3-5 Supplemental Curriculum: Learning Centers

 

Unit 9: Learning About My Body

 

Index

Learning Center #1 Title: “Find the Sound”

Learning Center #2: Title: “Feely Fingers”

Learning Center #3: Title: “Walking Toes” (Proverbs 3: 5- 6)

Learning Center #4 Title: “Senses Sorting”

Learning Center #5: Title: “Sight Sorting”

Learning Center #6: Title: “Smelly Bags”

Learning Center #1 Title: “Healthy Me!”

Learning Center #2: Title: “God Gave Me Clothes”

Learning Center #3: Title: “Body Movement Fun”

Learning Center #4: Title: “Go Away Germs!”

Learning Center #5: Title: “Balloon Pals”

Learning Center #6: Title: “Body Memory Game”

Learning Center #1 Title: “Find the Sound”

Topic 1: I Have a Wonderful Body—5 Senses

Link to GRC: CO Yr. 1, #1-6; CO Yr. 2, #1 

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child indicate knowledge of our human body’s 5 senses and discover how our amazing body works to enable life every day. 

Center Objective:

1) Caregiver and child differentiate between sounds of common objects found in their context. 

Materials: 

  • Objects that make noise - Examples:  beans, pebbles, coffee grounds or beans, nails, small sticks, rice, marbles, small pieces of fabric, paper clips, etc. (Note: use caution with small objects that can be a choking hazard)

  • Small plastic containers with lids or small, clean glass jars with lids (supervised) 

Directions: 

  1. Caregiver and child sit across from each other at a table.

  2. Caregiver closes eyes and child shakes one of the containers or jars filled with objects that make noise.

  3. Caregiver and child describe the sound they hear using descriptive words such as “soft, loud, high, low,” etc. Use complete sentences to describe the sounds.  Example:  “This object sounds soft.  I think it is a…..”

  4. Caregiver and child take turns until all objects available have been described.

  5. Talk about which objects caregiver/child guessed correctly!

Learning Center #2: Title: “Feely Fingers”

Topic 1: I Have a Wonderful Body—5 Senses 

Link to GRC: CO Yr. 1, #3; CO Yr. 2, #3 

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child indicate knowledge of our human body’s 5 senses and discover how our amazing body works to enable life every day. 

Center Objectives:

1) Caregiver and child discover different surfaces and express words to describe them.

2) Caregiver and child practice descriptive words to increase vocabulary.

3) Caregiver and child create a sensory object for exploration and discussion. 

Materials: 

  • Sandpaper, one piece per caregiver/child- large enough for caregiver’s hand to be traced

  • Pencil or marker for tracing

  • Glue

  • Safety scissors

  • Different fabrics and material scraps to cover each finger of the “hand” created. Examples: velvet, brocade, burlap, fake fur, silky material, cotton, bubble wrap, tin foil, corrugated cardboard pieces 

Directions: 

  1. Caregiver and child trace the caregiver’s hand on a piece of sandpaper.

  2. Cut out different surfaces from the materials and glue one of each on the four fingers. Leave the thumb uncovered for sandpaper feel.

  3. Allow to dry. While drying, do the following together: 

  • Caregiver and child take turns touching the different surfaces with their fingers and using describing words for each different texture.

  • Caregiver and child decide which surfaces they like to feel and which surfaces they do not like.  Compare answers with another caregiver/child. 

Learning Center #3: Title: “Walking Toes” (Proverbs 3: 5- 6)

Topic 1: I Have a Wonderful Body—5 Senses 

Link to GRC: CO Yr. 1, #1, 3; CO Yr. 2, #3

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child indicate knowledge of our human body’s 5 senses and discover how our amazing body works to enable life every day. 

Center Objective:

1) Caregiver and child paint with their toes in order to experience the sense of touch. 

Materials: 

  • Large pieces of paper, or recycled brown paper bags, cut into large shapes (Example:  heart shape works well)

  • Newspaper or large cloth to place under the painting surfaces to protect floor

  • Water based paint in one or two bright colors

  • Flat pans to contain paint; one pan per color

  • Soapy water in a shallow tub, old towels for cleaning and drying feet after activity

  • Large open area in which to do the painting activity

  • Bible open to Proverbs 3:5-6 

Directions: 

  1. Spread the cloth or newspapers on the floor of the activity area.

  2. Mix paints and pour small amounts into the flat pans.

  3. Caregiver and child take turns removing footwear and helping each other wash and dry feet before painting activity begins.

  4. Take turns dipping toes into the paint and pressing the toe print on the cut out paper shape.  If desired, create a pattern with the colors taking turns as caregiver and child for the different colors.  Wash toes and dry between colors. How does the paint feel on your toes?

  5. After the painting is finished, wash feet and dry with towel.

  6. Discuss Proverbs 3: 5- 6:  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Talk about these questions and more!  What is the meaning of walking a straight path? How has God shown you the right thing to do? How can you learn to trust God more? 

Learning Center #4 Title: “Senses Sorting”

Topic 1: I Have a Wonderful Body—5 Senses 

Link to GRC: CO Yr. 1, #5, 6; CO Yr. 2, # 5, 6

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child indicate knowledge of our human body’s 5 senses and discover how our amazing body works to enable life every day. 

Center Objective:

1) Caregiver and child explore materials through their 5 senses. 

Materials:  

  • Small rocks

  • Shells

  • Buttons

  • Pieces of materials in a variety of textures, include plastic, ribbon, lace, if possible

  • Containers: 1 large container for the objects; 3 smaller containers for sorting 

Directions:  

  1. Caregiver and child place all the objects in one large container.

  2. Set the three smaller containers in a row and sort the objects in the following ways: 

  • Size

  • Weight

  • Color

  • Shape

  • Sound

  • Texture (Example: smooth, rough, soft, hard, etc.)

Learning Center #5: Title: “Sight Sorting”

Topic 1: I Have a Wonderful Body—5 Senses 

Link to GRC: CO Yr. 2, #6

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child indicate knowledge of our human body’s 5 senses and discover how our amazing body works to enable life every day. 

Center Objective:

1) Child and caregiver classify and apply knowledge of 5 senses. 

Materials: 

  • Pictures of:  flowers, herbs spices, perfume bottles, dogs, bells, musical instruments, sky planes, oceans, views of landscapes, food, ice cream, cookies, cereal, gloves, animals, sand paper shapes and other things we use our senses to enjoy. Mix these pictures up together and place in a box lid for playing the game

  • Pictures of body parts representing the 5 senses; sight (eye), sound (ear) , taste (mouth), touch (hand), smell (nose)

  • Make a chart divided into five sections. Use pictures of the body parts representing the 5 senses across the top of the chart 

Directions: 

  1. Take turns drawing a card from the container and choosing the correct body part to sort the item pictured.  Some cards may be able to go more than one place! 

  2. Discuss how God has created all good things for us to enjoy in His creation and we can enjoy them through our 5 senses! 

Learning Center #6: Title: “Smelly Bags”

Topic 1: I Have a Wonderful Body—5 Senses 

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

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child indicate knowledge of our human body’s 5 senses and discover how our amazing body works to enable life every day. 

Center Objective:

1) Caregiver and child differentiate and label objects with sense of smell.

Materials:

  • Materials with different smells:  Examples: different local and safe herbs or spices (rosemary, oregano, basil, mint), flower petals if available, dried lemon or orange peels; cinnamon, cloves, pine needles, natural grasses, eucalyptus leaves, cloves

  • Pieces of yarn approximately 50 cm. in length, one for each child and caregiver

  • Fabric scraps cut into circles approximately 12cm. in diameter-Note: pre-cut these circles with fabric scissors before the lesson

Directions:

  1. Caregiver and child choose a cut piece of fabric to create the “smelly bag”.

  2. Caregiver and child take turns “smelling” the different smelly substances available.

  3. Caregiver and child choose one or more herbs or spices to place in the center of the fabric circle.

  4. Pull the edges of the circles up and child holds the edges together to create a little pouch of the herbs. 

  5. Caregiver assists child and ties the yarn securely around the pouch, tying the ends in a tight knot and bow.

  6. Caregiver and child discuss the different smells they have experienced in the center and talk about their smells with another pair of caregiver/child.

Extension of activity:  Instead of herbs or spices, take turns smelling available pieces of different smelly foods. Examples:  onion, apple, root vegetables, etc.

Learning Center #1 Title: “Healthy Me!”

Topic 2: I Take Care of My Body-- Health and Wellness 

Link to GRC:  CO Yr. 1, #4 ; PH Yr. 1, #22, 23; PH. Yr. 2, #23, 25

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child identify ways to have wellness and well-being in their context. 

Center Objective:

1) Caregiver and child identify and sort different types of foods to determine healthy and unhealthy food choices. 

Materials: 

  • Safety scissors

  • Pictures and “environmental print” items (everyday paper products that have written words on them. Examples:  candy wrappers, newspapers, magazine ads, flyers, etc. that are age-appropriate and have alphabet of culture in text)

  • Chalkboard or large recycled brown paper to create a graph

  • Glue 

Directions: 

  1. Caregiver and child create a graph with two columns, either on the chalkboard or large recycled brown paper.  Divide the graph into two sections.  Label one section “Healthy Food” or “Real Food” and the other section, “Unhealthy Food”, “Fake Food” or “Junky Food”(Contextualize!).

  2. Caregiver and child take turns choosing a picture from the printed materials that show different food sources.  If chalkboard is used, make two separate piles to sort “Healthy Food “and the “Unhealthy Food”.  Discuss how some foods can be healthy in their original form, but become unhealthy when other unhealthy ingredients are added.  Example:  Fruit (healthy) and added sugar (unhealthy). If using chalkboard, keep a tally of the “Healthy” and “Unhealthy” foods. If using the paper, glue some of the pictures on the brown paper after doing steps #3 and #4 below.

  3. Caregiver and child decide which foods from the sorted piles  are available locally, and then sort into two different piles “Healthy food” good to eat and “Unhealthy food”, not best to eat.

  4. For further fun with the food pictures, do the following: 

  • Decide which foods from both stacks of pictures that you “like” and “dislike”.  Sort your choices into two new piles.

  • Decide which foods from both stacks of pictures are “sweet, sour, or salty.” Sort your ideas into three new piles.  

Learning Center #2: Title: “God Gave Me Clothes”

Topic 2: I Take Care of My Body-- Health and Wellness 

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 1, #12; SP Yr. 1, #30

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child identify ways to have wellness and well-being in their context. 

Center Objective:

1) Caregiver and child determine the best clothes to wear during different types of weather common to their context. 

Materials:  

  • Recycled lightweight cardboard pieces or cardstock (if available)

  • White or light colored paper to create the “clothes” for the bears

  • Coloring utensils (markers work best)

  • Safety scissors

  • Pencil

  • Any extra materials for decorating clothes that do not add weight (stickers, small sequins or cut out designs from fabric, etc.)

  • Patterns for bears (See patterns in Unit 9 Resource folder)* 

Directions:

  1. Caregiver and child cut out a “caregiver bear and a child bear” with safety scissors.  See patterns from Unit 9 Resource folder.*
  2. Caregiver and child talk about the weather they are experiencing that day at the child development center. Discuss the following questions:
    • What should we wear on a day like today?
    • How should we change what we are wearing if it gets …..?(Cold, rainy, windy, sunny, hot, etc.)?
    • What kinds of clothes should we wear during different seasons or weather patterns? (Monsoons, droughts, etc.)?
  3. Caregiver and child decide what clothes to design to “dress” the caregiver bear and child bear for different kinds of weather in the local climate. 
  4. Trace around the bears to make clothes, using pencil. Cut out the clothes, making sure to leave “tabs” to place the clothes on the bears after the cutting is completed so that the clothes stay on the cardboard figures.
  5. Draw at least two different kinds of clothes for caregiver and child bear pair.
  6. Talk about what sort of clothes would need to be added or taken away depending upon the different weather in their local climate.
  7. Talk about how God takes care of us, and provides what we need—including our clothes. Say a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s care.

* Bear patterns: www.pinterest.com 

Learning Center #3: Title: “Body Movement Fun”

Topic 2:  I Take Care of My Body:--Health and Wellness 

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 1, #17, 19; PH Yr. 2, #42

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child identify ways to have wellness and well-being in their context. 

Center Objective:

1) Caregiver and child exercise different body parts to strengthen muscles, bones, and balance. 

Materials: 

  • Area indoors or outdoors to do the exercises together 

Directions:  

Caregiver and child do the following fun activities together indoors or outdoors: 

  1. Pretend you are windmills—make your arms go around and around in large circles.  Change directions, go faster and slower, make smaller and larger circles.

  2. Reach for your toes and reach for the stars; go on tiptoes and drop down to touch your toes.  Do at least 10 times.

  3. Knee Raises—raise your knees as high as you can while you alternate legs.  Gently hit your knees as you raise them to their highest point. Go fast, go slow!

  4. Hopping—Hop on 1 foot and then 2 feet. Do at least 10 times each.

  5. Jumping Jacks—do at least 5 or 6 each!

  6. Do your favorite body movement activity. (Examples:  local dance or rhyming game using gestures)

  7. Prayer: Thank God for giving you the ability to do many activities with your body! 

Learning Center #4: Title: “Go Away Germs!”

Topic 2:  I Take Care of My Body:--Health and Wellness 

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 1, #31-34; PH Yr. 2, #38-40

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child identify ways to have wellness and well-being in their context.

Center Objectives:

1) Caregiver and child illustrate how germs are spread.

2) Caregiver and child practice how to prevent spreading germs through pantomime and role play.

Materials:

  • Recycled and cleaned plastic spray bottle

  • Water, small amount  of food coloring

  • White tissues or small clean rags to represent “handkerchiefs”

  • Recycled cardboard or stiff paper to cut out a large “nose” stencil for the center activity approximately 30cm long. To expand fun, make the “nose” the recognizable nose of an animal such as an elephant.

  • Safety scissors

Directions:

  1. Caregiver and child spread newspapers over work surface.

  2. Caregiver and child trace around the “nose” onto the larger piece of cardboard and cut out with safety scissors.

  3. Fill the spray bottle with a little water; add some paint or food coloring to make it a color.

  4. Caregiver and child pretend to “sneeze” using the spray bottle. Together, spray the colored water on the nose one time such as a large “sneeze”.

  5. Talk about how when we sneeze, we are like the spray bottle coming from the nose-colored germs spread everywhere!

  6. Spray the bottle again, but this time, hold some tissues or small clean rag in front of the nozzle of the spray bottle.  Talk about how using a tissue, handkerchief, or even sneezing into ones sleeve of the shirt they are wearing, helps to stop germs.

  7. Caregiver and child take turns pretending to “sneeze”, and the other person pretends to get ill from the “germs” that are spread. (Pretend to cough, get a headache, become ill, etc.)

Learning Center #5: Title: “Balloon Pals”

Topic 2:  I Take Care of My Body:--Health and Wellness 

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 1, #18, 19

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child identify ways to have wellness and well-being in their context. 

Center Objective:

1) Caregiver and child identify different body parts. 

Materials: 

  • Balloons, one per caregiver/child

  • Scraps of white or colored paper

  • Yarn, safety scissors, hole punch

  • Coloring utensils (markers work best), pencil

  • Clear tape

Directions: 

  1. Caregiver blows up the balloon. (Note:  Use caution with balloons, children can choke on them- adult should blow up the balloon and supervise this activity with small children). The balloon will be the body of the “Balloon Pal”.

  2. With the scraps of white or colored paper, draw and cut out a round piece of paper that will fit on the top of the balloon for the head.  Invite child to create the face with colored markers. Likewise, cut out two hands and two feet.  One way would be to trace the child’s hands and feet, cut out, and tape on the balloon. 

  3. Tape all the cut out body parts on the balloon to make a person.

  4. Give the “balloon pal” extra features, such as string or yarn for hair, add clothing and ears.  If desired, give the “balloon pal” a name!

  5. If possible, use the hole punch to put a hole in the top of the head, and hang all the “pals” around the room for other caregivers/children to enjoy!

  6. Read this poem about the balloon* (if literacy skills permit):

    Balloon

    I’m a bright red balloon that is little and flat,

    I’m being blown up, what do you think of that?

    Away I will fly,

    Up to the sky,

    Pop-now I’m small,

    It was fun being tall.

* Balloon poem: Mayesky, Neuman, Wlodkowski, Creative Activities for Young Children. New York: Delmar Publishers Inc., 1985. p.177 

Learning Center #6: Title: “Body Memory Game”

Topic 2:  I Take Care of My Body:--Health and Wellness 

Link to GRC: PH Yr. 1, #6, 7, 15, 17, 19

Overall Topic Objective: Caregiver and child identify ways to have wellness and well-being in their context. 

Center Objectives:

1) Caregiver and child identify different parts of their bodies.

2) Caregiver and child use body movement to recognize different body parts. 

Materials:  

  • Create a Memory game of different body parts, glue pictures of body parts on cardboard to preserve usage. (See printout in Unit 9 Resource folder)* 

Directions:  

  1. Caregiver and child review the different body parts they have studied and learned about. Eyes, ears, mouth, nose, fingers, legs, knees, arms, head, feet, etc.

  2. Caregiver and child turn the memory cards over and shuffle them together.

  3. Place the memory cards in 3 or 4 rows, face down.

  4. Caregiver and child take turns turning over two cards to find a match. If no match is found, the cards are turned back over in their positions and the other player tries to choose two different cards to create a match.

  5. Once a match if found, that player names, wiggles, or points to the body part represented by the match.  If a player gets a match, they automatically have another turn to turn over two more cards in search of a match.

  6. When all the matches have been found, the player with the most matches wins the game and asks the other player to do something funny with one or two parts of his body. (Example:  hop on one foot backwards, etc.)

  7. Sing the traditional song,* “If You’re Happy and You Know It” with these words. Contextualize.

    If you’re happy and you know it, shake your head.

    If you’re happy and you know it, shake your head.

    If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it—

    If you’re happy and you know it, shake your head.

    Do the same with:  clap your hands, march, your whole body lift your knees, touch your toes, smile with your mouth, etc.   Note: Caregiver and child can make up their own verses to add to the fun.

* Adaptation of traditional song, If Your Happy and You Know It: Mayesky, Neuman, Wlodkowski, Creative Activities for Young Children. New York: Delmar Publishers Inc., 1985, p.179;  Body Memory Cards printout: www.dltk-cards.com