Helping Hands Job Chart

The "Helping Hands" or "job chart" is a great way to let the kids be responsible and involve them during circle time and throughout the day (you may have to come up with more "jobs" depending on the number of kids you have). You can purchase one from a parent/teacher store, or you can make your own. This one was made by Marli, one of the mothers in our preschool co-op. It's all homemade and I don't think it gets any better than this whether you purchase one from a store or not! Thanks Marli.

Easter Lesson

Materials: Easter eggs shapes cut-out with Tt words written on them (tin, tan, ton, ten, truck, trim, trip, etc.), question of the day word strip and pictures, "What do you like best about this time of year?" pictures of flowers, Easter bunny, and birds, music for dancing, flannel board and pictures of the Easter story (I used the ones found here printed out larger, cut out each picture individually, and then glued flannel pieces on the back of each), Easter script written below, also found here. Printable Easter baskets, found here. Scissors, glue, and items to decorate Easter baskets. Name tracing sheets found here. Snacks for snack time.

10:00-10:05– Question of the Day/Reading Corner:What do you like best about this time of year: The Flowers, The Easter Bunny, Birds

10:05-10:30- Circle Time
Welcome and Introduction- Have children sit on “carpets” and sing a welcome song (Here We Are Together, Hello Hello- You can sing several songs and use fun activity songs as well)
Discuss “Question of the Day”- count and share
Review Rules- Have children model what it looks like to listen, be happy, etc.
Helping Hands- Rotate class jobs and remind children what their job is
Calendar- Have calendar helper put dates on the calendar. Sing a “Days of the Week” song. Talk about what day it was yesterday, today and what day it will be tomorrow.
Weather- With the help of the weatherman, look outside and put up the weather for today on the weather chart. You could also discuss what kind of clothing is the best to wear today.
Movement activity- Search for words that start with the letter T written on eggs around the room.
Alphabet- Introduce the letter of the week. Practice reading the words on the eggs. Work together to “sound them out.”
Movement Activity- “I wiggle” “Freeze Dance”
Numbers- Use jelly beans to count and then add and subtract. Start with 5, count them and then add one.How many do we have? Now add two, how many are there altogether. Talk about adding and subtracting (take away). If we take one away and give it to Tommy, how many do we have left?

10:30-10:40 Wash hands/Snack- Easter foods- Carrots, grapes, fruit snacks, cheese.

10:40-10:45 Movement- Sing “Popcorn Popping” “5 Little Monkeys” “Ring Around the Rosie”

10:45- 11:05 - Lesson/Activity/Craft- Do you know what season it is? Do you know a special day that is coming soon? What are some of the things you think about during this time of year? (Talk about Spring flowers, trees blossoming, Easter and candy, eggs, baskets, etc.- show pictures on the flannel board).

These things are very fun and help to remind us of the reason we celebrate Easter. They should remind us of a story about the first Easter- does anyone know who it is about? Tell the story of the first Easter with the pictures on the flannel board. I used the pictures found here along with the following script (all from www.lds.org):

(Marita Schugk, “Easter Story,” Friend, Apr 1992, 8)

1 What is the true meaning of Easter?

2 Jesus was a child, just like you. He had a body with arms and legs.

3 Like you, He grew up too. The Bible says that He “grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom” (Luke 2:40).

(Photo: Show Jesus with Children)

4 Jesus loves you. He has always loved little children.

5 The Bible says that He “took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16).

6 One day Jesus told His friends that He was going away. He told them to remember Him and to love everyone.

7 He said, “Yet a little while I am with you. … I say to you … love one another; as I have loved you.” (John 13:33–34.)

(Photo: Jesus preparing the sacrament)

8 We take the sacrament bread and water to help us remember Him.

9 Jesus took the sacrament with His disciples to show us that it is important. He said, “This do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

10 Jesus knew what was going to happen to Him.

11 He told His disciples (people who believed in Him) that on the third day after wicked men had Him killed, He would live again and never die anymore.

12 He said, “All things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man [Jesus] shall be accomplished. … They shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.” (Luke 18:31, 33. See also John 19:2.)

(Photo: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane)

13 In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus suffered and bled for the sins of all people. Those who repent and who believe in Him shall have eternal life.

14 The Bible says, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

(Photo: Jesus on the cross)

15 Later, wicked men had Jesus whipped and ordered Him to be nailed to a wooden cross.

16 In the Bible, it says, “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called … Golgotha: Where they crucified him” (John 19:17–18).

17 Jesus hung on the cross a long time. And even though it wasn’t night yet, it became very dark.

18 The Bible says, “There was a darkness over all the earth. … And the sun was darkened.” (Luke 23:44–45.)

19 Jesus died. His spirit left His body.

20 The Bible tells us that Jesus said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

21 Joseph, one of Jesus’ friends, had His body taken from the cross and wrapped in fine cloth.

22 Then His body was put into a tomb, and the entrance to the tomb was closed with a big rock.

(Photo: Angels removing stone from the tomb)

24 On Sunday morning, an angel rolled the big stone away from the door.

25 When Mary and Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that it was empty, they were afraid.

26 The angel told them, “Fear not. … For he is risen, as he said.” (Matt. 28:5, 6.)

27 Jesus was resurrected. He was alive. His spirit and His body were together again.

(Photo: Jesus appearing to Mary)

28 But Mary Magdalene did not yet understand this. She went back to the tomb later and cried.

29 The Bible says that “as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the [tomb]” and that “she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.” (John 20:11, 14.)

30 Jesus called her by her name. He talked to her. She recognized His voice and knew then that He really had risen from the dead.

(Photos: Resurrected Jesus appearing to apostles and others)

31 Jesus showed Himself to others. They saw and touched His resurrected body.

32 The Bible tells us that He told them: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39).

33 Because of Jesus’ suffering for us, and because He was resurrected, after we die, we will be resurrected too.

34 The Apostle Paul says, “For as … all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).

35 This is the true meaning of Easter and why we celebrate it. Jesus lives, and because of His sacrifice, we will all live again and can be forgiven of our sins if we repent and believe in Him.

Show the pictures of the fun things and spring from the beginning of the lesson. and say "When you see these things they help to remind us of the very first Easter and how Jesus Christ died, but then lived again and how very special it was.

I also ended up letting the children put each picture up on the flannel board. I told them I would choose someone who was sitting quietly, not talking, and who was looking at me to put each picture up. They were very attentive and interested in the story and I would definitely use this lesson again with children this age (almost 4 year olds). You may need to condense the script for younger children and could always add more details for older ones. I also really liked this Easter rebus from lds.org, but didn't use it this time.

11:05-11:25 – Centers or Structured Play (group game, puzzles, learning activity, learning centers, etc.)
-Rainbow Name- I printed out their names here and showed them how to trace over the letters with different colors several times to make “rainbows.”
-Computer-Starfall.com Letter Tt
-Easter Basket- I printed out a template here, and then gave the kids crayons, buttons, stickers, etc. to decorate. I told them the Easter basket and other fun Easter things can help remind us of the story of Jesus and the first Easter.

11:25-11:30 - Clean up and Close- Sing the clean up song and cleanup.

Safety Theme, Day 1

**For this rotation: We are learning the letters Pp & Xx, how to count by 10's, and the cone shape.

9:30-9:45 Circle Time
Quietly read & wait for everyone to arrive
Songs: Here we are together, and kids’ choice
Show & Tell:
Date, Weather, Pledge of Allegiance, Rules

9:45-10:00 Learning Stations – Letter Pp
Pp matching worksheet (from P-K Summer Bridge Activities workbook from Alphabet Station)
Pp handwriting worksheet (from P-K Summer Bridge Activities workbook from Alphabet Station)
Starfall.com Letter Pp

10:00-10:15 Lesson Stranger Safety
Watch The Safe Side Stranger Safety DVD
What is a “Don’t Know?” Examples of “Don’t Knows”
What is a “Safe Side” adult? Keep your safe side adult close.
Don’t open that door!
Think! Beware of tricks.
Don’t know? Don’t talk.

Ask questions before, during & after video.

10:15-10:30 Math
Practice counting by 10’s – Have each child count out 10 popsicle sticks and put a rubberband around each group of 10. Then, count the bundles of popsicles sticks in 10’s.
Which is more? Worksheet (from P-K Summer Bridge Activities workbook from Alphabet Station)

10:30-10:45 Wash Hands/Snack
P is for pretzels (& juice)
Clean-up snack

10:45-11:00 Play Time
Red Light, Green Light

11:00-11:10 Reading
The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers by Stan & Jan Berenstain

11:10-11:20 Music Time
Goin’ on a Bear Hunt (action song), by Greg & Steve Kids In Action
Shoofly (musical instruments), by Susan Salidor Come and Make a Circle
Tap Your Toe and Follow Me (action song), by Susan Salidor Come and Make a Circle

11:20-11:30 Practice Handwriting
Handwriting names worksheet (http://www.internet4classrooms.com/kplus_writing.htm)

Safety Theme, Day 2

9:30-9:45 Circle Time
Quietly read & wait for everyone to arrive
Songs: Here we are together, and kids’ choice
Show & Tell:
Date, Weather, Pledge of Allegiance, Rules

9:45-9:55 Handwriting Practice
Letter Pp worksheet: Pp is for Police Officer worksheet
Talk about Police Officers (A police officer is your friend. It is important that children understand that in an emergency, and parents are not available, that they feel comfortable with the role of the police officer as a community helper, and that he/she can be trusted to help them.)
Name Practice: http://www.internet4classrooms.com/kplus_writing.htm

9:55-10:15 Lesson
Dialing 911: Watch Health for Children, Safety Awareness DVD (911 chapter)
Flannel Board Activity: Using pictures from pictures from The Safety Book For Active Kids by Linda Schwartz, p. 160
Practice Dialing 911: Using play phones, old cell phones, or unconnect your home phone. Have the children practice dialing 911. Pretend to talk to the 911 dispatcher, tell them your name, where you live and what is happening.
Bobby Dialing 911: Bobby's preschool teacher taught him about when and how to dial 911. When Bobby got home that day, he wanted to practice, so he picked up the phone in the kitchen and dialed 911. Was this a good thing? Why not? How then can he practice dialing 911?

10:15-10:20 Math
Practice counting by 10’s – Have each child count out 10 popsicle sticks and put a rubberband around each group of 10. Then, count the bundles of popsicles sticks in 10’s.

10:20-10:35 Wash Hands/Snack
Ice Cream CONES
Clean-up snack

10:35-10:50 Play Time
Pp is for Pine cones – Look for pine cones (to make bird feeders next time)

10:50-11:00 Reading
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

11:00-11:15 Music Time
Two Little Blackbirds by Susan Salidor, Come and make a circle (fingerplay)
Bop Til You Drop by Greg & Steve, Kids In Action (action song)
This Land is Your Land by 101 Toddler Favorites (musical instruments)
Ring Around the Rosie by 101 Toddler Favorites (action song)
ABC’s by 101 Toddler Favorites (use colored scarves for creative dance)

11:15-11:30 Make 911 Phones
Print phones from DLTK’s website: http://www.dltk-teach.com/mphone.htm. Help children highlight 911 on the phone. Them have them glue their phone number onto the phone (explained on DLTK’s website). Then help the children cut out the phone. Encourage them to take it home and hang it where they can see it and practice dialing 911.

Safety Theme, Day 3

9:30-9:45 Circle Time
Quietly read & wait for everyone to arrive
Songs: Here we are together, and kids’ choice
Show & Tell:
Date, Weather, Pledge of Allegiance, Rules

9:45-10:05 Letter Xx Stations
Starfall.com – Letter Xx
Handwriting worksheet – Xx for xylophone worksheet
Letter Xx Matching worksheet – p. 105 of Summer Bridge Activities P-K, Circle all the pictures that begin with the same sound.

10:05-10:10 Lesson – Personal Safety
Health for Children: Safety Awareness DVD, chapters about medicines, electricity, and safety gear for sports.
Ask questions before, during, and after the video.

10:10-10:25 Math
Practice counting by 10’s – Have each child count out 10 popsicle sticks and put a rubberband around each group of 10. Then, count the bundles of popsicles sticks in 10’s.
Worksheet: p.70 of Summer Bridge Activities P-K, Count the shapes & circle the correct number

10:25-10:40 Craft Activity
Make Bird Feeders Run a string through the top of the pine cone. Mix peanut butter & bird seed together. The consistency should be sticky enough to stick to the pine cone. Press the mixture well into the "shelves" of the cone, filling it as full as possible. Fasten the cone to a tree branch or clothesline so that it hangs 1 to 1-1/2 feet down from the branch and away from the trunk or pole.

10:40-10:55 Wash Hands/Snack
Pretzels (& juice) – practice making X’s with the pretzels.

10:55-11:10 Play Time
Hang the bird feeders around the neighborhood.

11:10-11:20 Reading
Read & have the children color The Buzz on Safety coloring book (there is no internet link for this one, sorry. There are, however, several organizations that have online coloring books on safety).

11:20-11:30 Music Time
When I Was a Little Fish (Finger play) by Susan Salidor Come and make a circle
Hambone (practice playing instruments to the beat) by Susan Salidor Come and make a circle
This Little Light of Mine (creative dance using scarves) by 101 Toddler Favorites
If You’re Happy and You Know It (Action song) by 101 Toddler Favorites

Safety Theme, Day 4

9:30-9:45 Circle Time
Quietly read & wait for everyone to arrive
Songs: Here we are together, and kids’ choice
Show & Tell: None
Date, Weather, Pledge of Allegiance, Rules

9:45-9:55 Handwriting Practice
Name Writing worksheet: http://www.internet4classrooms.com/kplus_writing.htm

9:55-10:15 Lesson Fire Safety

Watch“Elmo Visits the Firehouse” DVD (chapters 2-6, <>

Stop, Drop, Roll Get Your children to pretend they are on fire and practice stopping, dropping, and rolling

Catch the Fire Game
You need enough blankets or towels for half your class and a large area to run in. First, have the girls go to one end of the area and the boys to the opposite of the girls. Place the blankets or towels in the middle. Explain to the children that some people don't know what to do if they catch on fire, so you can help them. Have one group (girls or the boys) pretend they are on fire and run around the area yelling "I'm on fire". The other group grabs a blanket or towel and "hugs" a child "on fire". After everyone's fire is out, switch groups. If the boys were on fire, let the girls catch fire. Great way to teach fire safety!

10:15-10:30 Math
Practice counting by 10’s – Have each child count out 10 popsicle sticks and put a rubberband around each group of 10. Then, count the bundles of popsicles sticks in 10’s.
Worksheet: Count & Color from p.68 Summer Bridge Activities P-K

10:20-10:35 Wash Hands/Snack
Ice cream CONES
Clean-up

10:35-10:50 Play Time
Red Light, Green Light

10:50-11:00 Review
Play the fishing game to review cones, Pp, Xx, & counting by 10

11:00-11:10 Music Time
Hello by Susan Salidor Come and make a circle (musical instruments)
London Bridge is Falling Down by 101 Toddler Favorites (action song)
Hokey Pokey by 101 Toddler Favorites (action song)
Medley: It’s Raining/Itsy Bitsy by 101 Toddler Favorites (use scarves for creative dance)

11:10-11:25 Make Clocks
Ask each parent to write down the times of day their children do specific activities (wake up, eat breakfast, go to preschool, take a nap, eat lunch, eat dinner, go to bed, etc.) Have each child put together a clock (have everything pre-cut and the face of the clock numbered. I used foam cutouts). Then practice turning the hands of the clock to the times of the above activities.

11:25-11:30 Puzzles

Don't Eat Pete

Okay- so Heather used this game for our Valentine's Party and the kids loved it (she used this one)! I wanted to make my own, so here's what I came up with. I thought it would be great to use for the shapes lesson or just for fun! You could also make up your own pretty easily with whatever you want in the squares (numbers, letters, etc.) to fit a different lesson.


How to Play: Place one M&M (or Cheerio, marshmallow, etc.) in each square of the game board. Send the first child away from the game board, then have the remaining children choose which M&M will be "Pete" for the round. Have the first child come back and begin picking M&M's from the game board. As soon as the child tries to pick "Pete" everyone yells "Don't Eat Pete!" The child keeps (and eats) all the M&M's picked up before trying to get Pete. Refill the game board and play again with the next child. The kids will love playing this game over, and over again.