Search: Provider Services Index (Children's Home + Aid CCR&R Newsletter) > Developmentally Appropriate Activities Crushed Ice Provide ice cubes in a zip-closure bag and give children a block to make crushed ice. Invite children to eat the results of their crushing. This is also a good way to learn about force. Cellophane Embroidery Hoop Stretch colored cellophane inside an embroidery hoop. Let the children hold the hoop up to their face and look through it. Do they delight in making the world change colors? Replace the cellophane when it gets torn and don't allow shreds of cellophane to be in the environment. Make hoops with several different colors of cellophane. Brain Power Boost Make exercise bands from three-foot lengths of one-inch wide elastic. Sew the ends of the elastic together. Provide each child with an exercise band and try the following. Stand on part of the band and use your hands to stretch it over your head. Hold the band in front of you and stretch it across your chest. Place the band over your head and behind your neck. Stretch your hands forward. Create your own stretches. Amazing Maze Make a maze by gluing Styrofoam or sponge pieces into a cover of a large box. Make the passageways large enough for golf or ping pong balls to go through. Ask two children to use the maze. One child stands on each side of the maze. They are to get a golf ball from one end of the maze to the other by lifting and tilting the box cover to direct the golf or ping pong balls. Pipe Cleaner Bird Feeder Give each child a pipe cleaner and turn one tip into a tiny J-shape. Then string the pipe cleaner with Cheerios, leaving a short length to be bent over in order to retain the cereal. After shaping the pipe cleaner into a candy cane, hang it outside for the birds. When the birds have eaten all the food, the children can restring the pipe cleaner with Cheerios. Comparison Graphing is a way to combine counting and measurement to make concrete mathematical comparisons. A weekly calendar could be transformed into a weather graph, with sunny days compared with cloudy days. Another graph could compare the number of boys to the number of girls in the class. On any given day, numbers of children wearing certain colors could be graphed. Other topics include faborite foods, pets, lost teeth, birthdays, and shoe sizes. Weaving Children can weave with strips of paper, yarn, natural materials, and other found objects. Children can weave through chicken wire, six-pack plastic soda holders, chain link fence, or strawberry baskets. Once children learn the basics of weaving, they can create their own weavings. Perspectives Show a picture of a person whose face expresses a recognizable emotion (you can use snapshots or pictures cut out of old magazines or newspapers). Discuss what they think the person is feeling and why the person might feel that way. Discuss pictures showing various emotional expressions. If you have any new activities to use in the classroom, email me at mdenton@sw.chasi.org and I will share them on this site. Back to top