Babies Theme for Preschool

Preschoolers are not babies anymore...and they will often be sure to remind you of that! Preschoolers tend to use the word as though it is a "yucky" word. "THAT'S for BABIES...I a big girl".

Use this theme to:

1. Remind them that we were ALL infants once!

2. Celebrate the things they can now do that they could not when they were younger and

3. That as big girls and boys, they can help teach younger ones to learn new things!

This babies preschool theme page is filled with preschool activities and ideas for all areas of your classroom.

Let the Theme planning begin!

You can either scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities for your theme or click the link below to go to specific preschool activity types you are looking for.

You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page.

BABIES Art Activities Block Area Circle Time Activities Cooking Recipes Dramatic Play Ideas Easel Ideas Gross Motor Games Library and Literacy Math And Manipulatives Activities Music and Movement Sand and Water Table Science Activities Writing Activities Miscellaneous Ideas

---

Art Activities

Theme Art

Our Infant Blanket

Materials Needed: pre-cut pictures of infants and young toddlers faces from magazines, construction paper, markers, scissors, glue sticks.

The children glue the infant's head on their paper and then use the construction paper and markers to decorate a special blanket to cover the little one with.

This is a great time to talk about a special blanket they may still have from when they were little and they still use.

VARIATION: Provide magazine pages and let the children cut out their own pictures.

Me As An Infant Classroom Quilt

Materials Needed: White construction paper and markers (or crayons, or paints!).

Encourage the children to paint a picture of themselves as an infant. When complete, display side by side as a quilt.

---

Return to Top

---

Block Area

Theme Block Center Ideas

Add a dollhouse and people to the block area or just add people and have the children make houses for the families.

---

Return to Top

---

Circle Time Activities

Theme Circle Time Ideas

Circle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your theme!

Who is THAT?!

Bring in an infant picture of yourself to introduce the theme. Ask them what the picture is that you are holding. Discuss infants with them:

You were ALL infants not too long ago! What types of things to babies like to do? (peek-a-boo, eat, go to the bathroom --you KNOW they will say this one!, sleep, spit up, etc.)

Tell them the picture is an infant picture of someone in their class and see if they can guess!

Ask them what things they can do now that they could not do when they were very little.

I have a poem and do not know who wrote it, but think it's very cute:

I am growing, look at me!

I am no longer a little baby!

I can run and jump and play!

I learn something new every day.

I am growing look at me!

I'm no longer a little baby!

Finger plays, Songs and/or flannel board stories! Adapt them in any way!

Roll Over

There were 5 in the bed and the little one said (hold up 5 fingers)

Roll over, roll over (roll your hands).

So they all rolled over and 1 fell out (show 1 finger).

There were 4 in the bed and the little one said (hold up 4 fingers)...

Continue to

There was 1 in the bed and that little one said "GOODNIGHT!"

5 Little Infants

(You can do this one as a fingerplay, holding up the appropriate number of fingers or choose 6 children to act it out--5 to be babies and 1 to be the Mommy or Daddy).

5 little infants were playing one day.

One saw a ball so he crawled away.

4 little infants were playing one day.

One saw a rattle and she crawled away.

3 little infants were playing one day.

One saw a kitty and crawled away.

2 little infants were playing one day

One saw a teddy bear and crawled away.

1 little infant was playing one day

he cried and his mommy came and they both played.

Pat-A Cake!

Pat-a cake, pat-a cake baker's man

Bake me a cake as fast as you can.

Roll it, pat it, mark it with a _____ (fill in first letter of one of the children)

Put it in the oven for _______ and me (continue until you have used all the children's names)

Sing Rock-A-Bye

Rock a bye baby on the tree top

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.

When the bow breaks, the cradle will fall and

Down will come baby, cradle in all.

(This makes a cute flannel board song. Make hill, a cradle, a wee one in the cradle, a wind symbol and a parent (to catch the baby and cradle when it falls

This Little Piggy

Of course, sing this one!!!

---

Return to Top

---

Cooking Recipes

Snack Recipe Ideas to Cook Up for Your Theme!

Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation! Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific themed questions while making these fun snacks!

Taste Testing  Thank you to Emily from Iowa for this idea!

What about taste testing baby foods?!

Note from Miss Cheryl:  This idea made me think--why not make your own baby food:  puree some bananas, apples to make applesauce, etc. and talk to you preschoolers about why baby food is the texture it is (no teeth, etc.)!

---

Return to Top

---

Dramatic Play Ideas

Theme Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area

Parenting Preschool Style

Provide dolls, blankets, strollers, diapers, diaper bags, etc. and let your little one develop their nurturing skills!

---

Return to Top

---

Easel Ideas

Theme Ideas for your Easel

More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!)

Q-Tip Painting

Provide Q-tips to paint with instead of brushes this week!

---

Return to Top

---

Gross Motor Games

Theme Large Group Games

that help build their muscles while they have fun together

Baby Crawling Game  (Thanks, Samara, for this idea!)

Divide the group in two lines and see how fast they can crawl like babies to the other side!

---

Return to Top

---

Library and Literacy

Theme Ideas for Your Library and Literacy Activities for your Preschool Classroom

Book Suggestions for the Library

(I LOVE Amazon, and some of the links below will take you to the Amazon website.  If you do choose to purchase yours through Amazon, they do send me a few cents--which supports my coffee habit! )

A Baby Sister for Francis by Russell Hoban

Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch

Arthur's Baby by Marc Brown

The Baby Book by Ann Morris

Baby in the Box by Frank Asch

The Baby Sister by Tomie dePaola

I Want a Brother or Sister by Astrid Lindgren

Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes

"More More More," Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams

Nobody Asked Me If I Wanted a Baby Sister by Martha Alexander

Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

Poor Carl by Nancy Carlson

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Silly Baby by Judith Casely
That new pet! by Alane Ferguson

Will There Be a Lap for Me? by Dorothy Corey

Wait and See by Robert Munsch

---

Return to Top

---

Math And Manipulatives Activities

Theme Activities to help your Preschoolers develop those small muscles in their hands!

Clothing Sort

Materials: clothing items in two different sizes--infant and preschool

The children sort them by Infant Size and "Big Kid" Size!

---

Return to Top

---

Music and Movement

Theme Music and Movement Activities and Ideas to get your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!

None here!  Contact me here if you have a music/movement activity idea for a Babies theme!

---

Return to Top

---

Sand and Water Table

Theme Activities for the Senses!

Diaper Time

Provide diapers and water for children to check out what happens to them...how much water can a diaper hold, etc.

---

Return to Top

---

Science Activities

Theme Science Activities--for your Preschool Scientists in Training!

Mystery Box

Make a mystery box by cutting holes in the sides of a large shoe box or a boot box. Place a newborn item in the box (without the children seeing you).

Each child takes turns putting his/her hands in the holes and tries to guess what the item is.

---

Return to Top

---

Writing Activities

Writing Activity Ideas for Your Theme!

I'm Big!

Have the children draw pictures of things they can do that they could not do as infants (wear underwear, eat apples, etc.) and write down what they describe.

---

Return to Top

---

Miscellaneous Ideas

Miscellaneous Activities for Your Theme!

Classroom Visitors

Invite a Mom or Dad to bring their infant to class and talk about being a parent.

---

Return to Top

---

Go to MAIN THEMES page from this Babies Page

---

Go to Preschool Plan-It's Home Page