Morning Activities For Three-Year-Olds

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Level of instruction: Easy

When: Getting Ready for the Day, Playtime

Time recommendation: 15 minutes

Participants: One-on-one, Siblings

Learning Domain: Language and Literacy

Learning Standards: Demonstrates knowledge of body parts, Expresses simple words and phrases in Spanish

Materials: Book about parts of the body, such as Marvelous Me: Inside and Out by Lisa Bullard, lyrics to the song
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Eyes, ears, mouth and nose!

Cabeza, brazos, piernas y pies, piernas y pies, piernas y pies.
Cabeza, brazos, piernas y pies,
Ojos, orejas, boca, nariz!

Instructions:

Introduce and read the book to your child. Invite your child to sing a song about parts of the body. You may introduce the song by having your child point to his or her own body part as you sing the song. Introduce the Spanish version of the song and invite your child to pronounce the words with you. For variation, you may speed up or slow down the tempo of the song. Invite your child to describe how the speed of the song affects his or her movements.

Is your child able to point to his or her body parts? Can he or she keep up when you speed up the tempo?

So Nice to Meet You

Level of instruction: Easy

When: Getting Ready for the Day, Bedtime, Quiet time

Time recommendation: 10 minutes

Participants: One-on-one, Siblings

Learning Domain: Language and Literacy

Learning Standards: To participate in and extend conversations, staying on topic through multiple exchanges

Materials:
Book about friends such as Will I Have a Friend? by Miriam Cohen, bell or buzzer

Instructions:

Read the book to your child. Encourage your child to talk about a time when he or she met a friend. How did your child feel? Did he or she feel nervous, shy or excited? Invite your child to share some of his or her experiences.

Can your child express his or her emotions in words? Can he or she repeat parts of the story?

Two Little Blackbirds

Level of instruction: Easy

When: Quiet time, Playtime, Getting ready for the day

Time recommendation: 5 minutes

Participants: One-on-one, Siblings

Learning Domain: Language and Literacy

Learning Standards: Repeats rhymes, poems, fingerplays and simple songs

Materials: Books about birds

Instructions:

Read a book about birds to your child. Lead a discussion about birds. Teach your child the following rhyme. Say it a few times alone and then invite your child to say it with you. Show him or her the movements that go with the rhyme.

Two Little Blackbirds
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill. (hold up index finger of each hand)
One named Jack. (hold right hand/finger forward)
One named Jill. (hold left hand/finger forward)
Fly away, Jack. (wiggle right finger and place behind your back)
Fly away, Jill. (wiggle left finger and place behind your back)
Come back, Jack. (bring right hand back)
Come back, Jill. (bring left hand back)

Tell your child that you will sing the song again using his or her name. Encourage your child to “fly away” and “come back upon hearing his or her name. Is your child able to repeat the rhyme with you?

Shoes!

Level of instruction: Easy

When: Getting ready for the day, Playtime

Time recommendation: 15 minutes

Participants: One-on-one, Siblings

Learning Domain: Creative Arts

Learning Standards: Displays creativity and imagination while acting out roles in dramatic play situations

Materials: Variety of shoes for dress-up: high heels, work boots, rain boots, sneakers, dress shoes, slippers, etc.

Instructions:

Invite your child to walk a “mile” in someone else’s shoes! Provide many types of shoes for your child to try on. Talk about where people might wear the different shoes and for what purpose. Encourage your child to role-play different scenarios while wearing the shoes.

Observe whether your child likes to wear the different types shoes? Can your child tell you where or when he or she would wear the shoes?