Show And Tell: 10 Fat Turkeys

One of my favorite books to do in my preschool for Thanksgiving time is 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston.  This book is less than $4 on my amazon affiliate site, if you're looking for a copy.

This is a fun book that talks about numbers 1-10, it also a lot of fun actions.

Here are some skills you can work on while reading this book:

• Counting to 10
• Counting backwards
• Action words
• Pretend play: act it out
• Repetitive phrases for the kids to repeat
• Predicting the text (dramatic pauses for them to complete the phrases)
• Find the rhymes
• Turn taking (when using visuals, have kids take turns having the turkey fall off the fence)

One of my favorite books to do in my preschool for Thanksgiving time is 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston.  This book is less than $4 on my amazon affiliate site, if you're looking for a copy.

This is a fun book that talks about numbers 1-10, it also a lot of fun actions.

Here are some skills you can work on while reading this book:

• Counting to 10
• Counting backwards
• Action words
• Pretend play: act it out
• Repetitive phrases for the kids to repeat
• Predicting the text (dramatic pauses for them to complete the phrases)
• Find the rhymes
• Turn taking (when using visuals, have kids take turns having the turkey fall off the fence)

Show and Tell: Hyper Dash

If you have a child that's working on learning colors or numbers, this is a great game. I love it because it brings in a lot of movement which a lot of kids need. It's fun, and it's working on those same skills that you can work on sitting in a desk, but it's way more motivating.

For kids who are working on matching colors, you can have cards that have the color on it, and when it says a color, you can hold up that color so your child has a reference. If your child is working on identifying colors, all they have to do is listen to the instructions and it will say which color to find.

You can put the targets close together, or you can make it more difficult by spreading them around the room. There are also different settings to make the game easier or more difficult.

I wish there were more color targets, but for now, the colors include red, blue, green, yellow, and orange.

This toy works on

• following directions
• motor planning
• color identification
• number identification
• math skills
• turn taking
• memory
• speed
• sensory motor

You can order this on my amazon affiliate site, and I'm guessing you can probably get it in some other stores as well.  There is also another version of this game, but it looks like the reviews weren't as good. This is the one I own, so I know I like it :)

If you have a child that's working on learning colors or numbers, this is a great game. I love it because it brings in a lot of movement which a lot of kids need. It's fun, and it's working on those same skills that you can work on sitting in a desk, but it's way more motivating.

For kids who are working on matching colors, you can have cards that have the color on it, and when it says a color, you can hold up that color so your child has a reference. If your child is working on identifying colors, all they have to do is listen to the instructions and it will say which color to find.

You can put the targets close together, or you can make it more difficult by spreading them around the room. There are also different settings to make the game easier or more difficult.

I wish there were more color targets, but for now, the colors include red, blue, green, yellow, and orange.

This toy works on

• following directions
• motor planning
• color identification
• number identification
• math skills
• turn taking
• memory
• speed
• sensory motor

You can order this on my amazon affiliate site, and I'm guessing you can probably get it in some other stores as well.  There is also another version of this game, but it looks like the reviews weren't as good. This is the one I own, so I know I like it :)

Show and Tell: Go Away Big Green Monster

A preschool favorite is always Go Away Big Green Monster! Last year I found the Go Away Big Green Monster app, and my students loved it. Their favorite part was the song, and I loved hearing them sing it at the top of their lungs. I wish the app was a little more interactive, like if the kids could move the body parts where they should go, or something like that. However, the song alone is worth the $2. The interactive part of the app is that you can touch the nose and it wiggles, or touch the hair and it wiggles and makes a noise.

The picture above is from a while ago when we made green monster faces. Last year I did this activity with my students, except I used a green paper plate and put velcro on it. We laminated the pieces and put velcro on them so that the kids were able to use their own monsters to put on and take off the body parts while we read the story together. The kids really liked that.

Things we learn from Go Away Big Green Monster:

• Body parts: eyes, nose, ears, hair, mouth, teeth
• Colors: yellow, bluish-greenish (?), red, white, purple, green
• Sequencing: Predicting what goes next
• Emotions: have the kids act out different emotions
• Reading: All my students could "read" this book independently. The receptive phrases make it an easy one to memorize.

One of the repetitive phrases is "Go Away" which one of my students would go home and yell "Go Away!" to everyone. The mom wasn't sure why he was doing this until we performed the song for the parents one day. Then it all made sense. So if you have a student that you do not want to teach this phrase to, you may want to reconsider reading this book ;)

You can buy Go Away Big Green Monster at my Amazon Affiliate site. They also have a puppet kit at Lakeshore Learning, I have that as well, it's a little more durable than a paper plate :) But the paper plate face is a great activity for those creative kids you have.

A preschool favorite is always Go Away Big Green Monster! Last year I found the Go Away Big Green Monster app, and my students loved it. Their favorite part was the song, and I loved hearing them sing it at the top of their lungs. I wish the app was a little more interactive, like if the kids could move the body parts where they should go, or something like that. However, the song alone is worth the $2. The interactive part of the app is that you can touch the nose and it wiggles, or touch the hair and it wiggles and makes a noise.

The picture above is from a while ago when we made green monster faces. Last year I did this activity with my students, except I used a green paper plate and put velcro on it. We laminated the pieces and put velcro on them so that the kids were able to use their own monsters to put on and take off the body parts while we read the story together. The kids really liked that.

Things we learn from Go Away Big Green Monster:

• Body parts: eyes, nose, ears, hair, mouth, teeth
• Colors: yellow, bluish-greenish (?), red, white, purple, green
• Sequencing: Predicting what goes next
• Emotions: have the kids act out different emotions
• Reading: All my students could "read" this book independently. The receptive phrases make it an easy one to memorize.

One of the repetitive phrases is "Go Away" which one of my students would go home and yell "Go Away!" to everyone. The mom wasn't sure why he was doing this until we performed the song for the parents one day. Then it all made sense. So if you have a student that you do not want to teach this phrase to, you may want to reconsider reading this book ;)

You can buy Go Away Big Green Monster at my Amazon Affiliate site. They also have a puppet kit at Lakeshore Learning, I have that as well, it's a little more durable than a paper plate :) But the paper plate face is a great activity for those creative kids you have.

Show and Tell -- Where is the green sheep?

I just love this book.  I know that's what I say about everything I share on Fridays, but that's what Show and Tell is all about right?  Sharing the things you love.

Where is the green sheep? or as my class would say it "WHERE IS THE GREEN SHEEP?!?"

This is a book about opposites, you see all the sheep of different sizes, in different places, and doing different things.  I love the repetition of this book, I always think repetition is great for the little ones because it brings consistency and also then the kids can participate.

Throughout the book, the question remains "Where is the green sheep?"

Here are a few simple activity ideas that you can do with this book.  I have included some ideas that can be used with kids who are unable to speak, but that you want to encourage participation with.

• Teach them a gesture of raising their hands and shrugging their shoulders every time you say "Where is the green sheep?"
• Use a BIGmak type button and record a child's voice saying "Where is the green sheep?" then every time you get to that part of the book, you can pause and wait for the child to press the button as they help you "read."
• You can have a picture of a green sheep on a popsicle stick, and every time you come to that part of the book, the children can raise their pictures.
• You can pass out pictures of all the different sheep and as you come to each sheep in the book the kids can put their picture on the board.
• You can do a file folder game of the different sheep.
• You can hide the green sheep somewhere in the room and play hide and seek with it.
• You can assign a child to be the green sheep, and that child gets to go hide while everyone else tries to find him/her.
• You can make sheep out of play-doh, and then describe what everyone's sheep are doing or what they look like.
• You can work on prepositions and put the green sheep in different places (in the box, on the chair, under the table, etc.)

I'm sure there are a lot more ideas out there, hopefully this will give you somewhere to start.

Joy Mano

Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant

Early Intervention Services for Children with Autism

I just love this book.  I know that's what I say about everything I share on Fridays, but that's what Show and Tell is all about right?  Sharing the things you love.

Where is the green sheep? or as my class would say it "WHERE IS THE GREEN SHEEP?!?"

This is a book about opposites, you see all the sheep of different sizes, in different places, and doing different things.  I love the repetition of this book, I always think repetition is great for the little ones because it brings consistency and also then the kids can participate.

Throughout the book, the question remains "Where is the green sheep?"

Here are a few simple activity ideas that you can do with this book.  I have included some ideas that can be used with kids who are unable to speak, but that you want to encourage participation with.

• Teach them a gesture of raising their hands and shrugging their shoulders every time you say "Where is the green sheep?"
• Use a BIGmak type button and record a child's voice saying "Where is the green sheep?" then every time you get to that part of the book, you can pause and wait for the child to press the button as they help you "read."
• You can have a picture of a green sheep on a popsicle stick, and every time you come to that part of the book, the children can raise their pictures.
• You can pass out pictures of all the different sheep and as you come to each sheep in the book the kids can put their picture on the board.
• You can do a file folder game of the different sheep.
• You can hide the green sheep somewhere in the room and play hide and seek with it.
• You can assign a child to be the green sheep, and that child gets to go hide while everyone else tries to find him/her.
• You can make sheep out of play-doh, and then describe what everyone's sheep are doing or what they look like.
• You can work on prepositions and put the green sheep in different places (in the box, on the chair, under the table, etc.)

I'm sure there are a lot more ideas out there, hopefully this will give you somewhere to start.

Joy Mano

Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant

Early Intervention Services for Children with Autism

Show And Tell Friday - Froggy Gets Dressed

For show and tell today I am sharing a book that I love.  It reminds of the Cosby Show episode when Mr. Huxtable asks Rudy if she needs to go to the bathroom before they put her in her snow clothes.  She says no, so he gets her dressed.  As soon as she's dressed and ready to go out the door she says "I need to go to the bathroom!"  And that's pretty much how it goes with snow clothes :)

This book is great for talking about different articles of clothes.  

Vocabulary includes: boots, socks, mittens, shirt, pants, coat, hat, scarf, and underwear

Activity Ideas:

• Get a felt board to illustrate the story

• If you have a stuffed animal frog, you could find doll clothes to dress him in.

• Your child could pretend to be froggy, and they could act the book out while you read it.  It would be fun to do it in front of a mirror.

Joy Mano
Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant
Early Intervention Treatment for Children With Autism

For show and tell today I am sharing a book that I love.  It reminds of the Cosby Show episode when Mr. Huxtable asks Rudy if she needs to go to the bathroom before they put her in her snow clothes.  She says no, so he gets her dressed.  As soon as she's dressed and ready to go out the door she says "I need to go to the bathroom!"  And that's pretty much how it goes with snow clothes :)

This book is great for talking about different articles of clothes.  

Vocabulary includes: boots, socks, mittens, shirt, pants, coat, hat, scarf, and underwear

Activity Ideas:

• Get a felt board to illustrate the story

• If you have a stuffed animal frog, you could find doll clothes to dress him in.

• Your child could pretend to be froggy, and they could act the book out while you read it.  It would be fun to do it in front of a mirror.

Joy Mano
Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant
Early Intervention Treatment for Children With Autism

41 Sorting Activities for Preschoolers

Yesterday I posted about Matching Activities, and today I have 41 Sorting Activities.  Some of the sorting and matching activities are interchangeable, but for the most part I tried to have new activities on this post.  Like I said in my last post, many of these ideas you can definitely make into DIY projects.  Click on the pictures for the amazon info.

Letter/Object Sorting

Letter/Object Sort

Animal/Color Sort

Colors

Color Baskets

Bears with Cups (I usually use Easter Egg Dye Cups)

Shape Sort

Beginning Letter Sound

Bugs

Pictures

Buttons

Bugs

Fruit

File Folder Games

Colored Objects

Shape/Color/Size

What Goes Together

Letters

Links/Colors/Shapes

Money

Emotions/People

Pencils

Pie

Recycling

Colors

Staircase

Clothes

Shades of Color

Transportation

Colors

Colors/Shapes/Objects

10 More Ideas

• Seasonal activities or clothes-take pictures, or find flash cards to sort.
• Kids - Find pictures of different kids and sort by different characteristics (i.e., boys and girls, short and tall, long and short hair, color of clothes, happy and sad, etc.)
• Texture - Find different objects around the house and sort them according to how they feel.
• Quantity - Take pictures of objects, and sort by how many objects are in the picture.
• Size - Sort random objects by size
• Weight - Light as a feather or Heavy as a brick
• Smell - Make smelling bottles, and they can sort according to what they think they are.
• Likes/Dislikes - Have your child make piles of pictures of things they like and don't like.
• Hot/Cold - Microwave objects and put objects in the freezer, then when it's time for the activity, they can be sorted.
• Money/Wallet - Put the paper money in a wallet, and the coins in a coin purse.

Joy Mano

Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant

Early Intervention Treatment for Children With Autism

Yesterday I posted about Matching Activities, and today I have 41 Sorting Activities.  Some of the sorting and matching activities are interchangeable, but for the most part I tried to have new activities on this post.  Like I said in my last post, many of these ideas you can definitely make into DIY projects.  Click on the pictures for the amazon info.

Letter/Object Sorting

Letter/Object Sort

Animal/Color Sort

Colors

Color Baskets

Bears with Cups (I usually use Easter Egg Dye Cups)

Shape Sort

Beginning Letter Sound

Bugs

Pictures

Buttons

Bugs

Fruit

File Folder Games

Colored Objects

Shape/Color/Size

What Goes Together

Letters

Links/Colors/Shapes

Money

Emotions/People

Pencils

Pie

Recycling

Colors

Staircase

Clothes

Shades of Color

Transportation

Colors

Colors/Shapes/Objects

10 More Ideas

• Seasonal activities or clothes-take pictures, or find flash cards to sort.
• Kids - Find pictures of different kids and sort by different characteristics (i.e., boys and girls, short and tall, long and short hair, color of clothes, happy and sad, etc.)
• Texture - Find different objects around the house and sort them according to how they feel.
• Quantity - Take pictures of objects, and sort by how many objects are in the picture.
• Size - Sort random objects by size
• Weight - Light as a feather or Heavy as a brick
• Smell - Make smelling bottles, and they can sort according to what they think they are.
• Likes/Dislikes - Have your child make piles of pictures of things they like and don't like.
• Hot/Cold - Microwave objects and put objects in the freezer, then when it's time for the activity, they can be sorted.
• Money/Wallet - Put the paper money in a wallet, and the coins in a coin purse.

Joy Mano

Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant

Early Intervention Treatment for Children With Autism

41 Matching Activities for Preschoolers

Over the next several days, I'm going to post ideas to use with your Activity Schedule.  Many of these activities you can probably make yourself, but hopefully this will just give you somewhere to start.  Click on the pictures to get the amazon info.

Bead Sequencing

Bingo Bears

Color Cookies

Cupcake Sorting

Sort & Snap Color Match

What Goes Together

Match Me Game Colors & Shapes

Photo Opposites

Memory Game Cards

File Folder Games

Silly Socks Game

Mix and Match Doughnuts

Non-identical picture matching

Pattern Blocks and Boards

Shape & Color Sorter

Stack and Sort Board

Shape Sequence Sorting

Shape Sorting Cube

Cookie Shapes

Bear Puzzle-Take pictures and make it a matching game

Sorting Shapes Cupcakes

Laundry Jumble Game

Alphabet Picture Match

Object Picture Match

Shape Sorting Center - One side of board is sorting, the other side is matching

Farm Sorting

Match and Learn Money Center

Rhyming Words - I've seen these games at TJ Max for about $6 before

Puzzles

Egg Shape Sorter

Matching Emotions

The last 10 ideas that I've used in the past, I don't have pictures for, but I'll give you a pinterest link of others who have done the same activity.

• Lego Design Match
• Clothes Pin Color Match  - I've also matched other things like animals, ABCs, numbers, etc. You can glue pictures on the clothes pin and around the edge of a paper plate, then they match the clothes pin to the picture on the plate.
• Letter Match with Spoons
• Easter Egg Match - Match colors, words, numbers, pictures, etc.
• Object Shadow Match
• Bottle-Lid Match
• Block Design
• Pipe Cleaner Color Match
• Number Match
• Family Match - Take pictures of people in your family and match them to each other, or match them to their names, or their favorite activity, etc.

Joy Mano

Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant

Early Intervention Treatment for Children With Autism

Over the next several days, I'm going to post ideas to use with your Activity Schedule.  Many of these activities you can probably make yourself, but hopefully this will just give you somewhere to start.  Click on the pictures to get the amazon info.

Bead Sequencing

Bingo Bears

Color Cookies

Cupcake Sorting

Sort & Snap Color Match

What Goes Together

Match Me Game Colors & Shapes

Photo Opposites

Memory Game Cards

File Folder Games

Silly Socks Game

Mix and Match Doughnuts

Non-identical picture matching

Pattern Blocks and Boards

Shape & Color Sorter

Stack and Sort Board

Shape Sequence Sorting

Shape Sorting Cube

Cookie Shapes

Bear Puzzle-Take pictures and make it a matching game

Sorting Shapes Cupcakes

Laundry Jumble Game

Alphabet Picture Match

Object Picture Match

Shape Sorting Center - One side of board is sorting, the other side is matching

Farm Sorting

Match and Learn Money Center

Rhyming Words - I've seen these games at TJ Max for about $6 before

Puzzles

Egg Shape Sorter

Matching Emotions

The last 10 ideas that I've used in the past, I don't have pictures for, but I'll give you a pinterest link of others who have done the same activity.

• Lego Design Match
• Clothes Pin Color Match  - I've also matched other things like animals, ABCs, numbers, etc. You can glue pictures on the clothes pin and around the edge of a paper plate, then they match the clothes pin to the picture on the plate.
• Letter Match with Spoons
• Easter Egg Match - Match colors, words, numbers, pictures, etc.
• Object Shadow Match
• Bottle-Lid Match
• Block Design
• Pipe Cleaner Color Match
• Number Match
• Family Match - Take pictures of people in your family and match them to each other, or match them to their names, or their favorite activity, etc.

Joy Mano

Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant

Early Intervention Treatment for Children With Autism