April preschool curriculum
April in the free preschool curriculum: 4 theme weeks (rain and rainbows, flowers, frogs and ponds, rocks and dirt), each on one sheet with its parts, the skills they work on, box-free materials and open-ended ways in.
- Week 29: Rain and rainbows, the full plan
- Week 30: Flowers, the full plan
- Week 31: Frogs and ponds, the full plan
- Week 32: Rocks and dirt, the full plan
A rain week for twos to fours: clouds, puddles, umbrellas and the colors of a rainbow in order.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | Where does rain come from? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Rain on the Hat; Pit, Pat; Kate and the Puddle; Ruby and the Rainy Picnic | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Paper-plate rainbow: Color stripes across the plate: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. Glue cotton-ball clouds on both ends. Say the colors in order. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Doctor Foster | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Fruit Kabobs | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | R is for rain | Early literacy |
| Outside | Puddle jump: Chalk puddles (or use real ones in boots). Jump in, jump over, walk around. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: half a paper plate, crayons in rainbow colors, cotton balls, glue stick.
Snack: strawberries, canned mandarin orange segments, pineapple chunks, green grapes, blueberries.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
rain · cloud · puddle · rainbow
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out half a paper plate, crayons in rainbow colors, cotton balls and glue stick with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own rain and rainbows picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (rain, cloud, puddle, rainbow) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “Where does rain come from?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about the colors of a rainbow. Ask about where rain comes from.
A flower week for twos to fours: petals, stems and roots, colors and smells, and looking closely without picking.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What does a flower need to grow? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Meg and the Seed; The Red Hat; The Bean in the Cup | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Cupcake-liner flower: Glue the stem onto the card. Glue a liner on top as the flower. Draw the roots under the ground. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Yogurt Parfait | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | F is for flower | Early literacy |
| Outside | Flower count: Walk and count the flowers you see. Smell one, look closely, and leave it growing. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: paper cupcake liners, green paper stem, card, glue stick, crayons.
Snack: yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, granola, honey.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
flower · petal · stem · root
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out paper cupcake liners, green paper stem, card and glue stick with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own flowers picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (flower, petal, stem, root) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What does a flower need to grow?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what a flower needs. Ask about how many flowers they counted.
A pond week for twos to fours: from egg to tadpole to frog, lily pads, and lots of hopping.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What does a frog start out as? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Frog on a Log; Jump, Jump, Jump!; Frogs Are Amazing; Gus and the Big Rock | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Lily-pad frog: Color the plate as a lily pad. Draw the frog's face. Glue the frog onto its lily pad. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Jack Be Nimble | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Kiwi Turtles | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | F is for frog | Early literacy |
| Outside | Lily-pad hop: Lay paper or hoop lily pads on the grass. Hop from pad to pad without touching the pond. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: green paper plate, a green paper frog, crayons, glue stick.
Snack: kiwi, green grapes.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
frog · pond · tadpole · hop
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out green paper plate, a green paper frog, crayons and glue stick with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own frogs and ponds picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (frog, pond, tadpole, hop) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What does a frog start out as?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what a tadpole turns into. Ask about how many lily pads they hopped.
A rocks-and-dirt week for twos to fours: digging, sorting rocks by size and color, mud, and who lives in the soil.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What lives in the dirt? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Mop Can Hop; The Big Truck; Ants Are Strong; Gus and the Big Rock | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Rock friend: Wash and dry the rock. Paint a face or a pattern on it. Give it a name and a home in the garden. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Humpty Dumpty | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Peanut Butter Energy Balls | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | R is for rock | Early literacy |
| Outside | Rock sort: Collect rocks bigger than your fist. Sort them: big and small, smooth and bumpy, light and dark. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: a smooth rock as big as a hand, washable paint, a brush.
Snack: rolled oats, peanut butter, honey, chocolate chips.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
rock · dirt · mud · dig
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out a smooth rock as big as a hand, washable paint and a brush with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own rocks and dirt picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (rock, dirt, mud, dig) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What lives in the dirt?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about how they sorted the rocks. Ask about what lives in the dirt.