Like all children, preschoolers need to move. During circle time we sit for awhile as we do the calendar, discuss the topic of the day, sing songs, introduce/review any letters or numbers and read a story. Some days circle time lasts longer then other days. Regardless of how long it may last I like to give them the opportunity to move at some point so that they can stay still a little bit longer. When preschoolers get antsy distractions occur. My class and I have done yoga poses, stretching, Simon Says, freeze dance, anything to get us up and moving. We call this a "Brain break."
This post contains affiliate links.
This week in our Garden Treasures unit from Experience Early Learning we are learning about growing gardens. Our first topic this week was Onion (Week Two, Lesson Six) and we learned that they grow underground. We looked at the sprouts that we see above the ground and talked about what happens to a seed as it grows. During circle time we did an activity that allowed us to move as we learned the stages of a growing plant.
I held up the cards, starting with seed. When I held up "Seed" we curled up on the floor pretending to be a seed underground. Next up, "Stem." Slowly stretching (pretending to push through the dirt), we stood up tall with our hands at our sides. After that was "Flower." When I held up this card we stretched our arms out pretending to be a flower blooming.
This movement activity was a fun break during circle time, and it was actually relaxing. My preschoolers are busy, so this was a great way to calm down and breathe! We are enjoying our Experience Preschool curriculum box this month. We did this movement activity a few times, and my Tuesday/Thursday class did it too. I see us repeating this activity several times this month!
We are only in the second week of this unit and so far Garden Treasures has given us the opportunity to play in the dirt, learn the different parts of a plant, and grow our own grass. We are loving it!
