Summer Is Here!
Posted by Hope Spencer on 26 Jun 2009 | Posted in: Classroom Routines, Grade 1, Holiday and Seasonal, Kindergarten, Planning and Curriculum, Preschool, The Mailbox
Some of my favorite days with students were spent in the summer school classroom. In our situation, the atmosphere was a bit more laid-back. The children and I could get to know each other and, best of all, we could take advantage of fun summer themes! I’ve gathered some of my favorite theme-related activities from current issues of The Mailbox® magazine to share with you. Enjoy!
The June/July Preschool edition features a cute beach-themed center. This fun activity is sure to build students’ gross-motor skills:
Youngsters work their arm muscles with this fun idea! Place an oversize starfish cutout on the floor. Then place a tape line on the floor several feet away along with a plastic pail containing five beanbags. A child stands behind the line. He tosses the beanbags toward the starfish, attempting to get one beanbag on each arm.
Bugs are the summer theme of choice in the June/July Kindergarten edition. This whole-group activity boosts students’ phonological awareness.
Youngsters pretend to be butterflies during this whole-group activity. In advance, draw three flowers on the board and number them. To begin, announce a word that has one, two, or three syllables. Lead students to repeat the word as they “flap their wings” like butterflies once for each word part. Then write the word on the flower that corresponds with the number of word parts. Continue as time allows.
In the June/July Grade 1 edition, you’ll find a picnic-themed math unit. Here’s a sweet activity that helps students learn how to tell time:
Here’s a tempting review! In advance, use watercolors to paint a paper plate light brown. After the paint dries, write numbers and add marker details so the plate resembles a clockface on a pie. Use a brad to attach two clock hands to the plate. To begin, sit with students in a circle. Next, lead students in saying the chant below as the pie is passed around the circle. Ask the student who is holding the pie at the end of the chant to show a time on the pie. After a youngster correctly identifies the time, repeat the chant as students continue passing the pie around the circle.
For dessert, I must wait
Until I eat what’s on my plate.
Apple, chocolate, cherry, plum.
Is it time to have some?
Congratulations to R. Weber, Bar Nunn Elementary. She is the winner of a copy of Out & About Math (Grades 1–2) in our weekly blog drawing.
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The mailbox website is awesome. A girlfriend that runs a daycare and starting a preschool told me about
it. I run a daycare and the sample pages are absolutely awesome and so are your books. Thank you
for this website. It helps so much.
I REALLY love the the butterfly and flower activity. I’m always on the look-out for great literacy-fillers for the extra 10-15 minutes before we have to leave for lunch or specials!
Just found Mailbox after using it years ago. Can’t wait to start using the ideas in my classroom again.I work all summer, so I can’t wait to WOW my kids with all the fun and learning.
We incorporate the summer themes in June since lead teachers are off during the summer. We use the ice cream cone and other patterns to create a variety of art projects. The children enjoy sharing favorite summer experiences, favorite flavors and the steps in creating a favorite summertime treat. We also make ice cream and have an ice cream social complete with all the great fixings!
I like the bean bag/starfish idea. You could even extend it and make it so the child had to name a sea creature before throwing the bean bag, or the teacher names an animal and the child has to say the first letter or the beginning sound. Then you would be doing motor skills and literacy skills at the same time. Bean bags are fun and they could be used in review games even with the older grades.
I loved the ice cream patterns-they were so fun! It was perfect timing to get the kids into the mood for summer as well as visit some pre-writing.
Our school district calendar has us out in May.
I have not taught summer school, but recieved my first summer issues of Mailbox, I see so many wonderful ideas. I hope to work some of the themes into the beginning of school and then the end of school next year.
Thank you for all the help and great ideas.
I was wondering if anyone has ideas for (any subject area), including songs and finger plays, for “Pirates”. I am the Program Director for a children’s center and we are incorporating “Pirates” as a new theme. We have children ages 1 to 12. Thank you for any ideas you have!
We used the ice cream patterns from the June/July issue to do a little “pre-summer” unit in early June. We used the cones to make fact families, the banana split main idea sheet, and we also did the “cow” newspaper that focused on the students favorite flavor of ice cream. The kids really enjoyed it.. and July is National Ice Cream month, so it would be perfect for summer school.
I love the summer months teaching. I am off in July. But the warm weather affords lots and lots or water play and experimentation. I love using long clear plastic tubes in the water table. All different lengths and diamators. Adding color to the water after the children have used the clear offers more dimention. The next day another primary color can be added for color mixing. Long snaky tubes that need co-operation for pouring and mixing, its the best.