Preschool Powol Packets

Space, astronomy, and planets have always been some of my favorite themes, so I love sharing them with my preschoolers! This little Playdough Planets activity can be a whole project on its own, or just a fun extension you can add in to your day next time you pull out some playdough! We started with Jupiter because I was talking about how you can see both Jupiter and Venus right now, easily, shortly after sunset, with my older kids. (If you live in the northern hemisphere, look for the two bright planets after sunset in the western sky.) My preschooler joined us while we talked about how some awesome Jupiter Fun Facts (see below), and then I pulled out the play dough. I limited the colors to red, orange, and yellow. He happily designed four different "Jupiters" and then -- on a different day -- asked to repeat the entire activity! Play dough is awesome for developing fine motor skills and pre-writing muscles. Pulling it out when you talk about science lets kids stretch their

Today I'm sharing my dinosaur lesson plan for our preschool music class.  I'm teaching a preschool class this year that combines music and movement to teach basic music concepts like pitch and listening skills while letting our preschoolers sing, run, and play!  You can also use a lot of these ideas and activities with toddlers or kindergarteners...just adapt them for your kid's abilities! I'm sharing my lesson plans here in case anyone else wants some ideas for Music Time! You can see more music lessons here ! This lesson is already tested--we had a great time! This is a 40-minute class, and includes transition and movement time. :)  Theme : Dinosaurs (1) Gathering Activity : Play with musical instrument toys. Hello Song : Hello Song:    Hello * kid's name * Hello * kid's name *  Hello * kid's name * We're glad you're here today! to the tune of "Goodnight, Ladies." Warm-up Song :  When I Sing La, La, La  by Janeen Brady with sock puppets.