I need your ideas!!!
I'm helping out a center and need your best activity/lesson that you ever did. Something that kept the kids engaged and where they (hopefully!) learned something.
Inexpensive helps!
They need some ideas and expertise and I'm hoping to give them some great things to do with their kids!

I know you guys are the "experts" and will have some great ideas for us!
They will really appreciate it.
Thanks a bunch

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try this link for some ideas!

http://www.scienceworld.ca/preschool



get some guppies and let the kids watch the mom give birth! sounds weird I know, but I picked up a couple guppies the other day, and the kids and I got to see the babies born!

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Thanks dEHmom! I just browsed that sight and it looks very cool!
I know this isn't a "controverisal" subject, so it's not getting many responses but please help me out! (insert puppy dog eyes and cute face!)

This is for a center in one of the poorest countries in the world. The teachers have little to no early childhood education. They are really desperate for ideas!

Also, the materiel's needed should be ones I can carry on a plane or pack in my checked bags.

I would like to bring them as many activities as I can, but I'm having a hard time coming up with more than a few that will work. I know you guys have some brilliant ideas!

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How old are the children? I would introduce dinosaurs and find books at the library that are age appropriate. Hang pictures up, and make graphs- dinosaurs that were carnivorous, or herbivorous. (meat eaters, plant eaters)

Mix together solution of 1 c water, 1 c salt, 2 c flour let them mix with hands, then take toy dinosaurs, (dollar store?) and make imprints, let dry.

Use large container of sand and hide "fossils", you can explain what fossils are and how scientists learn from them. If you have lots of space, make it an "dig" and provide shovels, etc.

Theories on what killed dinosaurs- read in book or research on internet

Take sand, make more clay, use empty unlidded can and find a large square table, put newspaper or old cloth to protect floor beneath table, have kids mix sand and clay around can. This can take a long time. They are building a volcano. Mix, press, again and again, it's messy, but if it is not sticking together, add water, flour, more sand, whatever works to make it go around the can and then build away from can to spread mixture into a shape that is like a volcano. At this point, it can dry. You can decorate with little plastic dinosaurs, palm trees, make them or maybe dollar store has them. Just use small tube or straw, fringe green paper, glue on top of tube and stick in clay mixture. I used to scoop out little areas for ponds.

Get food coloring, water and a drop of blue for pond. Get vinegar, baking soda, red food coloring and dish soap. Tell the children that the volcano may erupt today. Use it to remind them that good listening may help it happen.

Pour some vinegar into can. Add few drops of red food coloring. Add dish detergent like cheap stuff for washing dishes, not dishwasher stuff. Then, the piece de resistance. Make them wait. Tell them it won't happen if they talk. They must be quiet. Close lights if you have light from windows to make it more fun. When you add a teaspoon of baking soda, eruption! They will think it is cool, but tell them not to touch because lava is so hot, haha.

Also, mentos, a pack of them and diet coke. Outside, put mentos in bottle of diet coke. See what happens.

You can study a country like Italy. Get a child sized plastic swimming pool and grapes. Explain how they made wine by crushing grapes with bare feet. Let them take shoes and socks off and step on grapes. Don't drink what turns to liquid, well the kids can. No, process, process.

Enjoy

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Divide the children into 2 even groups. Line them up parallel to one another and facing on another, so their backs should be against a wall. Each child should face another child. They are partners. The distance between the two lines does not really matter. One line, you call pepsi. One, coke. Tell them if you call pepsi, those kids must run to the partner and hug. The last child to reach the partner is out i(f they can handle competition.). Tell them if they are out, they become a judge.

If you call coke, that line runs to the partner across. Make it interesting, sometimes say, I am going to call........... 7 up, just kidding coke!!!

Huggie Bear
Play music, and when it stops, call out a number. They have to hug in a group containing that number. One means they hug themselves. Those who are left are out.

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I am so curious as to where your going? Is it like a foundation that you found?

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