January Centers

Week Theme Centers Shared Reading Centers Work Tasks
1

New Years

Writing: New Year's Resolutions--Children write plans for the new year on this hat shaped paper. They can then color it, cut it out and attach a pompom to the top.

Art:

Shaker Bottles--collect empty soda bottles (16 or 20 oz works best). Students put confetti, glitter, and water in the bottles.

 

Math: Missing Numbers Calendar--Children cut and glue the numbers to complete the calendar. The easier version has all numbers filled in; children simply need to match the numbers.

             Missing Number Calendar                 Missing Number Calendar-Easy

 

Art: Print calendar pages for the current year. Have students color and sequence the pages. This site has some cute printable calendars:

http://www.dltk-kids.com/type/printable_calendar_pages.htm

2 Winter

Art: Coffee Filter snowflakes--Have students fold the filters into fourths or eighths (depending on student skill level). Have students cut triangle shapes out of edges. Open filters and have children apply glitter.

ABC:

Snowball Colors--Crumble white trash bags into balls and secure with clear tape. Add a colored dot to each snowball. Label laundry baskets with color words. Line the baskets up on on side of the carpet and have students stand on the other. Students throw snowballs into the correct baskets.

Math:

Snowmen Buttons--Students read the numbers/number words on the snowmen's hats and place the correct number of buttons on each.

Snowman template

Writing: Winter Fun Book

Winter's Gift

(provided by Baltimore County Public Schools)

Art: Craft Stick snowflake--students glue 3 craft sticks together to form an asterisk shape. Then they paint glue on the sticks and cover with fake snow or glitter

ABC: Winter Word Building--Fill a pan with fake snow (or use the sensory table). Hide magnetic letters or letter tiles in the snow. Students find letters and use them to spell the winter words.

Math: Symmetrical Snowflakes--Students sort the snowflakes to show if the red line is a line of symmetry.

Science: Snowflake Memory--Students turn the cards upside down and take turns turning over 2 cards to make matches.

 
3 Winter-Animals

Math: Snowman Adding

ABC:

      

Snowmen--match words and pictures or letters and pictures

Snowman template

Writing:

Students trace and cut out a bear head. Then they write one fact about bears on the lined paper and glue it to the bear.

Bear Facts

(provided by Baltimore County Public Schools)

ABC: Beginning and Ending Sound work mats

Math: Teddy Bear Activities (patterning, sorting, adding--see Math Center Activities)

Science: Animal Babies Memory (see Science Center Activities)

Science: Animal Tracks Matching--Print both pages and cut the cards apart.

 
Technology Integration Lesson  from Baltimore County Public Schools:

Students will sequence the events from the story.  (Brown Bear)

Lesson Plan and Materials (search for K and then scroll down)

 

4 Winter-The Mitten

Writing:

Winter Scarves--Provide a sheet of paper (approx. 11x18) for each child. Draw horizontal lines on the paper for writing. Hole punch three holes along each side and tie pieces of yarn. Students write winter sentences on the paper. *This is a good activity to have volunteers prep--a bit of work but it makes a nice hall display*

Art:

Symmetrical Mittens--Have students decorate the mittens with a variety of craft materials...any design is fine but both mittens must be the same! I provide whatever left over craft materials I have--foam shapes, ribbon, felt/material, sequins, even wrapping paper.

ABC:

    

Mitten Match--I provide two versions of this for students at different levels. For both, you will need a length of string to tie to table legs to create a clothesline. Version 1: Students match the uppercase letters on the clothespins to the lowercase letters on the mittens and hang on the clothesline in ABC order. Version 2: Students match the CVC words on the clothespins to pictures on the mittens and hang on the clothesline.

Math:

Snowflake Adding: Prepare 12x18 sheets of black or blue paper by drawing 4 columns on each. Write a simple addition problem at the top of each column (or print and stick on labels). Provide students with pieces of sponge (use clothespins to hold the sponges to keep hands cleaner). Students "draw to solve" by stamping snowflakes with the sponges to find the answers. *This can be adapted to use with numbers/number words if students are not ready for addition.

 

The Mitten

(provided by Baltimore County Public Schools)

 

Writing: Mitten Letter Sequence--Students write the lowercase letters in order

ABC: Mitten Match file folder game from Preschool Printables (print one set of colored mittens and one set of black and white mittens with the color words to make a color word game).

Math: Mitten Pattern Book--This booklet will print 2 per page. Students color the mittens in the given pattern and then complete the sentences describing their patterns.

 
Technology Integration Lesson  from Baltimore County Public Schools:

Students will fill in the missing vocabulary word to complete the sentence on each slide of the PowerPoint presentation.

Lesson Plan and Materials (search for K and then scroll down)

 

5 Winter

Art:

Marshmallow Snowmen--Precut a large marshmallow into 3 sections for each child. Children glue the pieces to black paper to form a snowman. They can add details like hats cut from paper, mini craft stick arms, and cotton for snow

Writing:

    

My Winter Clothes Flap Book--Copy both sheets of clothing and 2 lined papers for each child. Place one sheet of lined paper under each clothing sheet and staple both to a 12x18 sheet so that an entire picture is visible. Cut along the lines so that each piece of clothing is separate. Children lift the flaps and write about their own winter clothing and color the pictures to match.

plain lined papers (more advanced writers)

Cloze sentences (beginning writers)

Clothing Sheet 1

Clothing Sheet 2

ABC:

Vowel Sort Snowflakes--Students sort the pictures on the snowflakes by the vowel sound.

Snowman Vowel Sort Worksheet

Math:

Snowman Number/Set Match: Students match the numbers on the hats to the buttons on the snowmen.

 

Snowman template

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow

(provided by Baltimore County Public Schools)

 

Additional Ideas at The Toddler House Daycare

 

 

ABC: ABC Order Race--Using magnetic letters or letter tiles, students race against a timer to put the letters in order. I use sand timers.

Math: Snowball Counting (see Math Center Activities)

Science: Season Sort (see science center activities)

ABC/Writing: Winter Clothes Beginning Sounds--Students use letter tiles or letter stamps to show the beginning sounds

Technology Integration Lesson  from Baltimore County Public Schools:

Students will fill in the missing vocabulary word to complete the sentence on each slide of the PowerPoint presentation.

Lesson Plan and Materials (search for K and then scroll down)

 

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