Song: Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy (just to get attention this time. We bounced our hands, our shoulders, and our eyebrows.)
Phonemic Awareness and Pre-Literacy: Go over tracing the B as in Week 1 post. We use our pointer fingers to trace capital B while reciting "Start at the top and draw down. Go back to the top and bounce around."
Concepts for Large Group: high/low, small/big, big/bigger, predicting, blowing, bouncing, sitting, standing, turn-taking, head, elbows, hands, eyebrows, shoulders, and My Turn.
(Hold empty balloon in hands so children cannot see it). I have something in my hands. It is small, but it will get bigger. What do you think it is? (Let children guess. Show them the empty balloon.) What do I need to do to make it bigger? Blow in it? (Blow one breath.) Is it big enough? No? Let me try again. (Repeat until three breaths and then tie off balloon).
What should we do with the balloon? (Let children make suggestions.)
Sing the song:
Oh, I wish I had a bouncy, big balloon.
Oh, I wish I had a bouncy, big balloon.
I would bouncy it in the air.
I would bounce without a care.
Oh, I wish I had a bouncy, big balloon.
Bounce the balloon in the air and let all the children take turns bouncing it around to each other. Can you bounce it with your elbows? With your head? Is it harder to bounce the balloon without your hands?
This is a VERY popular activity this week. The teachers are reminding the children to "sit on their pockets" in a circle around the rug rather than standing or running to catch the balloon. We had a lot of verbal "My turn!" Ask your child what color was the balloon (we used blue, green, and red balloons depending on the class).
