Roll Out the Dough

Supplies: Brown or tan towel and rolling pin

Process: Three year olds have a difficult time roll playing at times. Interacting with you during an activity like getting down and pretending that you are a rolling pin didn't go well at our house. So, out came the rolling pin and we pretended to roll out the towel to a baking poem instead.

September 2010
Originally uploaded by Teach Well Teach Often

Teach Well: Use real pastry and create something yummy to eat for snack while reciting a poem would work even better.

Here is the Nest

Keep your eyes on the look out where ever you go! You might find something that you can use for teaching. I found these sweet birds at a garage sale. I bought it not knowing how I would use it. But came across this poem that works perfectly. To read more about how to use puppets go to my previous post.

Here is the Nest

by Lucia Kemp Henry

Here is the nest,

All warm inside.

Three little birds

Can safely hide.

Here is the nest,

All hidden away.

Three little birds

can flap and play.

Here is the nest,

All cozy and deep.

Three little birds

Are all fast asleep.

(from The Best of The Mailbox Magazine: Songs, Poems, and Fingerplays for Preschool and Kindergarten)

Teach Well: If you don't have a puppet that would work that's OK! Have the children create a nest with construction paper and draw their three birds in the nest before or after reading the poem. Have the children pretend they are one of the birds while you read.

Purple Cows

I love to incorporate poetry in my curriculum when I can. The poem The Purple Cow is funny and makes a child "think again."

The Purple Cow

I never saw a Purple Cow,

I never hope to see one;

But I can tell you, anyhow,

I'd rather see than be one.

by Gelett Burgess

Treats in the classroom are fun and rare. When we read this poem I always make sure we make Purple Cows afterwards!

Supplies: small cup, spoon, vanilla ice cream, and grape soda

Process: Put a scoop of ice cream in the cup. Have the soda in a pourable measuring cup. Have the children pour their own soda into their cup. Drink and enjoy!

Teach Well: Give the children small cups and spoons to help scoop out the ice cream from the bottom of their cups. About 30 percent of the children will have the experience and decide that they don't like it. That's OK! It's about having an experience and trying something new!