Reptile Preschool Theme

 

A preschool lesson plan on reptiles is a fun theme that has lots of choices for program planning. It can be incorporated into a pet theme, or be extended with a dinosaur theme.

Fun Facts about Reptiles

Introduce the reptile theme at circle time. Collect some pictures of reptiles to show the children as well as providing these facts:

• reptiles are cold blooded
• they have scales
• they are among the longest living species on this planet
• they lay eggs
• reptiles come in all sizes and are found around the world
• types of reptiles are: alligators, crocodiles, lizards, snakes, turtles

Crafts for a Reptile Preschool Lesson Plan

A snake craft: this craft has two steps if paint is being used. The following material is required:

• paper plate
• brown paint, or brown felts
• scissors
• hole puncher
• string
• googly eyes
• black felt pen

Each child will paint or color his paper plate brown. If the paint is being used, then the plate has to dry before the next steps occur. If needed, the teacher can draw a spiral figure onto the plate for a visual cue. The plate will be cut in a spiral figure from outer to the middle, leaving a space for the head. The children can finish off their snake mobile with eyes and a smile and then string will be attached to the top.

Preschool Crafts for Kids

Lizard Craft: Cut out a lizard shape from thick white or light brown paper, and provide children with brown and green tissue squares to clue onto the lizard to create the scales. This craft can also occur with the children tearing brown and green construction paper which is good for fine motor skill development.

 

 

The Mixed Up Chameleon: Story for Reptile Theme and Many Activities to Extend...

 

Preschool Reptile Song

The following song can be sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Reptiles they have many scales

Some reptiles have long long tails.

They lay eggs and like the sun.

Some have legs, and some have none.

Reptiles they have many scales

Some reptiles have long, long tails.

Another well known song that could be included into a reptile preschool lesson plan is

 "Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree" 

Preschool Activities for a Reptile Theme

The following list suggests that other activities that can be included into a reptile preschool lesson plan:


Try playing the game, Duck, Duck, Goose but change the words to Snake, Snake, Lizard.

Fill the sensory table with sand, wood and plastic snakes, lizards and turtles.

Visit a pet store or invite any families that have reptiles as pets into the classroom for a visit.

Go for a Reptile Hunt...hide plastic lizards and snakes in the outdoor playground.

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Baby Preschool Lesson Plan

A preschool lesson plan all about babies is a fun topic for three and four year olds and allows them to feel proud of all the skills they have developed since they were babies themselves. The following outline provides some ideas to include in a Baby Preschool Lesson Plan. A baby theme can be extended or combined with other preschool themes, such as Multiculturalism or All About Me.

  

Circle TIme Activities:

1. Make a chart of what a baby does versus what a child does, with the preschool children providing the answers.

2. Play a memory game with baby items on a tray. Cover the tray with a baby blanket, while taking one item away. Items to consider: rattle, baby jar, baby spoon, bib, diaper, rubber duckie, baby doll.

3. Make an obstacle course for the children to crawl through like a baby.


4. Teach the children basic baby signs.

5.Ask each child to bring in a baby photo and have the group try and guess which classmate is pictured in the photo.

6.Have a show and tell day with a baby theme: baby sister or brother, baby keepsake album, etc.

Songs:

1. Miss Polly Had a Dolly
2. Rock a Bye Baby
3. Wheels on the Bus
4. Hush Little Baby

Books:

I'll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Are You My Mother? by Dr. Suess

The New Baby by Mercer Mayer
I'm a Big Brother (I'm a Big Sister) by Joanna Cole

Crafts:

1. Create baby feet by using the fist of a hand, and five toes created with fingerpaint
2. Collect baby photos from magazines and let the children make a baby collage
3. Make a book titled, "When I Was a Baby..." Have each child draw a picture and answer the question. Put the pages together to make a classroom book.
4. Make a baby blanket (quilt) with material or paper squares.

Other additions....

Place dolls and baby items into the water table and drama area.

Take a field trip to a local Baby Store

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Train Preschool Theme

Trains have been a steadfast theme in preschool settings for years. Even though, many young children today will not even set foot onto a real train, there is something that remains magical and endearing for them about them. So many theme and amusement parks have the miniature train rides, and young children can be found sitting there excitedly anticipating the train engine to start up. In addition, Thomas the Tank Engine has cemented the love for trains with many toddlers and preschool children. The following article provides various ideas to include into a train theme within a preschool or daycare curriculum.

Train Crafts for Preschoolers

The shape of a train transfers well to open ended craft projects,  as the engine and cars require simple shapes to make them: rectangles, circles, squares and triangles. The train can be formed with paper shapes and glue, but another suggestion is to use stamps or sponges:

1) Sponge/Stamp Painting: A demonstration would work best with this painting project to illustrate to the preschool children how the shapes will create a train. The spools make wonderful wheels for a train car.

Suggested Material Required:

•Rectangle shaped sponge

•Spools, or circle shaped stamps

•Liquid Paint

•Shallow containers, such as styrofoam trays from the grocery store

•Paper

From Learning and Teaching Preschoolers

2) Train Craft Using Boxes and/or Egg Cartons

Depending on the size of boxes, this craft idea can be an individual activity or a group activity. The boxes, such as shoe boxes, can be decorated with crayons, felt pens or paint. Other collage items can be made available for children to add detail, like paper squares, paper towel tubes, egg cartons, glitter and so forth. This open ended art project provides young children an opportunity to be imaginative and creative in their art process.

From Getting Messy with Ms. Jessi

3) Match Shapes

Create a template of an engine with places for paper shapes to be glued

Train Songs for Preschoolers

Down by the Station is a classic preschool song about trains. Another one which can be altered to a specific location or name is Engine Number Nine and is great to sing while leading a children train, marching around the room:

Engine Engine Number Nine

Engine engine number nine

Chugging down Chicago Line

If the train goes off the track

Do you want your money back?

Maybe yes, and maybe no

Choo, choo, choo choo

Train Felt Board Activity

See the trains chugging chugging down the track

Engine in the front, caboose in the back

All the colors streaming past

This train’s going very fast!

Snack Idea!

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