle sticks, Styrofoam, etc

Paper bag puppets

Mobiles or string art

Anything with glitter

OUTSIDE

Purpose

Develop large motor (gross motor) skills such as jumping, running, pedaling, etc.

Provide opportunities for crawling, balancing, hanging upside down, and spinning and other movement activities that stimulate vestibular apparatus (per David Biles, guest speaker)

Provide opportunities for social interaction whereby children learn how to take turns and problem solve

Encourage imaginative play

Sample Projects

Use mats and other materials above (hula hoops, tunnels, balance beam, trampoline, etc) to make an obstacle course requiring crawling, jumping, somersaulting, etc.

Lead games such as Simon Says, Mother May I, Duck, Duck, Goose, Ring around the Rosie, London Bridges, or Red Light/Green Light

Beanbag toss

Bike courses/ turn bikes into horses for horse races

Water play (cleaning clothes or babies, painting with water, spray bottles with water)

Exploring the garden (ours and Roosevelt’s)

Races: Relay races, 3-legged sack races, and wheelbarrow races

Ball games: Dodge ball, kickball, bowling, t-ball

Use music for a parade or limbo game

Use giant fan to blow scarves up in air

Tent camping/making forts (use sheets over dome or play equipment cubes)

SCIENCE & MATH

Purpose

Explore and discover the world of science through hands-on experiences

Nurture child’s natural curiosity

Encourage children to ask questions and develop observational skills

Expose children to simple math concepts using hands on experiences in order to foster a positive attitude about math and science.

Sample Projects

Graphing something related to the theme—e.g. kids put stamp on graph to show their favorite food, color, pet, etc

Sorting objects according to different attributes, putting them largest to smallest, etc

Comparing objects using balance scale

Predict which objects will float or sink then put them in water

Predict what color will be made when colors are combined then mix them

Counting hunt—count number of certain items at school (teachers, windows, etc)

Air movement (balloons, pinwheels) or static electricity with balloons

Spinning tops, fluids

Bring in birds nest or other object of nature to observe—have materials to make their own nest

Bring in insects or other animals to learn about—take out Broadmoor animals

Sequence pictures of a life cycle (e.g. pumpkin seed, blossom, pumpkin sticker activity)

Chemical reactions (volcano with baking soda)

Grow plants in baggie with wet cotton ball, or in container with dirt to watch grow

Using 5 senses—play what’s that smell? Or what’s that sound? Or identify object by touching it

PUZZLES & GAMES

Purpose

Develop social skills such as sharing and cooperation as they learn to play games with each other

Practice fine motor skills through use of manipulatives

Foster imaginative play (dress up/playhouse area and puppet theater)

Develop language skills through dictation stories

Sample Projects

Any of the games/activities on shelf

Treasure/scavenger hunt

Putting on a play or puppet show (video tape it and play it back to kids)

Pretend playing office—cutting, stapling, stamping, mailing envelopes, etc

Pretend camping—tent or teepee, sleeping bags, use red bricks for campfire

Pretend school, store, pet store, doctor/vet office, beauty shop (face painting, nail polish)

Marching band

Dancing or yoga

Take out animals and sit in a circle

Dictation

Rug play—wheels on the bus, giant sandwich

Telephone game with coffee cans or string detectives

Card games

Jacks, stringing buttons (Chinese yo-yo) and other midline games

Post it notes with simple words

Making own jigsaw puzzles

COOKING

Purpose

Learn to prepare nutritious snacks

Learn to use a variety of kitchen utensils (fine motor skills)

Develop a sense of independence by practicing cooking skills and learning to clean up after themselves

Sample Projects

Smoothies (frozen fruit, bananas, yogurt, juice, etc)

Mini English muffin pizzas

Pancakes (students can make their own batter) or French toast

Making/rolling/kneading/baking bread, scones, tortillas, etc

Making sandwiches (use cookie cutters to make them different shapes)—use griddle for grilled cheese or quesadillas

Constructing animals, buildings, etc with different shaped pretzels, rice cakes, cereals, etc. using cream cheese as glue

Salad bar or trail mix bar

Oatmeal

Fruit kabobs (eating anything with kabob sticks or toothpicks)

See box of illustrated recipe cards in curriculum library (bookshelf in puzzles and games)

Ants on a log (celery with raisins)

FLOATER

Purpose

Roam around stations providing support and extra supervision where needed

Engage students in a group activity. For example:

• Reading stories
• Playing blocks or musical instruments on the big rug
• Taking out pets