Children will love the opportunity to wear these fun hats around the classroom as you have a parade in celebration of the presidents!

Presidents' Day Hats

This activity comes from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Preschool Activities for Three-Year-Olds (available in paperback).

Materials

• 12" x 18" white construction paper, two pieces per child
• American flag, optional
• Red and blue crayons, markers, or paint
• Rhythm instruments, optional
• Stapler

What to Do

1. Give each child two pieces of white construction paper.
2. Demonstrate how to put the two pieces of paper together and fold them as if making a newspaper hat.
3. When the children have done this (with adult help), help them staple the papers together at both ends to hold the hat together.
4. Encourage the children to decorate their hats using red and blue crayons, markers, or paint. This is a good time to show them the American flag and talk about the colors in the flag. Ask if anyone knows the name of our president.
5. After the children finish their hats, have a parade using rhythm band instruments.

Like this activity? Find more February-related activities in our Free Activity Booklet by liking Kaplan Early Learning Company on Facebook!

This activity was originally contributed to The GIANT Encyclopedia of Preschool Activities for Three-Year-Olds by Phyllis Esch from Export, PA. For more fun activities to engage your preschoolers, check out The GIANT Encyclopedia of Preschool Activities for Three-Year-Olds (available in paperback). 

Children will certainly make someone smile this Valentine's Day with a gift of card stock flowers featuring their own cute, happy faces.

"Say Cheese" Flowers

This activity was taken from 101 Great Gifts Kids Can Make (available in both paperback and eBook formats).

Materials

• Various colors of card stock or recycled cardboard scraps (e.g. cereal or cracker boxes), cut into flower shapes
• Crayons or markers
• Small photo of child
• Green pipe cleaners
• Clear tape
• Glue
• Card stock, 1 full sheet

Before Beginning

Cut card stock into 4" x 4" flower shapes.

Make Your Great Gift

1. Decorate at least three or four flower shapes with crayons or markers.
2. Choose one of the flowers, and glue the photo in the center of it.
3. Tape green pipe cleaners to the backs of the flowers to create stems.
4. Decorate a whole sheet of card stock into a funnel shape, and secure with clear tape.
5. Place the flowers inside the card stock funnel to create a beautiful bouquet. Be sure the photo is clearly visible.

Helpful Hints

• Use a large flower-shaped cookie cutter as a pattern for creating the flower shapes.

• Instead of card stock, use index cards, poster board, or cardboard scraps for the flowers.

Variation

• To create a personalized bouquet, decorate four flowers, place the photo on one of the flowers and, in the middle of the other three, write a letter of the recipient name or her initials. For example, write "MOM" or "DAD."

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From the card to the wrapping paper, and everything in between, 101 Great Gifts Kids Can Make has dozens of perfect ideas to give kids and adults the opportunity to experience the joy of giving and receiving unique child-made gifts.

The most important traditional holiday in China, Chinese New Year, is Sunday, February 10th. While creating the Chinese lanterns in this activity (selected from Another Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for Young Children), children will express their individual creativity, develop and improve their fine motor skills, and learn about another culture.

Materials

• Felt pens or crayons (optional)
• Paper or thin card stock (letter size)
• Pencils
• Rulers
• Scissors
• Sticky tape or glue sticks

Preparation

• Cut a 1" strip from one of the short edges of a piece of paper or thick card stock, and set aside.  Fold the remaining paper in half lengthwise.
• Mark lines 1" from each of the short ends and 1 1/2" from the long edge.
• Inside the lines you've just drawn, mark more lines, this time in red, 3/4" apart, going from the folded edge down to the long horizontal line.
• Hand a folded, marked piece of paper, plus a 1" strip, to each child.

What to Do

1. The children can decorate their lanterns with felt pens or crayons.
2. Help the children make the lanterns by doing the following steps:
• Cut along the red lines, starting at the folded edge and stopping at the horizontal line.
• Cut through both layers of paper.
• Open the paper and curve it around so the short edges slightly overlap. Stick them together with tape or glue to form a lantern.
• Take the extra paper strip and tape or glue the ends to the inside top edge of the lantern on opposite sides, forming a handle.

Assessment

1. Was the child able to follow the directions to make the lantern?
2. What did the child learn about the Chinese New Year?
3. How did the child express his individuality with his/her lantern?

Teacher-to-Teacher Tip

Share these fun facts with the children:

Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, always starts on the day of a new moon. The festival ends with Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the month when the moon is full. Lantern Festival has been celebrated for more than 2,000 years, and people gather with their lanterns at fairs and festivals, where there are fireworks, dancing, special holiday food, and a parade.

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This activity was originally contributed to Another Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for Young Children by Kirsty Neale, from Orpington, Kent, UK. For more educational explorations that actively engage children's imaginations, check out Another Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for Young Children (available in both paperback and eBook formats).

Looking for ways to "jump start" the school day? Begin with these tricks and prepare for a great day!

1. Choose a "Greeter"

Stand at the door as school begins and say to each child, "I'm so glad to see you," or "I've been waiting for you." Give them a pat on the back, hug, or handshake as they enter the room. After you have modeled this, choose a child to be the "greeter." This could become a regular classroom job or a task for the children who arrive early. You can even make a badge for the greeter, or give him/her a special hat to wear.

2. Sign-in Poster

Children can sign their names or make their "marks" as they enter the classroom each day with this trick. Simply print "Sign in, please" at the top of a laminated poster board or dry erase board. Place the board on the classroom door. Explain to the children how much it means to you to have each of them at school every day. To help you know they are present, ask them to sign the board on the door before they come in the room. Each child can write her name, make a mark, or draw a little picture.

3. Morning Match-up

Nurture children's reading skills as they arrive at school! Place a pocket chart in a prominent spot in the classroom. Ask the children to bring in photos of themselves. Cut strips of paper and print each child's name on one. Place the names and photos in two separate boxes in front of the pocket chart.  Have the children match up faces with names as they arrive. Next time, place their birthdays in the box and ask them to match the date with the photo or name. You can even try adding favorite colors, eye and hair colors, and more!

4. Secret Password

This is a clever way to repeat key information! Write a letter, shape, color, word, or other piece of information on a piece of paper. (Relate this to skills you are working on, and change it as needed.) Tape the paper over the door. Explain to the children that you will have a Secret Password above the door each day when they arrive. They have to whisper the password to you before they can come in the room. When the children first come into the room, be available to help them identify the password. Give them hints if they have difficulty, and provide them with immediate feedback.

5. Brain Sprinkles

Jump start children's brains each day with "brain sprinkles." Cover a can with contact paper. Decorate the can with markers and write "Brain Sprinkles" on the side. Put 1/4 cup (50 ml) rice in the can and glue or tape it closed. To start the day, tell the children you're going to give them some "brain sprinkles" that will help them think better. Walk around the room and gently shake the can over each child's head. At the conclusion of a learning experience or at the end of the day, ask them how the "brain sprinkles" worked. What did they learn?

You can even label other cans "quiet sprinkles" or "dream sprinkles," and use them throughout the day to prepare children for different activities. For example, before taking them in the hall, shake "quiet sprinkles" on the children, at rest time shake "dream sprinkles," and so on.

6. Music for the Brain

Play soft, classical music as the children arrive in the morning, just before circle time, or any time during the day to create a positive learning environment. During circle time, ask the children if they noticed anything different when they came into the room. Tell them that you've read that classical music can help their brains work better. Continue playing classical music each day as children arrive at school. Experiment with other types of music, such as jazz, country, and ethnic music. How does it influence the children's behavior?

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For more attention-grabbing, creative activities to ensure successful, smooth classroom transitions, check out Transition Tips and Tricks by Dr. Jean Feldman (available in both paperback and eBook formats).

Tomorrow is National Handwriting Day!

Before children can learn to write, they must first learn their letters! Start children on the path toward a lifetime of reading and writing with these emergent literacy activity ideas:

Invisible Writing

Multi-sensory strategies are a great way to introduce writing to young children. With the help of these emergent literacy activities, children will increase their alphabet knowledge, practice small motor skills, and develop an interest in writing!

Air Writing

Write letters in the air using your index finger and middle finger. Keep your elbow stiff.

Clap and Clasp Writing

Have children clap their hands together and clasp their fingers. Practice making lines, shapes, and letters in the air using clasped hands.

Body Writing

Use elbows, tongues, noses, feet, and other body parts to write letters in the air.

Tummy Writing

Try "tummy writing!" Have the children lie on the floor on their tummies. They can extend their arms and trace giant letters on the floor.

Flashlight Writing

Turn off the lights and make letters on the wall or ceiling with a flashlight. As a variation, tape letters to the ceiling. Invite the children to lie on their backs and shine a flashlight on the letters as you sing alphabet songs.

Palm Writing

The children write letters on their palms. Hold up one palm and trace letters with the index finger from the other hand.

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For more activities that open the door to a lifetime of reading and writing, check out I Love Letters! by Jean Feldman and Holly Karapetkova.