Table of Contents Fall Activities 2 Language Arts Activities Science Activities Music and Movement... Social Awareness. Arts and Crafts. Indoor Games .... Outdoor Games. Snack Time Suggestions Patterns Back to School .. Language Arts Activities ... Math Activities. Science Activities Music and Movement .. Social Awareness.. Arts and Crafts... Indoor Games .... Outdoor Games. Snack Time Suggestions Patterns .. Labor Day Activities. Language Arts Activities ... Math Activities Science Activities . Musie and Movement .. Social Awareness... Arts and Crafts .. Indoor Games Outdoor Game: Snack Time Suggestions ... Patterns .., ‘0 Carson-Delloca Publ. CD-0825 Grandparents’ Day Activities Language Arts Activities .. Math Activities. Science Activities . Music and Movement... Social Awarenes: Arts and Crafts Indoor Games .... Outdoor Games.. Snack Time Suggestions Patterns Halloween Activities Language Arts Activities ... Math Activities Science Activities .. Music and Movement Social Awareness... Arts and Crafts... Indoor Games Outdoor Game: Snack Time Suggestions Patterns Thanksgiving Language Arts Activities Math Activities Science Activities .. Music and Movement...... Social Awareness Arts and Crafts Indoor Games Outdoor Games... Snack Time Suggestions .... Patterns ... 147FALL Fall is a time of changing weather, colorful outdoor scenery, and celebrations to signal the end of the growing season. The activities in this section help children become aware of these events and allow them to express what they see in creative ways. FALL LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITIES Lacing Leaves Skills: Writing Readiness, Fine Motor Skills Activity: Using the pattern on page 25, cut several leaf shapes from tag board. Use a hole punch to place holes as indicated on the pattern. Allow the children to lace the leaves using shoelaces or blunt plastic needles and yarn. Berry Basket Weaving Skills: Writing Readiness, Fine Motor Skills Activity: Obtain several plastic berry baskets, yarn, plastic needles, and tape. Attach a length of yarn to each needle by threading the needle and taping the short end of the yarn to the longer piece. Show the children how to weave the yarn through the basket by moving the needle through the holes. Skills: Shapes Recognition, Listening Skills Activity: Copy the lotto card pattern on page 26 for each student and, using a variety of fall stickers, place a sticker in each of the spaces. Give each child a card and have the children use bingo chips to cover the fall shapes on their cards as you call them out. The first child to get three in a row is to call, “Lotto!” ‘© Corson-Dellosa Publ, CD-0825 2Fall Language Arts Activities Fall Characteristics Skills: Observation, Deseription Activity: Take your students for a walk outside and instruct them to notice events or items related to the season. Have them raise their hands and discuss what they see. After the walk, ask them to individually dictate what they noticed about fall. You may want to do this during a time when the children will not hear each other’s answers. As a child dictates, write his words on the bottom of a piece of construction paper. Allow the child to illustrate his words with crayons, markers or chalk. Display where the parents can see the pictures. As an extension to this activity, discuss what the outdoors was like during the summer and what has changed since then. Ask the children to predict how they think it will be different in the winter. ay Acorn Tracing and Texture Skills: Fine Motor Skills, Tracing Activity: Cut out and trace the acorn pattern on page 27 onto one or more thiek pieces of paper. Cut out the patterns. Give each child a pattern, a brown crayon and his choice of red, orange or yellow construction paper. Show the children how to hold the acorn pattern steady while tracing around it. After the children have finished tracing their acorns, take them outside to a tree and show them how to make rubbings. Each student should hold his construction paper against a tree trunk with an interesting bark texture. She can then rub the side of a crayon on the construction paper to get the tree impression inside the acorn shape. © Carson-Drelfasa Publ. CD-0825 3Fall Language Arts Activities Find the Missing Word Skill: Problem Solving Activity: Tell the children that you are going to say sentences that have missing words and that they are to guess what the missing words are. Explain that there may be more than one correct answer. Use the following sentences and then make up your own. Apples are red, pumpkins are Pumpkins grow on vines, acorns grow on Nuts are brown, corn is Apple a and Worm ABC Match Skill: Alphabet Recognition Activity: Using the patterns on page 28, make twenty- six tag board apples and twenty-six tag board &) worms. Write a capital letter on each apple and a lowercase letter on each worm. Show the apple cards to the class and have the students recite the letters with you. When you have recited the alphabet several times, ask for volunteers to name the letters. Repeat with the worm cards. Then hold up three pairs of matching upper- and lower-case cards and ask the children to match the letters together. Gradually increase the number of letters offered at one time. Allow the children to use the cards during free play. Rhyming Brainstorm Skills: Listening, Rhyming Activity: Ask the children to define the word “rhyme.” Allow the children to give examples of rhyming words. Tell the children that you want them to think of words that rhyme with “fall.” Give each child a chance to give you a word. As the children dictate, write the words on the chalkboard or butcher paper and repeat together when finished. You can also use the words “leaf,” “corn,” | “we” and any other words that pertain to the season. (© Carsan Dalloes Publ. CD-0825 4FALL MATH ACTIVITIES Apple Cutting Skills: Recognizing Fractions, Observation Activity: For this activity, you will need an apple, a kitchen knife for you, four to six dull plastic knives and enough soft red modeling clay to give four to six children apple-sized pieces. Show a small group of children the apple. Ask the children how you might make the apple into two pieces so you could share with a friend. The children will say that you should cut the apple in half. Cut the apple in half. Ask SS the children how many pieces you have. Explain that when you cut something into two equal pieces, you have “halves,” each being called a half. Give each child a piece of red modeling clay and ask him to mold it into the shape of an apple. Allow the students to use the dull knives to cut their “apples” in half. Be sure to encourage them to try to cut equal pieces. Nut Sorting Skills: Matching, Classification, Observation Activity: Gather an assortment of nuts (acorns, walnuts, pecans, etc.) and a muffin tin. While the children free play, invite one or two children to join you at a table with the materials. Place one of each nut in a separate section of the muffin tin. Ask the children to place the remaining nuts with their matches in the tin. (© Carepe-Delleea Publ, CD.6325 5Fall Math Activities Smallest vs. Largest Acorns Skills: Differentiation Between Sizes, Ordering Activity: Copy and cut out the assorted sizes of acorns from the patterns on page 29. Gather a small group of children and have them review the different pattern sizes and show you a small acorn, then a large acorn. Explain that the words “smallest” and “largest” describe the ones that are smaller or larger than all the rest. Ask each child to show you either the smallest or the largest acorn. Then have the students arrange the patterns from smallest to largest. Sorting Leaves Skills: Observation, Classification Activity: Hold up real or colored paper leaves (patterns on page 30) one at a time and have the group describe them. Then hold up two at a time and ask the children to look for similar qualities. Explain that you can group the leaves by color, size, shape, etc. Have the children sort the leaves by these qualities. Leaf Graphing Skills: Classification, Graphing, Adding, Subtracting, Noting Differences Activity: If you are able to collect leaves around your | yellow| red lorange school, take the students outside and ask them ey each to collect three leaves. This works best in early fall before all the leaves turn brown. If you cannot collect the leaves outside, use the patterns on page 30 and cut leaves from yellow, red, brown and orange construction paper. Cut enough leaves so that each child has three. Make sure you cut a different amount of each color leaf. Draw a graph on butcher paper, Oh. chart paper or the chalkboard, listing the four colors at the top. Allow each child to use tape and place his leaves on the graph under the appropriate colors. After all of the leaves have been placed on the graph, ask the children to tell you which color has the most, which has | ‘the least, how many more one color has than | another, if any have the same amount, etc. © Carson Deloss Publ. CD.0825 6ie Crayon Match Skills: One-to-One Correspondence, Counting Activity: Using five index cards, make a set of cards that have colored lines the length of crayons. You can determine which colors you wish to use. The first card should have one line, the second should have two lines, the third should have three lines, etc. Ask the children to place crayons on the lines. Then ask the children to count the crayons. For an extra challenge, have the children match the crayons’ colors to & Tn the colors of the lines. Fall Match-Ups oS <_> Skills: Color Matching, Shape Matching, Listening Activity: Tell the children that you are going to describe a fall object and will ask them to find something with a similar trait. For example, you may tell a child, “This leaf is orange; please find something orange,” or, “This nut is round; please find something round.” After each child has found something, allow a few volunteers to make up problems for their classmates. Tall vs. Short Skills: Discriminating Differences in Height, Use of Measurement Words Activity: Photocopy, color, and cut out the “Tall vs. Short” flashcards on pages 31 through 33. Talk with the children about the words “tall” and “short.” Ask the children to describe something using each word. Hold up the flashcards and ask the children to tell you which objects are tall and which are short. Later, during free play, allow the children to ¢ use the cards individually. Fall Math Activities © Carson-Dellosa Publ. CD.0825, 7FALL SCIENCE ACTIVITIES Corn Tasting Party Skills: Comparing and Describing Tastes Activity: Obtain as many of the following types of corn as possible and prepare them for a tasting party: popcorn, corn on the cob, canned corn, frozen corn, and creamed corn. Encourage the children to taste as many of the types of corn as they desire. Ask the children to describe the way each tastes and feels, and how it differs from the others. Ask the children to describe how they think each type of corn was processed and why it is different from the others. Colored Apples Skills: Knowledge of Colors, Using Color Words Activity: Purchase two of each color apple: green, red and yellow. Ask a small group of children to match the apples by color. Then ask each child to tell the color of each apple. Seeds We Eat vs. Seeds We Don’t Eat, AE Skills: Classification Activity: Gather the following seeds that we eat: assorted beans, peanuts, corn, peas, pumpkin seeds, pecans. Also gather the following seeds that we don’t eat: acorns, ’ watermelon seeds, peach pits, flower seeds. @ {Xe Make a poster from butcher paper or poster © Begin by reviewing shapes with the group (cirele, square, triangle, rectangle, diamond, hexagon, star, etc.). Ask the children to find different shapes around the room. Copy the Shape Find School Bus pattern on page 70 and distribute the copies to the students, Ask them to find and name as many shapes in the picture as they can. Then have the children color the pictures. Encourage the students to take their pictures home and review the shapes in the picture with their parents. Where is the Pencil? Skill: Identifying Directions Activity: Using a pencil and a box, show the children how the pencil can be in the following positions in relation to the box: inside, outside, beside, on top, under, over, in front, behind, etc. Hold the pencil in each position and have the children answer questions as a group about the pencil’s location. Allow individuals to volunteer. ‘© Carson-Dellosa Publ. CD-0625 44BACK-TO-SCHOOL SCIENCE ACTIVITIES Back-to-School] Shape Mat Skill: Matching Objects to their Outlines Activity: Gather several school items, such as a chalkboard eraser, a pencil eraser, a wooden. block, a simple toy, a paper clip, a crayon, etc. ‘Trace each item onto a piece of poster board. Give the children the poster and the items and show them how to match items with their outlines. Allow the children to work in small groups or individually. Vegetables Lunch Choices Skills: Decision Making, Classification, Knowledge of Food and Food Groups Activity: Copy, color and cut out the Lunch Choices reproducibles on pages 71 through 73. Hold up each food picture and ask the children to name and describe it. Ask the children to tell you what type of food it is (meat, vegetable, fruit, dairy product, bread, fats and oils). Have the children use tape and a piece of poster board to separate the foods into the food groups. Then ask the children to point to the choices they would like for a make-believe lunch. Talk about the choices and whether or not they are well-rounded, If a choice was not well-rounded, have the child problem solve to make a more sensible choice. {© Carson-Delloss Publ. CD-0895 45Back-to-School Science Activities Floating or Sinking Skills: Observation, Use of the Words “Float” and “Sink,” Hypothesizing Activity: Filla clear bowl with water. Also gather several classroom objects, such as chalk, a pencil, a paper clip, a rubber eraser, a plastic toy, a piece of paper, a crayon, etc. Explain the meanings of the words “float” and “sink” tothe children. Show the children the objects one by one and ask them to hypothesize whether they will float or sink when dropped into the water. As you drop each object, talk about why the hypothesis was right or wrong. When all items have been tested, discuss the common properties among the floaters and the sinkers. Crayon Color Matching Skills: Knowledge of Color Words, Matching Activity: ‘Copy, color (using the colors the students are learning), and cut out the Crayon Color Matching reproducibles on page 74. The number of copies you need to make depends on the number of colors you want to teach or review in your class. For each color, you should have a crayon and matching circle. You may laminate these or glue them onto tagboard, Hold up each crayon and ask the children to name its color. Repeat with the circles. Place tape on the back of each circle and ask the children to stick each to a piece of poster board as they name its color. Repeat with the crayons, but have the children stick the crayon. next to the circle of the same color. Remove the tape and allow the children to use the pieces during free play. Note: If you have a flannel board, the pieces can be made from felt and used on the flannel board. ‘© Carcon-Dellosa Publ. CD-0225 46Back-to-School Science Activities Schoolyard Friends Skills: Observation, Knowledge of Insect and Other Animal Names Activity: Ask the children to think about the friends they see on the playground. Next ask them, what friends share their playground other thang the other children and adults. Explain that insects and other animals often share playgrounds. Ask the children to name the types of insects and other animals they have seen on their playground or at a park. Then have the class go outside and see if they can find and point to any of the named animals, As a follow up, you may wish to have the children draw pictures of (and label) the creatures they found on the playground. a My Measurements Skills: Measuring, Reading a Measuring Instrument. Activity: Make a copy of the “My Measurements” sheet on page 75 for each child. Obtain a bathroom scale and a measuring tape and invite a few children over to measure themselves during free play time. Help them read the numbers on the scale. Encourage the children to hold the measuring tape for each other and read the numbers aloud for you. As the children measure themselves, write the measurements on the “My Measurements” sheets. Have the students draw themselves in the space provided on the activity sheet or take an instant photograph of each child and tape it on the page. Repeat this activity at the end of the year and compare the sizes of the children between the two times. (© CareoueDellaea Publ. CD 0825 4TBACK-TO-SCHOOL MUSIC AND MOVEMENT Adapted Songs to Sing This is the Way... (To the tune of “Mulberry Bush”) This is the way we sit in a circle, sit in a circle, sit in a circle. This is the way we sit in a circle, Here at our school. Other verses we line up...here at our school. sit in our chairs...here at our school. raise our hands...here at our school. paint a picture...here at our school. eat our lunch...here at our school. (You may wish to make up other verses about routine activities.) Where is Sally? (to the tune of “Frere Jacques”) Class: “Where is Sally? Where is Sally?” Sally: “Here I am, Here I am.” Class: “We're glad you came to play, with us here at school.” Sally: “Thank you all. I am too.” (Repeat this song using each child's name.) The Wheels on the Bus (traditional) The wheels on the bus go round and round, co Round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round, All through the town. Other verses... The driver...says “Move on back.” The horn...goes “Beep, beep, beep.” The wipers...go “Swish, swish, swish.” The money...goes “Clink, clink, clink.” .go “Up and down.” .go “Waah, waah, waah.” ‘The parents...go “Shh, shh, shh.” = (You may wish to let the children to make up more verses.) ‘© Carson-Dellosa Publ. CD-0825 48Back-to-School Music and Movement More Adapted Songs to Sing: |, Little Schoolhouse (to the tune of “I'm a Little Teapot”) Tm a little schoolhouse, Happy all day; The children inside me Love to learn and play. All the little children Love their school, They practice manners ~~" and the Golden Rule. I Have Manners (to the tune of “Frere Jacques”) Ihave manners, I have manners. Look at me, you will see I say “please” and “thank you” And even sometimes “bless you.” Polite I'll be, polite I'll be. Lf lead the class all over the room. Watching for Directions Play music and instruct the class to watch you carefully. Move to the music in a variety of ways and instruct the children to mimic you. Allow the children to take turns leading the group. BY) © CarvomPDetlasa Publ. CD-0625 49BACK-TO-SCHOOL SOCIAL AWARENESS Mini Field Trips Skills: Awareness of Areas and Personnel of the Schoo! Activity: On the first few days of school, take the class on “mini” field trips around the school to learn about important places. This may be done as a whole group or in small groups. You should be sure the children can identify and name several key places: restrooms, lunch room, office, cubbies, other classrooms, ete. You may also wish to introduce the children to important people: principal/director, assistant director, secretary, nurse/person responsible for giving medication, other teachers, etc. This is also a good time to remind the children of rules. As a follow up, you may wish to allow the children to draw pictures of places or people they saw on their field trip. What Does a Principal/Director Do? Skills: Knowledge of Duties of Principal/Director Activity: Invite your principal or director to come in and talk to the class about what her job duties are. Have her talk about how she is responsible for making sure the school runs well and is safe; keeping the parents happy; supervising the teachers and staff, dealing with finances; etc. Allow the children to ask questions. Have the class thank the speaker when she leaves. Next, ask the children to help you make a list of the principal/director’s job duties. As the children dictate, write the duties on a chalkboard or chart paper. Ask the children to tell you why they would or would not like to do these jobs when they grow up. © Carson-Dellosa Publ. CD-0825 50Where Do I Work? Skil Activity: people. OUR NEWS rip To Farm Friday we igo to ‘®Caraon-Delloea Publ. CD-0825 Back-to-School Social Awareness Knowledge of School Personnel and their Workplaces Copy and cut out the “Where Do I Work?” cards from pages 76 through 79. Talk to the students about the many people it takes to make a school run smoothly. Ask the children to name people that work at or around the school. Hold up each picture of a worker and ask the children to identify the job. Talk about what the worker does and where he or she spends the majority of the work time. Have the children draw pictures of the workers at work around the school. The pictures could show the workers helping other Classroom Newspaper Skills: Creativity, Composing Thoughts into Sentences Activity: Talk with the children about newspapers. Explain that newspapers are a way to pass along interesting and important information. Show an edition of the local newspaper. Tell the children that they will be making a newspaper. Ask the children to tell you what topics might be interesting or important about the beginning of school. You may want to ask about new children, new teachers, upcoming activities or field trips, etc. Have the children choose a topic. Have them think of a title and dictate it to you as you write it. on a piece of chart paper. As the children dictate the story, write it on the chart paper. Continue with other topics until the page is covered. Read the stories to the class. Post the students’ newspaper for parents and others to read. 51BACK-TO-SCHOOL ARTS AND CRAFTS Schoolhouse Pasta Design Skills: Fine Motor Skills, Creativity, Gluing Activity: Photocopy the schoolhouse found on page 80 onto red construction paper so that every student has a copy. Set the following items on the art table: uncooked macaroni, small bowls of glue, and cotton swabs. Give each child a piece of the red construction paper and acotton swab to apply glue, and instruct him to make a design out of macaroni. The students may make any design and use as many noodles as they wish. Also, the children may opt to glue the noodles all inside the schoolhouse, outside only, on the lines, or any combination of the three. Community Coloring-Our Class Skills: Drawing, Coloring, Fine Motor Skills, Cooperative Play Activity: Cut a six-to-eight-foot length of butcher paper and tape it to the floor in the classroom or on a sidewalk outside. Let the children use crayons and/or markers to make a picture of their class. Explain that they may draw themselves, their classmates, the teacher, the room, the playground, etc. As the children draw, write a caption that reads “Our Class.” As the children finish their parts, ask them Lo Litle or describe what they have drawn, and write it by their pictures. Make sure they write their names by their pictures (with your help, if necessary). When all the children have had an opportunity to draw a part of the picture, display it in a prominent place. ‘© Carson-Dellosa Publ. CD-0825 52Back-to-School Arts and Crafts) My Classroom Wet Chalk Drawing Skills: Fine Motor Skills, Creativity, Drawing Symbols for Real Objects Activity: Set out the following on the art table: black, blue, purple and brown construction paper; colored chalk; and small bowls of water. Invite a few children to the art table. Tell the children to look around the room and draw the things they see. To draw, they are to dip the chalk into the water and draw on their choice of the dark-colored paper. When each child has finished, ask her to tell you what she has drawn, and label it for her. An Apple for the Teacher Skills: Fine Motor Skills Ss Activity: TS Set out the following items on the art table: round coffee filters, brown or green construction paper stems and leaves (pattern found on page 81), small bowls of glue, cotton swabs, eyedroppers and small bowls of red, yellow and green tempera paint. Have a group of children come to the table and instruct each child to gather a coffee filter and a stem and leaf and place the materials in front of him, Students then use the cotton swabs to glue the leaves and stems to the coffee filters. They should use the eyedroppers to drop paint onto the coffee filters. Allow the coffee filters to dry. Once the projects are dry, display the “apples” for the students and parents to see. z? © Carson-Delloea Publ. CD.0825 53Back-to-School Arts and Crafts School Bus Collage Skills: Cutting or Tearing, Fine Motor Skills, Observation Activity: Use the pattern on page 82 to cut a paper school bus outline for each child. Have several magazines that contain many pictures of children for the students to use. Tell the students that they are to cut or tear pictures of children from the magazines. They are then to use cotton swabs or their fingers and glue or paste to make collages of children on the school bus shapes. After they are finished, allow each child to show her school bus and tell the class what transportation she uses to get to school. Lunch Collage Skills: Cutting or Tearing, Fine Motor Skills, Knowledge of Well-Balanced Meals Activity: Photocopy each “Lunch Choices” page (pages 71 through 73) for each child. Also photocopy page 83 onto colored construction paper so that each student has a copy. Give each child his copy of the “Lunch Choices” pages and ‘ allow him to color the pages with crayons. Next have the children cut out the lunch box patterns from the construction paper. Talk with the children about what makes well-rounded lunches. Instruct the children to cut their choices of lunch items from the lunch choices. sheets and paste them onto their lunchbox shapes. When the children have finished, ask them to name the foods they chose and why. © Carsan-Dellosa Publ. CD-0825 54BACK-TO-SCHOOL INDOOR GAMES Names Around the Circle Skills: Knowledge of Classmates’ Names, Memory, Gross Motor Skills Activity: Have the children sit in a circle. Begin the activity by saying your name and have each student around the circle, in turn, say his or her name, Demonstrate how te walk around the circle touching each child on the head similar to Duck, Duck, Goose. As you touch each child, you are to say the child’s name. If you forget the child's name, the child tells you his name and gives you an instruction in exchange. Some examples of requested activities are: “touch your toes,” “do a jumping jack,” “hop on one foot three times,” etc. All requests should be simple and fun. Allow the children to continue the game until all of the children know their classmates’ names. Show Me Activity: Explain to the children that you are going to play a game of Show and Touch. The teacher will name an item in the classroom, such as a desk, cubbie, pencil sharpener, window, door, etc., and select a child to find the item. The child will then get up, touch (or point to the item if necessary), and name it. Continue until each child has “shown” something. Skills: Name and Word Recognition. Activity: Write each child’s name on an index card. Show the students the cards one at a time. See if any child can identify the name on the card. If not, say the name and have the children repeat it and spell it with you. Then have the child whose name it is say and spell it for the class. Eventually, have the child whose name is showing say nothing, while his classmates try to identify the name. © Carson‘Dellosa Publ. CD-0625 55Back-to-School Indoor Games What am I? Skills: Listening, Observation Activity: Explain to the students that you will describe an object in the room. When a child thinks she knows what the item is, she is to raise her hand and tell you when called upon. If she is correct, begin with a new item. If she guessed incorrectly, continue describing the item. When the children have a good grasp of the game, you may wish to allow the children to take turns picking the items and giving the clues. The Stone and the Jester Skills: Gross Motor Skills, Control of the Face and Emotions Activity: Pair up the children, Inform them that they are going to take turns being the “jester” and the “stone.” Explain that the jester is supposed to do things to try to make the stone smile or laugh. The jester may make faces, tell jokes, wiggle his body, or do anything else funny other than touch the stone. The stone is to keep a straight face as long as possible. When the stone smiles or laughs, the stone and jester trade roles. The children continue switching positions whenever the stone laughs or smiles. Pass the Eraser Skills: Passing, Listening Activity: Have the childven stand in a circle, Tell them that you are going to have them pass a chalkboard eraser around the circle. Explain that, as they pass the eraser, you will play music. The children are to listen to the music, and the child who is holding the eraser when the music stops is to sit in the middle of the circle until the end of the next round, when he will be replaced with the child that is holding the eraser at the end of that round. ‘© Carson-Dellesa Publ, CD-0825 56BACK-TO-SCHOOL OUTDOOR GAMES Outdoor Chalkboards Skills: Fine Motor Skills, Creativity, Name Recognition Activity: Take colored chalk outside when the group goes out to play. Divide the sidewalk or patio by drawing equal-sized rectangles for each child. Write each child’s name in a rectangle. Invite a few children over at a time to find their names and decorate their rectangles using the colored chalk. When all of the children have decorated their rectangles, invite other classes to come and admire the group's work. School Rules Tag Skills: Memory, Gross Motor Skills, Running Activity: Choose one child to be “it.” Explain to the students that they are safe from being tagged by stopping and naming a school rule just before “it” catches them, They will remain safe until they move again. “It” must turn his attention to another child when a child has become safe. Also explain that a child may not use the same rule twice in a row. Name a new “it” every few ‘© Carson-Deliosa Publ. CD.0825 57Back-to-School Outdoor Games Everybody Chase: Skills: Gross Motor Skills, Name Recognition, Running Activity: Explain to the students that they will be playing a game of chase. They are to listen to the name the teacher calls out and chase that child, As soon as the teacher calls out, “Everybody chase (another child),” they are to begin chasing the newly-named child. It is important for everyone to listen well, since they might be the next person being chased. The teacher needs to pay close attention and change the child chased before anyone ever gets tagged. To make it more of a challenge, pick the child who is farthest from the other children. First Letter Run Skills: Letter Recognition, Gross Motor Skills, Following Directions Activity: Write each letter of the alphabet on a 4"x 6" index card and take the cards to the playground during recess. Instruct the children to watch the cards you hold up and listen to the directions you give. If their names begin with the letter you hold up, they are to follow the directions. Give directions such as, “Hop to the fence,” “Jump up and down,” “Pat your head,” “Rub your tummy,” ete. You may vary this by having the children follow the directions if their first or last names begin with the letter, or if the letter is in their names anywhere. Outdoor Opposites Skills: Gross Motor Skills, Knowledge of Opposite Location Words, Following ‘Two-Part Directions Activity: Gather the children and tell them that they will be moving around the playground as instructed. Explain that the words you give together are opposites. Then give two-part directions such as “Jump inside the sandbox, then skip outside the sandbox,” or, “Walk slowly for five steps, then run quickly.” Use other words including over/under, top/bottom, up/down, loud/ soft, ete. You may wish to give the children the opportunity to give the directions using opposite words. EY ‘© Carson-Detlosn Publ. CD-0825 53