Community Helpers Construction Theme for Preschool

Community Helpers Construction Theme Art

My Tool Box

Materials Needed: Construction paper, scissors, glue sticks, preschool catalogs and/or newspaper advertisements from construction stores (Home Depot, Lowe's, etc.)

The children cut out and glue tools onto their paper tool box.

Saw

Materials Needed: Pre-cut a saw shape but leave the "blade" edge flat. Draw zig zags on the "blade" edge. Encourage the children to cut out the wide zig zag shapes.

The children can then cover with aluminum foil and glue sawdust on the edge.

Sandpaper Rubbings

Materials Needed: Provide different varieties (varying roughness) of sandpaper. The children place white paper over the sandpaper and color with crayons (wide crayons work best).

Community Helpers Construction Theme Block Center Ideas

What more do we need during construction week than blocks???!! Add some books with pictures of buildings and towers for them to create.

This would be a great week to add cardboard blocks if you have them! They don't hurt when they are built high and then fall down!

Community Helpers Construction 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!

Grandpa Builds a Table

If you can find it, the Hap Palmer recording called Grandpa Builds a Table is on the Creative Movement and Rhythmic Exploration CD

Fingerplays and Songs

Carpenter

The carpenter's hammer goes tap, tap, tap, (pound fists together).

And his saw goes see, saw, see (right hand saws left arm)

And he planes and he measures (bend fingers of right hand and slide down left arm)

And he hammers and he saws (as done above)

While he builds a big house for me (Elbows bent, forearms upright with fingertips touching as a shape of a house).

Look Out Your Window

sung to Down by the Station

Look out your window

Early in the morning,

There goes the carpenter

On his way to work

See the handy carpenter

Working on the building

Bang, bang, Buzzzz, Buzzzz

Up it goes!

Construction Song

sung to Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush

Make up lines to go along with what you have been talking about......

This is the way we say the wood, saw the wood, saw the wood.

This is the way we saw the wood, so early in the morning.

This is the way we hammer the nails, drill a hole, use a screwdriver, measure the wood, etc.

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!

Geometric Snack

Thank you Miss Gina for submitting this idea!

Needed:  pretzel sticks and mini marshmallows

The children begin by building walls (4 pretzel sticks stuck into mini marshmallow corners) and then learn to add to it to make cubes!

Community Helpers Construction Theme Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area

Hammering Stump

Materials: A large tree stump, nails and hammers, protective eye goggles and work gloves (child size).

This activity should ONLY be done when you have one adult completely supervising this area. I had only one child at a time allowed to be at the center at a time.

We got some of the nails started in the stump and then the children hammered them all the way in.

Construction Theme Large Group Games

that help build their muscles while they have fun together!

Construction Yoga or Charades?

If we can be a dog or a tree, why not construction tools or items?

Can you be a......

Hammer? ruler? building? rubber band? Have fun with this! The children will have great ideas to act out---just ask them!

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! )

Construction Theme Activities to help your Preschoolers Develop Math Skills
and/or those small muscles in their hands!

The Rooms in a House (Classification Activity)

At your math/manipulatives table, place a dollhouse. Ask the children to name the rooms and notice the characteristics of each. Call on children to choose a piece of furniture and place it in the correct room. (This part could be done at circle time).

Place shoe boxes or small bins on the table and label each one with names and pictures of the rooms of a house ("Kitchen", "Bathroom", "Bedroom", etc.).

Gather items and products that belong in each room (such as in the Kitchen box, place plastic dishes, detergent, paper towels; in the Bathroom box- toilet tissue, soap, hair brush).

The children sort the items to put them in the correct box.

Geo Boards

Let your architects and engineers enjoy making their own shapes using these boards.

VARIATION: See if a parent can help your children make their own! We had a parent who came in and, one by one, helped the children nail 9 nails into a soft piece of square pine and then made shapes with rubber bands on them.

They were so proud to make their own! Of course, you'll need to use safety glasses, gloves and complete supervision one on one!

Community Helpers Construction Theme Music and Movement Activities

to get your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!

Musical Shapes

Materials: Blocks in many different shapes (one block per child).

Set the blocks up in a large circle. Have each child stand behind one block.

Play music. The children walk or dance in a circle (like in musical chairs).

When you stop the music, the children should stand behind one block. Call on one child to name the block shape in front of them (if they don't know, encourage them to ask a friend to help them name it).

Continue until all children have had a turn.

Community Helpers Construction Theme Activities for the Senses!

Sink or Float

Add water to your table. Provide construction items. Have the children predict if each item will sink or float.

Some suggestions: A piece of wall board, a nail, a hammer, a ruler, a tape measure, nuts, bolts, pencil, piece of sandpaper

Community Helpers Construction Theme Science Activities
--for your Preschool Scientists in Training!

How Heavy Are They?

Provide a balance scale and nuts and bolts. Show the children how to use the scale.

Construction Workers

Provide premade notebooks (1 for each child)--you can make them from construction paper for the cover and plain paper for the inside and pencils.

Have each child write their name on a note book.

Provide different types of measuring tools such as tape measures, yard sticks, rulers and encourage them to measure items in the room and "write" down what they measure!

Miscellaneous Activities for Your Community Helpers Construction Theme!

Field Trips

Visit a home store. Some will do child demonstrations for a small fee per child (such as Home Depot).

Take a neighborhood walk when there is construction going on to observe the progress. Take pictures as well!

Classroom Visitors

Invite a construction worker or parent to come in and demonstrate how to use some tools.