Activity and Songs
How to make a Block Set:
Materials:
Several small mile cartons (quart size)
Contact paper in a pretty color or print
Procedure:
- Cut milk cartons so they are in about 3” or 4” cube shape.
- Fasten an extra piece of cardboard to the open side of the cube.
- Cover cube with contact paper.
How to make a Mitten Puppet:
Materials:
Child’s mitten
Yarn
Buttons
Needle and thread
Procedure:
- Sew buttons on mitten for eyes.
- Embroider a nose and mouth on the mitten with yarn.
Stretching and Squatting game:
Up my arms go,
Now I’m tall.
Down I go,
And now I’m small.
Jack-in-the-Box:
Jack is down, (children squat)
The lid on top..
The lid flies off,
And up he(she) pops! (children jump up)
How to make “Fleece Balls”:
Materials:
Bright colored carpet yarn
Nylon cord
Two cardboard circles, 5” in diameter
Scissors
Procedure:
- Cut a 2” hole in the center of both cardboard circles.
- Place these two pieces of cardboard together, and wrap about three yards of yarn around the rim, through the hole. Cover the rim all the way around.
- Wrap a second and third three-yard piece on top of the first one.
- When you have as much yarn wrapped around as you need, insert scissors or knife between the two cardboards.
- Cut the yarn at the outer edge of the cardboards, between the two pieces. Do not remove from cardboard yet.
- Tie a piece of nylon cord down between the two pieces of cardboard around the center of the yarn, closing the center opening. Tie it around several times and knot it very securely.
- Pull the yarn ball out through the center hole; trim it up if it seems shaggy.
- Save the cardboard circles. They can be used over and over again.
How to make a Squeak Book:
Materials:
Two pieces of fabric (preferably denim), 12” by 20”
Four “squeak” devices (either purchased, or from a discarded toy)
Various fabrics, such as leather and those with fuzzy or napped surfaces
Needle and thread
Procedure:
- Place one piece of denim over the other, and sew seam down center.
- Cut leather or fuzzy fabric in animal shapes
- Sew animals on pages of book, with squeak devices sewn in under one or more of the animals.
A sing song with action “I wiggle”:
I wiggle my fingers,
I wiggle my toes,
I wiggle my shoulders,
I wiggle my nose,
Now no more wiggles
Are left in me,
So I will be still,
As still as I can be.
A sing song with action “Where is Thumbkin?”
One little hand reaches out so wide,
One little hand is down by my side.
I bring my two hands together to clap,
And then put two hands down in my lap.
Here’s a cup and here’s a cup,
And here’s a pot of tea.
Pour a cup and pour a cup,
And have a drink with me.
I have a jolly jumping jack,
See how well he jumps
Up and down, from side to side,
He jumps and jumps and jumps.
A sing song with action “Pat-a-cake”
Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake, Baker’s man,
(clap baby’s hands together)
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it,
(roll baby’s hands)
And pat it,
(pat baby’s hands together)
And mark it with …
(say initial of baby’s first name here)
And put it in the oven for … (say baby’s name here) and me.
(say the last line faster; point baby’s hands to him and then you, in time with the words)
How to make a Cloth Picture Book:
Materials:
6” to 8” squares of fabric with good body, such as felt, heavy knits, corduroy, etc.
cut-outs of familiar animals, flowers, and other shapes
needle and thread
pinking shears
glue
Procedure:
- Trim the edges of the fabric with pinking shears
- Sew fabric squares together on one side to form pages of the book, using strong thread. Sew back and forth several times.
- On each page sew or glue a picture cut-out. Use contrasting colors for cut-out and page.
- Add details to pictures, such as cotton ball tail, yarn for hair, etc. Use your imagination here. You can even put “squeaks” in some of them.
Good action verses song:
This is the way the baby does,
Clap…Clap…Clap…Clap;
This is the way the baby does,
Peak-a-boo, I see you;
This is the way the baby does,
Creep…Creep…Creep…Creep;
This is the way the baby does,
Sleep…Sleep…Sleep…Sleep.
Sailing boat, sailing boat,
Go so slow.
Sailing boat, sailing boat,
Go so fast.
A good song for different sounds and motions:
Here’s a ball for baby, big, soft and round.
Here is a baby’s hammer; oh, how he can pound.
Here is a baby’s music, clapping, clapping so.
Here are the baby’s soldiers, standing in a row.
Here is the baby’s trumpet, too-too, too-too, too-too
Here’s the way the baby plays at peek-a-boo.
Here’s the big umbrella to keep the baby dry.
Here is the baby’s cradle, rock a baby bye.
Action song:
Head and shoulders, knees and toes,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes,
We’ll all jump down together.
(Then start with toes and work back up again; use motions and sing this to the tune “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush.”)
Action song:
I have ten little fingers,
And ten little toes,
And one little nose,
One little mouth
And two little ears,
Two little eyes
For smiles and tears
One little head,
And two little feet,
One little chin,
And that’s (child’s name) complete.
Action song:
Two little hands go clap, clap, clap
Two little feet go tap, tap, tap
Two little arms reach high in the air,
One little person jumps up from his chair,
Two little fists go thump, thump, thump,
Two little feet go jump, jump, jump,
One little person turns slowly around,
Folds his arms and sits quietly down.
(If this seems too long, just use the first two or four lines)
Getting dressed song:
Put your little sock,
Put your little sock,
Put your little sock right on,
Put your little shoe,
Put your little shoe,
Put your little shoe right on.
(sing this to the tune of “Put your Little Foot Right Out.”)
How to make Nesting Cans:
Materials:
Empty cans that nest inside of each other
Contact paper of paint (non-toxic)
Procedure:
- Collect cans until you have four or five sizes that will fit neatly into each other.
- Be sure that there are no sharp rims or edges that might cut fingers.
- Cover the cans with contact paper, or paint them in attractive colors.
Fingerplay:
Head knocker, eye winker,
Nose blower, kiss thrower,
Chin chopper chin.
Two little eyes that open and close,
Two little ears and one little nose,
Two little cheeks and one little chin,
Two little lips with the teeth closed in.
Fingerplay:
The sun comes out and shines so bright,
(hands over head, arms shaped in circle)
And then we have a shower,
(hands over head, fingers wiggling)
The little bud pushes with all its might,
(push fist into other hand)
And soon we have a flower.
(open both hands up and out in tulip shape)
Counting Rhymes:
Two little dickie birds sitting on the hill,
(hands out, forefingers out)
One named Jack and the other names Jill.
Fly away, Jack. Fly away, Jill.
(pull hands back, fingers out)
Come back, Jack. Come back, Jill.
(hands out, forefingers out as beginning)
Our little baby has ten toes,
Two little ears and one little nose.
One little hand reaches out so wide,
One little hand is down by my side.
I bring my hands together to clap, clap, clap.
One and one are two hands, now resting in my lap.
Old shoes, new shoes,
Little goody, two-shoes.
How to make a Strip Story Book:
Materials:
Large spinal notebook (can be a used one)
Large and colorful pictures, approximately the same size as the notebook
Non-toxic glue
Procedure:
- Cut the first page into three equal strips, from edge to spiral binding.
- Glue a full page picture on the second page.
- Cute the third page, fifth page, seventh page, etc. into three equal strips as in step one.
- Paste a full size picture on each uncut page (the fourth page, sixth page, etc.)
- Continue adding new pictures as you find them, as you did above.
- Show the child the book by turning each strip to show more and more of the picture.
