Community Helpers -- Preschool & Kindergarten
Community Helpers
Video
Art
People At Work
Need: magazines, construction paper.
Have children make a book of People At Work. The children can cut out of magazines pictures of workers at various jobs and glue on construction paper. Fasten together or staple to make a book.
Carpenter
Fingerplays/Songs
Carpenter
This is the way he saws the wood
(right hand saws left palm)
Sawing, sawing, sawing.
This is the way he nails the nail
(pound right fist on left palm)
Nailing, nailing, nailing.
This is the way he paints the house
(right hand paints left palm)
Painting, painting, painting
Johnny's Hammer
Johnny hammers with one hammer, one hammer. Johnny hammers with one hammer.
( fist hitting leg)
Johnny hammers with two hammers, two hammers. Johnny hammers with two hammers.
(both fist hitting legs)
Johnny hammers with three hammers, three hammers. Johnny hammers with three hammers.
(both fist hit floor and one foot taps floor)
Johnny hammers with four hammers, four hammers. Johnny hammers with four hammers.
(both fist hit floor and both feet tap floor)
Johnny hammers with five hammers, five hammers. Johnny hammers with five hammers.
(both fist hit floor, both feet tap floor, and nod head)
Art
Rulers
Set rulers and paper on the table. The children can then experiment creating lines and geometric shapes.
Learning Centers
Construction Site
Place cardboard boxes, blocks, plastic pipes, wheelbarrows, hard hats, paper, and pencils in the block area to represent a construction site.
Science - Exploring Levels
Place levels and wood scraps on a table for the children to explore while being closely supervised.
The Wide World of Rulers
Set up a display with different types and sizes of rulers. Include the reel type. Paper and pencils can also be added to create interest.
Chef
Art
The Cook's Kitchen
Need: play dough, pictures of various foods, cookbooks, cooking utensils, medium-sized cartoon with flap that opens.
Put out play dough, box, and other props so children can create different foods. Then, children can become chefs by cooking them in the cardboard "oven."
Menu
Need: markers, glue, magazines with pictures of food, construction paper.
Have children cut out of the magazines pictures of food and glue onto construction paper to create menus.
Children can "write" the names and prices underneath the pictures of these foods. Compile menu pages and place in the Dramatic Play area.
Learning Centers
Baker
Wet some of the sand. Children can bake cakes, cookies and so on, try providing some pans, spoons, and bowls. Decorate bakery products with birthday candles, dry sand, pebbles, and leaves.
Cafe
Need: plastic food, construction paper, markers.
Children can build a mini-cafe. Arrange area with tables, chairs, a workers' area, and a place for food. The children could use construction paper and markers to make signs.
Math/Science
Weigh In Please
Need: cooking scale, fruits of varying weights, vegetables of varying weights.
Place food on the table and invite children to sort it into groups (by color, size, shape, etc). Then, choose two foods which are dramatically different in weight, such as a grape and a melon. Ask children to choose which one is heavier. Test their answers by weighing.
Silly Spills
Need: sponges, paper towels, cloth, tissues, washcloths, towels, tubs with water, food coloring, clear plastic pitchers.
Ask children to investigate which materials are the best and worst at absorbing water. They can share their results with one another. After children share their results, ask them to decide as a group, which material is the best.
Snack Time
At snack time or mealtime play restaurant. Allow children to take turns helping set the table for snack.
Doctor
Doctor Hats
Needed: Construction paper, glue, crayons or markers and tinfoil
To make the doctor hats cut out strips of paper long enough to fit around your head. Then glue the pieces together. Cut the tin foil in a circular shape and glue it to the head band. Now you have an old fashioned doctors hat.
To make a doctors bag take a sheet of paper and fold it over once. Glue or staple. Let the ends poke out and you can put band-aids and cotton balls inside. Also put Dr. and the child's name. They love being called doctor.
Contributed by: Ms.Lisa
Health Collage
Create a collage using bandaids, cotton balls, and gauze pieces. Look in magazines for pictures of doctors and nurses.
Learning Centers
Tongue Depressors
Use tongue depressors for counting and sorting games. Draw a shape on the tongue depressors for a match game. Color the tongue depressors different colors for a sorting game. Use to create patterns.
White Coats
Add white coats (men's shirts cut sheeves shorter) to the learning center. Include notepads and pencils.
Add
A weight scale, tape measure, and a stethoscope.
Color Pages
