Circle Time
Form a Circle by joining hands. The children take a step back until their arms are fully extended. Drop hands. Say the following poem with activity motions:
Two little hands go clap, clap, clap.
Two little feet go tap, tap, tap.
One little body turns around and around.
One little child sits quietly down!
Contributed By: Nora
Who's Here Board
Need: Craft stick (one per child) poster board with paper pockets
At the beginning of the school year, I made a poster board that says, "Who's here" and put a paper pocket for each child in the class to have one pocket. I took craft sticks and put each child's name on a craft stick. In the morning, I put the sticks on the floor in front of the board. When the children come into the classroom in the morning, they put their backpacks in their lockers, come over to the who's here board and put their name stick in a pocket, sign themselves in on the student sing in sheet, do the morning graph and go to a table activity.
They even remind their friends who have forgotten to sign in to go take care of their name sticks!
Contributed By: Michele Morris
You could also place a small paper in each pocket with the child's name. So the child has to match his/her name. Instead of craft sticks you can also use pictuers of each child with the child's name wrote on the bottom of the picture.
Come and Make a Circle 2
by Susan Salidor
A follow up to Susan's award-winning hit cd, Come and Make a Circle, this cd features 20 More Terrific Tunes for children, teachers and parents.
There are six sections that range from warm-ups, fingerplays, rhythm, songs that teach, old favorites, and time to end.
A great addition to Circle Time.
Click here to visit Susan Salidor's website.
In the Middle
As you call the children's name they should get up and dance in the middle of the circle.
________, ________, ________'s in the middle
Let me see you jump
Let me see you wiggle
________, ________, turn around
________, ________, sit back down
This continues until all of the children have had a turn.
For the last verse substitute the names with the word
everyone. This is a great way to release energy and the
children are guaranteed to ask to do it again.
Contributed By: Rachelle
Stand Up
________ stand up, ________stand up,
turn around, touch the ground,
reach up high, touch the sky,
now sit down, now sit down.
(do until each child is done)
Contributed By: Jessica
A good activity to do with a group as they are washing their hands. Change the last line to "now you may go wash your hands".
Morning Gathering - Name Needed: bulletin board, name tags
Have the children sit in a circle. The teacher holds up a name tag and sings this turn,
Jessica's here today
Jessica's here today
Hey hey, hurray hurray
Jessica's here today
As you are singng, the child would come up and get his/her name tag and put it on the bulletin board. It helps to feel special and helps them identify their names.
Contributed By: Heather J
Weather Wheel
What is the weather the weather the weather.
What is the weather like today?
(Childs name) says its (weather)(weather) (weather) (childs name) say its (weather) out today!
example: What is the weather, the weather, the weather. What is the weather like today? Dylan says its rainy, its rainy, its rainy. Dylan says its rainy out today!
Contributed By: Jess Keiter