What Could I - GeeWhiz Education

© 2014 Gee Whiz Education www.geewhizeducation.com

What Could I

Do With…?

Using Common Household Materials for

Learning Activities

© 2014 Gee Whiz Education 2 www.geewhizeducation.com

INTRODUCTION & PURPOSE

Learning. What does that word mean to you? From the time children are born, they learn each and every

day of their lives. Sometimes, that learning is focused...like when we teach children to tie their shoes. But

other times, more powerful learning occurs naturally as they do what they do best...explore! Think about

it...when a child fills a cup with water and puts too much in, what happens? The water overflows. We, as

adults, already know what happens but when a child explores and figures that out on his/her own, the

learning is meaningful and intentional. This is the type of learning you want to promote with your program

because it is true learning.

The purpose of this booklet is to give you some ideas on how you may use household materials to

promote this type of learning in your program. Household materials are wonderful because 1) you have

them on hand, 2) they are not expensive and 3) they invite children to think about using an item that has

a primary purpose in a new and different way.

For example, let’s say a child gets a new toy as a gift. Chances are, the cardboard box the toy came in

will be more exciting to the child than the toy itself. Why? Because the child can choose how to use that

cardboard box. There is not a set “outcome” or “desired use.” Instead, the child can decide to make that

cardboard box into a spaceship, a racecar or even a bear’s den. The possibilities are endless! And best

of all for you...cardboard boxes are FREE!

As you read through the activity suggestions in this booklet, keep in mind that they are exactly

that...suggestions! We encourage you to use the spaces provided to add your own ideas. Be creative

and think “outside the box.” Sometimes, your best inspiration comes from the children themselves...just

set out a material and watch what they do with it. You will probably be amazed!


ONE ACTIVITY … MULTIPLE DEVELOPMENTAL AREAS!

Take a quick glance through this booklet and you will quickly see that one activity can, and should,

address multiple developmental areas. Learning does not take place in isolation. This means that when

you plan activities, you need to think about how many developmental areas you can touch on at one

time. In addition, it is very important to think about the types of questions you ask as you interact with

children. Remember...those that start with “W” words (what, who, where, when, why) will invite children

to think. These are the types of questions you want to ask during all activities!

We use a series of pictures codes to convey the developmental areas addressed by many of the

activities in this booklet. We want you to see that just because you plan a math activity, for instance, it

does not mean that that same activity cannot promote Language Development, Physical Development

and Approaches to Learning. In fact, the more areas an activity addresses, the stronger the activity will

be.

Here are the picture codes used in this booklet:

Picture Codes for Developmental Areas

= Language Development

= Social Studies Knowledge

= Literacy Knowledge

= Social & Emotional Development

= Math Knowledge

= Creative Arts

= Science Knowledge

= Physical Development & Health

= Logic & Reasoning

= Approaches to Learning


OLD T-SHIRTS

Types to Choose from:

Plain or with design

Adult or child

Helpful Tip: If you do not have a lot of old t-shirts, ask your parents/caregivers! Chances are they, or someone they know, would be donate some!

Safety Concerns?

Wash the t-shirts before using and do not use any shirts with embellishments like beads or sequins Those could come off and

become choking hazards. CIRCLE TIME:

Circle Time Seats: While this is not an activity, per se, it is a classroom management tool. To make, sew the bottom and armholes of one t-shirt for each child shut and then stuff all the sewn shirts with polyester fiberfill. To complete, stitch the neck holes shut as well. Each day, spread out the t-shirt seats for children to sit upon. You can even incorporate colors and letters into this activity by saying something like, “Jennie...please sit a t-shirt seat that has the color yellow on it” or “Sam...please sit on a shirt that has the letter S on it...just like your name.” Put It Back Together: Ahead of time, locate one old t-shirt per child. Make sure the shirts are either colored, patterned or include a design. Cut the shirts down the middle to create two halves. Put one set of halves in a clothesbasket and hide the other halves around the room. Have children close their eyes and pick out a t-shirt half from the basket. Have them put on this half of the shirt and then look for the matching one. Once they find it, they can put it on as well. ( ) T-Shirt Dance: There is no reason you can’t use old t-shirts in the same way you would use scarves. Put on a variety of music and invite children to move t-shirts as they dance. Plan to use music that varies in tempo as well as style. This will invite children to move in different ways. You can also talk with the children about how the different types of music make them feel as they move freely. ( )

ART/DRAMATIC PLAY:

The following are just a few ways you may want to use old t-shirts in the art and dramatic play areas.

Use old t-shirts as paint smocks

Cut up old t-shirts and use the pieces for painting. Clip in clothespins or invite children to use in other ways.

Press pieces of old t-shirts into playdough. Invite children to predict what they will see when they lift the fabric from the playdough. Were their predictions correct?

Use fabric markers to draw on old white t-shirts to make them look like doctor’s lab coats, a fire fighter’s jackets, a police officers uniforms, etc. Add to the dramatic play area for dress-up.

Invite older (school-age) children to design t-shirts using fabric markers. Just be sure to supervise closely!


OLD T-SHIRTS

MATH/SCIENCE:

Who Would Wear It?: Gather an assortment of old t-shirts (men’s, women’s, children's). Put all of the shirts in a clothesbasket. Have children work together to sort the shirts based on who they believe would fit into each one. If you are working with younger children, just sort big and small shirts into groups. Older children can sort into men’s, women’s and children’s...keeping in mind that sometimes, a t-shirt can be appropriate for either a man or a woman. As children sort, challenge them to explain the reasoning behind their decisions. ( ) Up Close: T-shirts can be made of different types of fabric...all of which may have different weaves. Provide children with unbreakable magnifiers and invite them to examine t-shirts up close. Talk together about their observations and invite them to compare and contrast how an assortment of t-shirts are the same and how they are different. ( ) How Much Water Will It Hold?: This is an outdoor activity for a warm day! Add several t-shirts to the water table or container of water. Once saturated, have children wring the water from each shirt into a bucket. Measure the water. Repeat for different shirts. Which shirts hold the most water? The least? Why? ( )

SMALL & LARGE MOTOR/HEALTH:

Many of the activities included in this booklet address this area of development (look for the symbol). However, here are a few other ways you could also use old t-shirts to promote this area.

Add t-shirts to the dramatic play area where children can practice putting them on and taking them off (self-help). ( )

Have children arrange old t-shirts on the floor (carpeted) or ground to form a path then have them move from t-shirt to t-shirt in different ways.( )

Hang up a clothesline and provide old t-shirts and clothespins. Children can hang the t-shirts on the line. ( )

Set up an exercise center and add old t-shirts, shorts, yoga mats, etc. and invite children to “work out.” ( )

My Own Ideas


DISPOSABLE PLATES


Paper (plain and patterned)

Plastic

Styrofoam

Cardboard

Remember: Disposable plates come in many different sizes and shapes!

Safety Concerns?

Styrofoam plates are not appropriate for those under the age of 3 due to a potential

choking hazard. CIRCLE TIME:

Plate Hunt: Hide assorted plates (sizes and types) around the room. Children find and sort, match or group. ( ) March Around the Plates: You can use this game to reinforce any skill. If you are working on numbers, print numerals on the plates. If you are learning about farm animals, cut out pictures of farm animals and glue them to the plates. The possibilities are endless! Arrange the plates in a circle. Use blue painter’s tape to secure the plates to the floor. (Make sure to check surface first.) Have children move in different ways from plate to plate as music plays. When you stop the music, children must identify the item on the plate. ( ) Let’s Drive!: Give each child a paper plate and invite him/her to pretend that it is a steering wheel in a vehicle. The type of vehicle is the child’s choice. Have children move around as they pretend to “drive” their vehicles while holding the plates like a steering wheel. Depending on the vehicles they choose, they may also want to pretend to be community helpers as they drive. Give them directions to follow as they turn their plates such as, “A sharp turn is up ahead. Turn your wheel quickly” or “I see a stop sign up ahead. Stop turning your steering wheel.” ( ) Which Plate is Missing?: Pick out 3-4 very different paper plates. They can be different in size or pattern. Place the plates on the floor and have children study them. Then have the children close their eyes as you remove one, or more, plates. Can they tell you which plates are missing? ( )

ART/DRAMATIC PLAY:

The following are just a few ways you may want to use disposable plates in the art and dramatic play areas.

Use them to hold paint...particularly when stamp painting

For collages...they make a nice sturdy surface for children to glue on (bottom or top)

Mobiles - Children can decorate as desired and then hang from the ceiling. The plates turn when hanging.

Fingerpaint - Use plastic plates. Have children fingerpaint in the plate and then press a piece of white paper on top to transfer the paint to the paper.

Add to the dramatic play area so children can use them as the role-play cooking and serving foods.


DISPOSABLE PLATES

MATH/SCIENCE:

How Much Does It Hold?: Set out a variety of plates (different sizes and types). Have children explore to see how many of different items each plate will hold (e.g., small blocks, tennis balls, scoops of sand, etc.) .Children will gain exposure to the concept of volume as they explore. Older children can record their data and then use it to create a graph ( ) Can You Draw on It?: So we, as adults, know that crayons will draw on some paper plates but not others. Many children, however, do not know this. Provide them with an assortment of plates and invite them to draw on each with a crayon. Which ones work? Which ones don’t? Why? ( ) The Shape of a Plate: Not all disposable plates are circles. Some are squares! Provide children circular or square plates. Challenge them to items find inside, or outside, that match the shape of the plates they are holding. Create a list of items found by the children and at the end of the experience, read the list to them. This is a great way to incorporate pre-reading skills into a math activity! ( )


Many of the activities included in this booklet address this area of development (look for the symbol). However, here are a few other ways you could also use old t-shirts to promote this area.

Add plastic or Styrofoam plates to the water play area. Do they float? Sink? What happens when you put things on top of them? ( )

Play games with the plates like Simon Says to get the children moving and review positional concepts. For instance, “Simon says… hop over your plate” or “Simon says...put the plate on your head and turn around.” ( )

Do plates roll? Can they fly? Let the children explore outside to find out. ( )

Using plastic foods, challenge children to create healthy meals on disposable plates for dolls or plush animals to enjoy! ( )

My Own Ideas


CLOTHESBASKETS


Rectangular, oval, circular, square

Plastic or wicker

Different sizes

HINT: Clothesbaskets are often easy to find at yard sales and thrift stores. Just be sure to disinfect before using with children.

Safety Concerns?

Make sure the clothesbaskets you use are in good condition with no

sharp edges. CIRCLE TIME:

Clean-Up Game: Play a song and see if children can pick up all the items on the floor to put them in a clothesbasket. Then, play another song and have them take the items out of the clothesbasket and put them away where they belong. ( ) Puppet Stage: Use a clothesbasket turned upside-down as a puppet stage. Make puppets, or even plush animals, move on the clothesbasket as you share stories. Then, put the clothesbasket and puppets/plush animals in the dramatic play area and invite children to use these materials to tell their own stories. ( ) Ahhhh! This is the Life!: In order to do this experience, each child will need his/her own clothesbasket. Because you probably will not have that many, just ask parents/caregivers to send theirs in for the day. Have children use pillows and blankets to make their clothesbasket “cozy.” They will need to problem-solve as they figure out how to arrange the pillows and blankets inside the clothesbasket. Once finished, have them get in their clothesbaskets and relax as you read them several of their favorite books. ( ) Moving Blocks: Pose a problem to the children...you want to move a big stack of blocks from one side of the room to the other but you do not want to make multiple trips. How could the clothesbasket solve the problem? Invite children to then use the clothesbasket as a tool to help move the blocks. Repeat outside by having them move outdoor toys from one place to another ( )

ART/DRAMATIC PLAY:

The following are just a few ways you may want to use clothesbaskets in the art and dramatic play areas.

Turn the clothesbasket upside-down and tape paper to the outside. Have children rub over the paper with the sides of unwrapped crayons. What happens?

Use an old clothesbasket for storing paper scraps the children can use any time when creating art.

Use a clothesbasket as a prop box. Fill the basket with items centered around a particular theme. For instance, you could make a prop box for fairy tales and include fancy clothing and shoes, plastic crowns, wands, etc.

Children can use art/collage materials and tape to decorate an old clothesbasket to transform it into anything from a car to a boat!


CLOTHESBASKETS

MATH/SCIENCE:

How Many Went In?: Have children try to toss (older) or drop (younger) balls or beanbags into a clothesbasket. What happens if they toss the ball or beanbag too hard? What happens if they are too far away from the basket? In addition, older children can count the number of balls/beanbags that go into the clothesbasket and the number that miss. This is a great way of exposing them to number combinations. ( ) Will It Fit?: Have children experiment to see what types of items will fit through the holes in the sides of a clothesbasket. Will a small block fit? What about a marker? What if they turn the item a different way? Will it fit then? Great activity for promoting experimentation, problem-solving and persistence! ( ) How Many Will It Hold?: This activity invites children to estimate. Show children a clothesbasket and pile of plush animals. Have them estimate the number of plush animals it will take to fill the basket. Write down their estimations and then have them count as they fill the basket. How accurate were they? ( )


Many of the activities included in this booklet address this area of development (look for the symbol). However, here are a few other ways you could also use old t-shirts to promote this area

Cut lengths of wide, soft ribbon or thick yarn children can weave in and out of the holes in the sides of clothesbaskets. This is an excellent activity for promoting eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. ( )

Provide children with bowl of pom-poms (assorted sizes) and have them push the pom-poms through the holes in the clothesbasket.( )

Have children pretend a clothesbasket is a grocery cart and fill it with empty food boxes stuffed with paper and taped shut. ( )

Use clothesbaskets as part of an obstacle course. Children can crawl around, or even over, the baskets. ( )

My Own Ideas


What Could I Do With… Plastic Water Bottles?

Circle Time Ideas Art Ideas

Types Available?

Math & Science Ideas Physical & Health Ideas

Potential Safety Issues?


What Could I Do With… Paper Grocery Bags?


Types Available?




What Could I Do With… Couch Cushions/Pillows?


Types Available?




What Could I Do With… Cooking Spoons?


Types Available?




What Could I Do With… Cardboard Tubes?


Types Available?




What Could I Do With… Cupcake Pans/Ice Cube Trays?


Types Available?



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What Could I - GeeWhiz Education