Crafts & Activities

All About Me Booklets
These are fun to make!  And the parents love them.  The booklet activities are spread out all thru the month.  I printed the pages on 8X10 pieces of colored cardstock.  Each cardstock page has two pages on it. I cut each printed page in half and assemble the book.  I glue the front cover page back to back to page 2, page 3 to page 4..and so on.  The final and back cover page is "Self Portrait". The finished booklets are 5" wide X 8" tall.  Once the booklet is filled, I take it to an office supply place and laminate the pages together and spiral bind the booklets.    How to Assemble All About Me Booklets

Paper Plate Faces
Give each child a small paper plate.  Supply them with different colored yarn (hair), and all kinds of things that can be used for noses, mouths, eyes...buttons, googly eyes, fun foam, felt, construction paper. 

Foot Print Butterflies
Dip each child's foot into tempera paint and have them "print" each foot on a piece of heavy paper side by side.  Draw on or attach pipe cleaner antennea and add a thick pipe cleaner for the butterflies body.  When dry, cut around the butterfly shape and hang from the ceiling or wall. 

Dramatic Play - A "new" Me!
Supply lots of dress-up clothes; full length mirror; take photos of the "new" me for their booklets. Add it to their "At Daycare I Like to Do" page! 

Dramatic Play - Barber Shop/Beauty Salon: 
cape (to drape shoulders), combs, a towel, hair clips, fake scissors (make out of heavy cardboard and attach two pieces with a fastener), a mirror, empty shampoo, conditioner & hairspray bottles, curlers, barrettes, ponytail fasteners (make sure they are the coated kind), dolls with hair, broom & dustpan, chair, plastic tub for washing hair, old blowdryer with cord cut off, old curling iron with cord cut off, cash register, money, telephone, appointment book, pencils, old hairstyle books or pics from magazines pasted into book, 

Sandpaper Gingerbread Men- Sensory Activity 
Cut out "5" gingerbread men (a cookie cutter works great) - trace shapes out of sandpaper for each child.  Rub each set with (1) lemon (zest only); (2) peppermint extract; (3) onion; (4) baby powder; and  (5) cinnamon.  Let the kids use their "nose" to discover what scent is hidden on the sandpaper gingerbread men.

Body Tracing
Lay a large piece of paper (I pick up rolls of newsprint paper from Ikea - or see if your local newsprint office will donate their roll ends to your dc) long enough for the child to lay down on.  Have another child or yourself trace around the child's body, arms, legs and head.  Give them paint, markers, and/or crayons to add their features, clothing, whatever they wish to their body tracing.  Let them cut it out - hang from the ceiling or tack to a wall.

"I Can Set the Table" Placemats
Draw simple shapes of a knife, fork and spoon for the kids to cut out of construction paper or white paper (to color themselves).  Also do a large circle for a plate, and a smaller circle for the glass.  On an 8.5X11 piece of paper have the kids draw designs with markers, crayons, stickers, stamps, etc. for the base of the placemat.  I pre-cut an oval shape for the kids before they colored the placemat.  When they are finished cutting and coloring, show them how to set a table with real utensils, plate and glass - let them practice using their placemat.  When the lesson is over, ask them to glue their cutout utensils, plate and glass onto their placemat.  You can add their name to their plate, if you wish.  I laminated them after this (or you can use clear contact paper) and we used them for snacks and lunches at the daycare.  (P.S.  You might want to have them make 2 - lol....the kids wanted to take them home as they always do - so we made another placemat the next day to go home!)

Mouse Masks
Print out this mouse mask for the kids.  Or make your own with this printable mask template!

Farmer in the Dell Circle Game
Children join hands and dance around the FARMER, who stands in the center of the circle as they sing. At the end of the first verse, the FARMER chooses his WIFE, who joins him inside the circle. At the end of the next verse, the WIFE takes a CHILD, and so on, until the last verse when everyone is in the circle except the CHEESE, who stands alone. Whoever ends up being the CHEESE becomes the FARMER for the next round.
 
 

A Great Big Happy Smile
I have something in my pocket
It belongs across my face.
I keep it very close to me
In a most convenient place.
You'll never never guess it
If you guess a long long while
So I'll take it out and put it on,
It's a great big happy smile!

This Is My Family (Fingerplay)
This is my mother. 
   Hold up thumb
This is my father.
   Hold up pointer finger.
This is my brother tall.
   Hold up middle finger.
This is my sister.
   Hold up ring finger.
This is the baby.
   Hold up little finger.
Oh, how I love them all!
   Clap left hand over all fingers and hug!

The Old Mouse Who Lived in a Shoe
(to the tune of The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe)
There was an old mouse who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children she didn't know what to do.
She gave them some broth
And a big slice of cheese,
Hugged them all soundly
And made them sneeze!!

Body Parts Song
In my mirror 
I can see 
Two little eyes 
That look at me. 

Two little ears, 
One little nose 
Ten little fingers 
Ten little toes. 

One little mouth 
I open wide 
Two little rows 
of teeth, inside. 

A tongue that pops 
both in and out, 
Lots of joints 
That bend about. 

Muscles and bones 
That do most things. 
All held together 
With my skin. 

Hokey Pokey
Sing the Hokey Pokey Song substituting "touch your nose", "touch your toes", etc. for "clap your hands" 
 

If You're Happy and You Know It
If you're happy and you know it, Clap your hands (Clap hands twice)
If you're happy and you know it,  Clap your hands (Clap hands twice)
If you're happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it
 If you're happy and you know it, Clap your hands. (Clap hands twice)

Continue replacing "Clap your hands" with:

 Stomp your feet (Stomp feet twice)
 Shout "Hurray!" (Shout "Hurray!")
 Do all three (Clap hands twice, stomp feet twice, then shout "Hurray!")

Farmer in the Dell
The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer in the dell

Continue replacing The farmer in the dell with:
The farmer takes a wife
The farmer takes a child
The child takes a nurse
The nurse takes a cow
The cow takes a dog
The dog takes a cat
The cat takes a rat
The rat takes the cheese
The cheese stands alone

Grandma's Glasses
These are grandma's glassess, (makes circles around eyes with fingers)
This is grandma's hat.(use both hands and cup on head)
This is the way she folds her hands, (fold hands)
And puts them on her lap.(put hands in lap)
These are Grandpa's glasses, (makes circles around eyes with fingers)
This is Grandpa's hat. (use both hands and cup on head)
Here's the way he folds his arms And THAT IS THAT! (fold arms across chest)

Grandma Song
(Sung to the Tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie)
Let's clap our hands for Grandma, 
for Grandma, for Grandma,
Let's clap our hands for grandma,
Let's clap them this way.

Clap this way and that way,
Clap this way and that way,
Let's clap our hands for Grandma
Let's clap them this way.

Change "grandma" to "grandpa" and sing again!

Sunny Cheese Sandwiches 
Toast an english muffin half.  Add a slice of cheese (trimmed to fit - tuck pieces under the cheese slice).  Using red licorice and raisins make a face on the "sun"!  Place muffin halves on a cookie sheet and place in oven for a few minutes to melt cheese. 

English Muffin Pizza Faces 
8 english muffin halves
1 tsp of pizza sauce per half
toppings:  pepperoni, pineapple, salami, bacon, vegies, ......your choice!
shredded mozzarella cheese (try cheddar or swiss or ???)

Place 1 tsp. of pizza sauce on each muffin half.  Add toppings and cheese.  Place in a 350o oven just until cheese melts.  About 5 minutes.  These are fun to make...the kids love to help!  We build a face on ours on top of the cheese with cut up toppings - that way the kids recognize their own creations - when they come out of the oven!

Happy Face Pancakes 
Make your favorite pancake recipe.  Give the kids chocolate chips fresh banana chips, etc. and maple syrup to create their faces!