#15minutecircletimes,#preschool,#preschoolbody,#preschoolteachers
Attention Getter: Floppy Monkey
(Choose the floppiest puppet available for this activity. We use a long armed monkey)
To garner even more attention today, have one Monkey arm hanging out of the treasure chest. Here is a link to a very cute monkey puppet: https://www.thepuppetcompany.com/large-primates
When you bring the treasure chest down, start to gently pull the puppet out and express how Monkey has been so excited to come to preschool. Hang on to it by the head and simply flop it around, saying statements such as: "Oh this Monkey is sooo floppy." Flop it around in front of the class. Flop it around on their heads.
Try to have Monkey sit down and the children will laugh because it will just flop! “Oh this puppet has a problem, it’s all floppy. It is just made of skin (fur)” What does it need to be able to sit? Let the children guess what Monkey needs and guide them to the concept that it needs bones. Place your hand inside of Monkey to represent the bones. Let the children feel their bones and discuss how bones give structure to our body.
At this point Monkey will be able to sit, but hold him stiff because Monkey needs something else to move his bones. Ask, "What makes our bones move?" (This typically puzzles children and so you may have to give a few hints.) When the class realizes that Monkey needs muscles, start to move Monkey all around! (The children love this part). Monkey can wiggle and dance and swoop with these muscles. Summarize why Monkey and we all need skin, a skeleton and muscles. These are very important parts of our bodies.
Monkey is in the treasure chest. The teacher pulls him out and Monkey cannot sit because it doesn't have a skeleton or muscles.
Activity 1: Are You a Living Thing?
Ask the class, “Are you alive?” “How do you know that you are alive?” “Is this pillow alive?” "Is Monkey alive?" "How do you know?" This will stump many children.
Point out that there are 3 ways to tell if something is a living thing. The three questions to ask are: 1. Does it eat? 2. Does it breathe? 3. Does it grow?
Have a living test. Ask the class if they eat. Give them each a cracker and let them prove it! Then ask them if they breathe. Let them take big breaths to show as they blow on a pinwheel you pass around the circle. Finally ask them if they grow. Point out that they used to be small babies. Now they are much bigger. You could do the life stages sequencing here. Let the children sequence life stages from baby to adulthood.
Book: Me and My Amazing Body
Activity 2: Living and Non-living Things Sort
Gather a variety of pictures of living and non-living things that are familiar to the children. Place two word cards on the floor in front of the group: one that says LIVING and one that says, NON-LIVING. Let each child come up and choose a picture. Then determine if it is a living or non-living thing by asking: Does it eat? Does it breathe? Does it grow?
Comments