Pre-School Centers

I've been planning out some fun centers for our Pre-School crew next fall. I would like to have these all prepped and ready in bins prior to the fall. When I taught I used Centers to keep children busy and learning while I worked 1 on 1 with a select few. I am hoping to find a few other moms to make "Preschool in a Bag" type things with and I'll add those to my bins as well.

I think we'll do a Center's Hour during our day to keep "The 3 Amigos" (Kizito, Elias and Cora) busy and happy while I do Phonics with Addie. I planned 3 Centers so that they can rotate through them and have time to play with the Centers alone so fighting isn't an issue. They will do 15-20 minutes at each center and then move on.

Art Center

Watercolors, paper, cup, brushes

Rubbings: paper, leaves, cardboard, flat rock, rubbing toys, peeled crayons

Playdough, mat or cookie sheet, tools (I might make some... my friend has the best recipe)

Chalk on black paper

Cutting: safe scissors, paper with lines

Quilts: glue, fabric scraps, paper or cardboard

Finger Prints: inkpad, paper

Stamps: inkpad, paper and stamps

Light Bright

Potato stamps: potatoes or other veggies, paint, paper, plastic knife

Activity Center

Play in sink or bins with water: cups, funnels, spoons, boat

Making a snack (easy things like trail mix, ants on a log...)

Rice or beans tub... clean up is part of this... with a dust buster!

Blowing Bubbles

Painting with water on the porch

Water table outside

(I am considering having this center either on our porch during good weather or on a big mat during poor weather.)

Play/Imagination Center

Puppet Show

Dress up

Learning toys (Word Whammer, Letter Factory toys and such)

Tent making

Trains

Legos

Marble Factory

Ark

Little people house

(These are all toys we currently have and will just pull out in one of our bedrooms for play... like "room time" if you are familiar.)

How do you keep your little people happy and engaged during school? I'd love to know.

Quite honestly, this is my bigger weakness when it comes to school. I am always SO tempted to just turn on PBS and call it good. I'll say, "One show." And one show turns into all morning. And it rarely is good. I find that just causes grumpy and entitled attitudes. You know, they think that they deserve TV every day when you make it even an option occasionally.