3-5 Supplemental Curriculum: Learning Centers

Bag of 6 or 7 items of clothing including baby clothes and child clothes in different sizes—labeled #1-- baby clothes (hats, shoes, blankets, shirts) and child-sized clothes : (big enough to fit most children at center)- include hats and clothes with buttons, zippers, shoes, socks, etc.
Bag of 6 or 7 items of adult clothing - labeled #2 :( hats, shoes, blankets, shirts, skirts, etc.)

Directions:

Caregiver and child talk about how the child has grown since she was a baby. Do the following activities together.
Child and caregiver take turns choosing an item of clothing from Bag #1 and try to dress self with the item.
Place the clothes over your own clothes. After all the clothes have been chosen, talk about why some clothes did fit and did not fit.
Ask Questions: Who can wear these clothes? Do you remember when you used to be a baby and could wear this size of clothes? Practice buttons, zippers of clothes that do fit. Talk about how child has grown and needs the larger clothes.
Child and caregiver take turns choosing items of clothing from Bag #2. Practice buttoning and zipping, putting on sandals or shoes. Talk about whether or not these clothes are a good choice for the child to wear, why or why not?
Sort the clothes from smallest to largest. Think of different people caregiver and child know who wear the different sizes.
Have fun and dress up in the most unusual outfits child and caregiver can create. Pretend child and caregiver are in a “fashion show”. Walk around the room together.

Learning Center #2: Title: “I Can Express Myself”

Topic 1: I Can Help Myself

Link to GRC: CO Yr. 1, #41; SE Yr. 1, #5

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child develop a healthy sense of personal identity as God’s child.

Center Objective:

1) Design a collage of favorite things.

Materials:

Variety of background materials if available: Examples: sandpaper, corrugated recycled cardboard
Variety of textures and colored materials: Examples: paper and cloth scraps, magazine pages, yarn, string ribbon, lace, natural material: twigs, seed pods, feathers, small stone, shells
Safety scissors, glue, stapler if available

Directions:

Caregiver and child talk about and list their favorite animals, food, birds, etc.
Child and caregiver choose one of the favorite things to create a collage of that object or animal.
Choose different textures, colors, pictures and sizes from the available materials.
Arrange the items on the page and glue on the surface.
Allow to dry.
Share your favorite collage with another caregiver and child pair.

Learning Center #3: Title: “I Can Use My Muscles”

Topic 1: I Can Help Myself

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 1, #6-8, 10, 15, 17, 19

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child develop a healthy sense of personal identity as God’s child.

Center Objective:

1) Demonstrate and practice use of large muscle coordination.

Materials:

Large clean bucket
Tape or piece of string to indicate the “starting line”
4 or 5 small bouncy balls (or ping pong balls)
4 or 5 wooden clothespins or coins
4 or 5 small Beanbags (Option: make from socks filled with sand, corn, or seed)

Directions:

Caregiver and child exercise their muscle control by playing together simple games with use of a bucket and safe small objects to toss into the bucket.
Tape a short line, or place a piece of string about 1 meter long, as a boundary line for the games caregiver and child will play together.
Place the bucket a short distance from the “starting line”.
Stand behind the line and toss one of the groups of objects into the bucket, one at a time.
Take turns tossing the objects trying to make a “point” every time the object goes in the bucket.
Keep moving backwards from the “start line” to make the toss more challenging.
Discover which objects are easiest and hardest to get into the bucket.
Extend the fun by doing other activities with the bucket:
- Stand with your back to the bucket and toss the object over your shoulder without seeing the goal.
- Jump over the bucket
- Carry the bucket as fast as you can from the start line to a goal and back.
- Caregiver and child create their own fun game using the items provided.
Caregiver and child thank God for their muscles and all the things they can do with them!

Learning Center #4: Title: “I Can Express My Emotions”

Topic 1: I Can Help Myself

Link to GRC: SE Yr. 1, #9, 12, 20-21, 25-27

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child develop a healthy sense of personal identity as God’s child.

Center Objective:

1) Identify and express emotions of sadness, happiness, anger, and fright.

Materials:

Cards with four faces (happy, sad, mad, and scared facial expressions)
Hand held mirror

Directions:

Caregiver turns the face cards upside down. One by one, child chooses one of the 4 cards and names the emotion she sees on the card.
Child and caregiver talk about how they are feeling that day. Which card shows how they feel right now? Encourage child to explain why he/she feels that way.
Play a game together based upon “Simon Says:” Take turns being the leader.

Simon says “Make a happy face.”

Simon says, “Make a sad face.”

Simon says, “Make an angry face.”

Simon says, “Make a scared face.”
Using the same emotion cards, say the following response game. Child holds up the correct emotion as she listens: (CONTEXTUALIZE)

Some little faces I have seen.

Some were sad, and some were mean. (Child shows sad card and angry card)

But the one little face with the smile was best. (Child shows the happy face card)

That was the happiest of all the rest.

Until she heard a LOUD BANG! What was that?

Now she is a scared kitty cat! (Child shows the scared face)
Caregiver and child take turns making the emotion card faces in the mirror. Child and caregiver think of other emotional faces to extend the activity. (Examples: surprise, sleepy, praising God with singing, etc.)

Learning Center #5: Title: “My Amazing Body”

Topic 1: I Can Help Myself

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 1, #7, 10, 15, 17, 19; SE Yr. 1, #17

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child develop a healthy sense of personal identity as God’s child.

Center Objectives:

1) Identify at least 2 ways that God made our bodies to be useful for everyday life.

2) Discover that the feet have different feelings than the hands.

Materials:

Collect the following objects and place in a container for this center:

Two pieces of fruit, one citrus and one local, if possible a nut, a key, a cap, small piece of towel, spoon, fork, or eating utensil of context, old shoe or sandal, feather or grass
Blindfold

Directions:

Child and caregiver learn that our feet and our hands feel things differently. The caregiver and child take turns to discover how different objects feel with feet and hands.
Child takes off his footwear and sits on a chair facing the caregiver.
Caregiver blindfolds the child and brings out the collected objects from the container.
The caregiver places each object one at a time near the child’s feet so that the child can feel with her feet. The child tries to pick up some of the objects with her feet. The child guesses the names of the objects.
The caregiver then places each of the same objects into the child’s hands to feel. The child picks up the objects with her hands and once again guesses the names of the objects.
Caregiver and child switch roles and the caregiver takes off footwear and puts on the blindfold. The pair repeats the activity.
Caregiver and child talk about which objects they felt more with their feet and which objects they felt more with their hands.
Caregiver and child talk about which objects are easy to pick up with hands or feet and which ones are harder. God made our feet different so that they could run, walk, and hold up our bodies. Our hands are made so we can feel things better and do many tasks. Thank God for our amazing bodies.

Learning Center #6: Title: “Healthy Me”

Topic 1: I Can Help Myself

Link with GRC: SE Yr. 1, #17; PH Yr. 1, #20, 22-23; PH Yr. 2, #23, 25-26; CO Yr. 2, #24

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child develop a healthy sense of personal identity as God’s child.

Center Objectives:

1) Identify at least one food that is a color from the rainbow.

2) Investigate different foods that grow locally that are health foods.

Materials:

Real fruits or vegetables or pictures of vegetables and fruits that are the colors of the rainbow Option: Make copies of printouts of fruits, color with crayons or markers for the center. (See printouts in Unit 6 Resource folder)*
Recycled cardboard cut into a plate or bowl shape
Dice or handmade cardboard game spinner with numbers 1-6 on it
Picture of a colored rainbow
Basket to collect the fruit and vegetable pictures or the real fruits and vegetables

Directions:

Child and caregiver look at the picture of the rainbow and name the colors.
Child hides her eyes while the caregiver hides pictures of or real fruit and vegetable items around the room or outside near the building.
Child searches for the fruits and vegetables. Each time she finds one, she tries to name it and tell its color.
Once the child finds all the fruits, talk about how each of food items is good for the caregiver and child. Name some ways that the caregiver cooks the food items in their home.
With cardboard “plate”, child and caregiver arrange the pictures to have at least one vegetable or fruit of each color. These foods contain many nourishing nutrients to help child and caregiver stay healthy.
Using the dice or number spinner, child and caregiver take turns. If a child’s dice is 3, challenge the child to think of 3 fruits or vegetables of the same color. Go through the colors of the rainbow taking turns rolling the dice (Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) to name many healthy fruits and vegetables.
Thank God for healthy me and healthy food choices!

* PDF Website: www.kidzclub.com and www.stuff.co.zwz.com

Learning Center #1: Title: “Helping My Brothers or Sisters”

Topic 2: I Can Help Others

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 2, #13; SE Yr. 2, #13

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child demonstrate examples of helping people.

Center Objective:

1) List at least 2 ways to help take care of a baby brother or sister in the household.

Materials:

Baby clothes and items collected in a variety of sizes placed in a “discovery bag” (cloth or plastic bag that hides the clothing) Examples: baby bottles, baby sandals or shoes, blankets, hats, etc.
Cut pictures of animal babies and human babies (See printout in Unit 6 Resource folder)*

Directions:

Caregiver and child look at the baby items in the “discovery bag” and talk about when the child was a little baby. If possible, share together a real picture of the child when she was a baby.
Child and caregiver take turns pulling out items of clothing and baby articles from the “discovery bag.” Talk about why the child no longer needs these articles!
Talk about what all babies need when they are born: milk, shelter, love, clothes, etc.
Child names one or two ways she/he can help the baby (or her cousins who are babies) with those needs.
Match the animal babies with their moms from the playing cards. What do all babies need in God’s creation? How does God want the child to help take care of the babies in her home?

* PDF of Animal Babies, Website: www.kidzclub.com

Learning Center #2: Title: “Helping at the Market”

Topic 2: I Can Help Others

Link to GRC: CO Yr. 1, #25; CO Yr. 2, #24

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child demonstrate examples of helping people.

Center Objectives:

1) Recognize and name values of the coins from child’s culture.

2) Play a game of sorting and classifying coins from the child’s culture.

3) Role play going to the market to buy goods with the coins.

Materials:

Paper coins of different values from the child’s country Note: Real coins are a choking hazard and activity should be monitored closely (See printout in Unit 6 Resource folder)*
Recycled clean cardboard egg carton to sort the coins
Box lid or small tray
Shopping bag for pretend play to go to the market
Pretend food items (clean cans and boxes found in the local market)
Table or bookshelf that serves as a pretend market

Directions:

Child and caregiver spread out the variety of coins on a tray or cardboard lid.
Child and caregiver talk about the value of each of the coins and sort the coins in groups according to their values. Place each group of coins into a separate section of the egg carton until all coins are sorted.
Arrange the coins, if possible from the smallest value to the largest value in the egg carton.
Child chooses the amount of coins she think will buy the following food items at the market:
- Small bag of rice
- Small handful of candy
- Piece of vegetable or fruit
- Container of cooking oil
Child and caregiver set up a pretend “market” on a table or shelf with the items provided.
Child and caregiver take turns role playing the “market owner” and the “customer. “ The “market owner” should count the coins each time the customer “buys” an item from the market.

*PDF USA coins: Center for Innovation in Education, Saratoga, California, 1992 (contextualize with paper coins in your country)

Learning Center #3: Title: “I Am a Volunteer”

Topic 2: I Can Help Others

Link to GRC: SE Yr. 1, #14; SE Yr. 2, #19; PH Yr. 1, #9; PH Yr. 2, #11, 36-37; SP Yr. 1, #38

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child demonstrate examples of helping people.

Center Objectives:

1) Define the word “volunteering “with caregiver.

2) Demonstrate “volunteering” to help someone.

Materials:

Tape two lines on the floor about 1 meter apart
Markers or crayons
Hole punch, piece of yarn or ribbon to tie caring card together

Directions:

Caregiver and child think of someone in family or neighborhood that might need help or encouragement.
Child and caregiver tape two lines on the floor to make a starting line for a “volunteering” activity.
Caregiver and child do the following activities. Each time they do a different action, they ask, “Can I help you?” to the other partner. Caregiver first asks child and then switch roles to do the activities again:
- Sit facing each other with feet spread apart. Spread legs and hold each other hands. Rock back and forth like a boat. Caregiver asks the child to “help” him get up from the floor.
- Caregiver asks child to help her jump from one line to the other line by hooking arms together.
- Caregiver asks child to face her and “volunteer” to help her walk sideways across the lines.
- Caregiver asks child to “volunteer” and help her jump like a frog from one line to the other.
- Caregiver asks child to “volunteer” and help her to dance from one line to the other.
Child and caregiver switch roles and child becomes the one to ask caregiver to “volunteer” to do the same or new actions.
Child and caregiver talk about the meaning of “volunteer”. They list at least two or three ways people they know “volunteer” to help others. For conversation starter, talk about health workers, teachers, church leaders, child care workers etc. who “volunteer” in their village.

Learning Center # 4: Title: “Helping Hands and Hearts”

Topic 2: I Can Help Others

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 1, #9; PH Yr. 2, #19, 37; SE Yr. 1, #35, 42; SP Yr. 1, #38

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child demonstrate examples of helping people.

Center Objectives:

1) Identify a person in neighborhood or family who needs help.

2) Illustrate a card and volunteer coupon for a person in need.

Materials:

Markers or crayons
Hole punch, piece of yarn or ribbon to tie caring card together
Red paper if available
Lightweight recycled cardboard pieces (Example: the unprinted sides of food boxes)

Directions:

Caregiver and child talk about a person they know who might need help and care. This person could be a family relative or someone else in the community where they live.
Caregiver and child trace each of their hands onto lightweight cardboard.
Caregiver helps child to cut out the hands.
Draw a heart in the middle of the child’s cutout.
Caregiver helps child to align the two hands to make book covers and punch a hole in the two hands so that the child’s cardboard heart hand lies on top of the caregiver’s bigger cardboard hand. Lace the hands together with yarn or ribbon.
Color the card and decorate it with designs. Caregiver and child think of something they can “volunteer” to do for the person receiving the card. Draw a small picture or write the action on the inside of the card. Examples: sweep the floor, go to the market for the other person, visit the person, take some food to the person, or pray for the person. Use additional ideas from the child and caregiver’s discussion.
Caregiver and child deliver the heart card to the person who needs love and care. Set up a time to do the task they have volunteered to do for that person.

Learning Center # 5: Title: “Helping in My Church”

Topic 2: I Can Help Others

Link to GRC: SE Yr. 1, #35, 42-43; PH Yr. 2, #16

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child demonstrate examples of helping people.

Center Objectives:

1) Identify at least two ways the child and caregiver can serve the church in which they meet.

2) Practice small and large motor activities through “helping” at the church.

Materials:

Cleaning utensils: broom, clean rags, sponge, scrub brush, spray bottle if available
Safe soap, vinegar and water, old newspapers to clean windows (if applicable)

Directions:

Caregiver and child decide two or three different tasks to “volunteer” to do together at the church building where Compassion meets. Child and caregiver think of a name to call their cleaning team. For example: “Working Wonders”, “Queens of Clean” or “Kings of Clean”, etc.
Large motor activities for “Working Wonders” team:
- Sweep floor
- Push mop
- Dust with rags
Small motor activities for “Working Wonders” team:
- Clean windows with mixture of vinegar and water in a spray bottle (watch not to spray in eyes).
- Scrub brush or sponge to clean walls, tables and chairs.
- Trash can to collect paper tossed on floor during Compassion project time.
- Clean blackboards or whiteboard.
- Pull weeds from outside church yard.

Learning Center #6: Title: “I Can Paint a Picture”

Topic 2: I Can Help Others

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 2, #19; CO Yr. 2, #40; SE Yr. 1, #9

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child demonstrate examples of helping people.

Center Objective:

1) Paint a small string or yarn picture for child to give to a friend or church staff member or send to a sponsor with next letter.

Materials:

Watercolors or paints made from local spices and herbs (See User’s Guide)
2 Small pieces of paper, cut to size to fit in a letter envelope
2 pieces of string or yarn
Safety scissors
Sample of envelope used to send letters to sponsors

Directions:

Child and caregiver talk about how friends and church workers love to receive artwork from the child to display in his/her home. If the child has a sponsor, talk about how the sponsor loves to receive their artwork.
Choose one or two colors from a water color box, or create one or two colors using herbs and spices available. Mix paints. Wear protective shirt for painting.
Fold over one piece of small paper so that it will fit inside the Sponsor letter envelope
Child and caregiver take turns cutting 1 or 2 pieces of string to dip in the paint.
Child holds the first dipped string on the inside of the folded paper and the caregiver helps her hold the top flap down while child pulls the string through to the other side to make a design.
Caregiver takes his turn and also dips a clean string in the paint. Child helps caregiver pull the dipped string through to the other side.
Open the folded paper! There will be a design made by both child and caregiver—a perfect gift for the child’s sponsor.
Let the picture dry. Have envelopes available for caregiver and child to put the picture to give to a friend or if the child has a sponsor give to leader to mail with the next letter to sponsor.