May preschool curriculum
May in the free preschool curriculum: 4 theme weeks (bugs, butterflies, zoo animals, music and instruments), each on one sheet with its parts, the skills they work on, box-free materials and open-ended ways in.
- Week 33: Bugs, the full plan
- Week 34: Butterflies, the full plan
- Week 35: Zoo animals, the full plan
- Week 36: Music and instruments, the full plan
A bug week for twos to fours: ants, bees, snails and ladybugs, counting legs and a gentle bug hunt.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | How many legs does an ant have? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Ants Are Strong; I See a Boy; Go, Snail, Go!; Who Lives Under the Log? | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Egg-carton caterpillar: Paint the carton strip. Push in two pipe-cleaner feelers (a grown-up helps). Add the eyes and count the body parts. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Itsy Bitsy Spider | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Ants on a Log | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | B is for bug | Early literacy |
| Outside | Bug hunt: Look under a log or a stone with a grown-up. Look, count and put it back. Never take a bug home. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: a strip of egg carton (grown-up cuts), paint, pipe cleaners, sticker eyes.
Snack: celery, peanut butter, raisins.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
ant · bee · legs · wings
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out a strip of egg carton (grown-up cuts), paint, pipe cleaners and sticker eyes with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own bugs picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (ant, bee, legs, wings) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “How many legs does an ant have?” 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 bug they found. Ask about how many legs an ant has.
A butterfly week for twos to fours: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly, and wings that match on both sides.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What does a caterpillar turn into? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Meg and the Seed; Go, Snail, Go!; Can I Pet It? | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Fold-print butterfly: Drop paint on one wing. Fold the butterfly in half and press. Open it up: the wings match. Add a pipe-cleaner body when dry. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Ring Around the Rosie | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Fruit Caterpillar | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | B is for butterfly | Early literacy |
| Outside | Caterpillar to butterfly: Crawl like a caterpillar, curl up still as a chrysalis, then fly around the yard as a butterfly. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: paper butterfly shape (grown-up cuts), washable paint, a spoon, a pipe cleaner.
Snack: green grapes, strawberries, candy eyes.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
butterfly · caterpillar · wing · change
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out paper butterfly shape (grown-up cuts), washable paint, a spoon and a pipe cleaner with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own butterflies picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (butterfly, caterpillar, wing, change) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What does a caterpillar turn into?” 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 caterpillar turns into. Ask about how the paint made both wings match.
A zoo week for twos to fours: big animals and small ones, how they move, and what they eat.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | Which zoo animal would you like to see, and how does it move? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | I See a Boy; The Red Bus; At the Zoo; Lion and Mouse | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Zebra stripes: Draw stripes across the zebra. Glue on the mane. Count the stripes together. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Pop Goes the Weasel | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Frozen Banana Pops | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | Z is for zoo | Early literacy |
| Outside | Zoo parade: Call an animal; everyone moves like it: an elephant stomps, a monkey swings its arms, a snake slithers. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: white paper zebra shape (grown-up cuts), black crayon or paint, a paper strip mane, glue stick.
Snack: bananas, yogurt, o-shaped cereal.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
zoo · lion · monkey · zebra
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out white paper zebra shape (grown-up cuts), black crayon or paint, a paper strip mane and glue stick with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own zoo animals picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (zoo, lion, monkey, zebra) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “Which zoo animal would you like to see, and how does it move?” 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 which animal they pretended to be. Ask about how many stripes their zebra has.
A music week for twos to fours: loud and soft, fast and slow, homemade shakers and a room band.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What sounds can you make with your body? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Tim Taps; Ring the Bell; Pit, Pat; Rain on the Hat | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Shaker: Pour a little rice in the bottle (a grown-up helps). A grown-up closes it and tapes the lid shut. Decorate it and shake it loud, then soft. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Old King Cole | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Fruit Kabobs | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | M is for music | Early literacy |
| Outside | Room band parade: March with shakers and pots: play loud for big steps, soft for tiptoes, stop when the leader stops. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: a small bottle with a lid, dry rice or pasta, tape, stickers.
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
drum · shake · loud · soft
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out a small bottle with a lid, dry rice or pasta, tape and stickers with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own music and instruments picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (drum, shake, loud, soft) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What sounds can you make with your body?” 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 their shaker sounds like. Ask about how to play soft and loud.