Create a small discussion with your children about the role of the chef in the kitchen
All Are Welcome – Read Aloud Story
The message behind this book is that everyone is special, diversity should be celebrated, and that we welcome everyone with open arms. All Are Welcome takes place at the start of a school year and explains that no matter what your differences are, where you came from, or what you eat, everyone is welcome. The story is a wonderful collage of cultures!
Numbers and Counting Activity
This activity is an opportunity for children to play and learn with numbers. The activity involves children counting out the value for each number and placing ‘how many’ pop sticks into the cardboard roll with that number.
Some ideas:
- Counting numbers out loud. (Repetition)
- Place the cardboard rolls in order from 1 to 10.
- Sorting ‘how many’ pop sticks according to the number on the cardboard roll.
- Sorting coloured pop sticks.
- Point to the number (say the number out loud).
- Jumble up the order of the cardboard rolls and put them back into order from 1 to 10.
- Balancing – arranging the pop sticks so that the cardboard rolls do not tip over.
- Ask questions – Which number holds more? Which number holds less?
Learning opportunities:
- Fine Motor Development – manipulating objects.
- Hand-eye Coordination and Control
- Concentration
- Language development – Counting our loud and pronunciation of numbers.
- Maths – Recognising numbers and their name.
- Maths – Value of numbers, ‘how many’, ‘more than’ and ‘less than’.
- Sorting by colour and number.
- Balance – the cardboard rolls can tip over when unbalanced.
Washing Dishes Sensory Bin
How To Set Up:
- Add in a little bit of dish soap or bubble bath to a shallow tub
- Fill with water
- Add in play food and/or play dishes
- Add in dish scrubbers, sponges, or washcloths
- Give them a towel to dry the dishes/food
This sensory bin allows children to gain independence by washing dishes and scrubbing fruits and vegetables just like we do! It’s also great for sensory play, fine motor skills, and learning life skills!
Pretend play
Did you know?
Increasingly complex pretend play helps emotional, social and cognitive development. Children can explore different roles and practice social skills in taking turns to be the waiter or customer. Use new or more specific words such as “delicious” instead of “yummy”, “Would you like the smartie biscuit or the melting moment?”.
During pretend play children develop early math concepts for instance, when checking if they have enough cups for everyone. Different variations should be provided to the children, for instance, use playdough to make food for the tea party. Pretend to write down orders, make the drinks and serve. Try changing the scene to a tea party at home or different kinds of restaurants.
Handprint Watermelon Craft
Sugar free fruit popsicles recipes
Food science experiments
Writing trays
Writing trays are a fantastic way to help children work on pre-writing skills. Writing trays are a creative way to help children learn to write numbers, letters, shapes, and pre-writing strokes. There are a lot of different ways that writing trays can be set up and used. Usually, a shallow container is used and it is filled with any material that can be moved around with a finger such as sugar, salt, semolina, flour, sand, rice etc.
Paper plate fruit craft
Ms. Christabel's classroom 