Learning and Teaching with Preschoolers Blog

What would happen if the Gingerbread Boy swam across the river?

Before we started the experiment we had a group discussion about what they thought.

He will go into little parts.
The fox will run in and eat him anyway.
He will get bigger and bigger and he would drawn.
He will brake.
He will get soggy and go into crumbs.
The whale will eat him.

Then we tested it by placing a gingerbread cookie into a jar of water.

How could he get across the river?

After we discovered what would happen to him the children had to come up with ways that he could get across the river with out getting soggy and braking into crumbs.

He could wait for a boat.
He could build a bridge with a log.
He could build a boat with sticks and screws.

or my favorite

The whale could be nice and let him go across.

Then the children broke into groups and set out into the classroom to make something that the Gingerbread Boy could use to cross the river.

Of course we had to come back together and test out what the children found to help the Gingerbread Boy across the river with.

We were very proud of our little engineers and their creation to help the Gingerbread Boy cross the river.

What kinds of S.T.E.A.M. activities are you doing in your classroom?

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Gingerbread Week 1

This time of the year I love the smell of all things cinnamon-ginger and yes I even love the taste of the cookies.

So what better way to fill the room with some of my favorite things than to do a lesson plan on The Gingerbread Boy.

Group Time

We started out by reading books on the Gingerbread Boy.

Gingerbread cookie tasting, where will you take your first bite?

This week we did our letter formation lesson a little different, we played musical chairs. Children walked around the alphabet and when the music stopped they identified their letter and wrote it on their white board.

Work Time (Learning Centers)

The children have been working very hard this week to make their families a gift. This year they will be making their very own handprint plate with finger and sponge painted boarders.

They are creating their own wrapping paper to wrap their gift with.

Every gift needs a card. They are making cards with strips of paper, washi tape and sequins.

The play dough center turned into a gingerbread cookie making station with this tray of loose parts.

Working on fine motor skills with some weaving.

Small Group Activities

Santa needs help in the toy factory sorting all the piles of toys. Children worked together to sort picture cards to the beginning sounds to help Santa with his toy problem.

Children clapped and stomped how many syllables each gingerbread cookie had so that they could be placed on the right cookie sheet.

One to one correspondence with gum drops and gingerbread houses. Children placed gum drops (pom poms) onto the gingerbread houses, counted each one and wrote the amount.

Lesson Plans

Main Resource

Can't Catch Me

Your little ones will be eager to participate with these fun hands on learning centers for math and literacy.

Teaching Preschoolers

Teachers Pay Teachers

Gingerbread Pals

This 118 page lesson is packed full of ideas that will turn your classroom into a gingerbread bakery. This lesson is full of hands on approach at learning through play that are sure to spark the interest of all children in your classroom and give them the joy of life long learning. This lesson will cover large group activities, small group activities, science and math activities, language and literacy activities along with creative art ideas.

Teaching Preschoolers

Teachers Pay Teachers

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