Holiday Themed Centers

 

 

Need some fun holiday-themed centers to help finish out this last bit before the break?

Here are some quick helpers to help you get by!

Apple Themed Speech and OT Activities

 

 

Here are Apple theme activities that are good for preschool, kindergarten and grade 1.

Some activities target speech, language and fine motor skills.

The OT centers are meant to target fine motor skills that include printing practice, Q-tips, playdoh, blocks and erasers. These centers target hand strength, manipulation, and other fine motor skills needed for young children's needs.

You can use each of them any way you like them but here are some suggestions:

•Playdoh- the child can use the black and white version to color, or make a face (targeting emotions) in the apple. With the color version, you can use play-doh to practice the outline of the apple or mini erasers.

•Q-tip- using paint, the children can outline the apples. Make sure to cut the Q-tip in half to encourage proper pencil grasp.

•Alphabet practice- can use with dry erase markers, or printing practice in a sensory bin (rice/sand, etc.).

•Number practice- you can have the students practice writing the numbers or put blocks/small erasers that represent the number shown.

These centers are meant to target speech and language skills -like vocabulary, category naming, concepts, phoneme identification, and phoneme counting. Most of these are all skills children need to master before they start to read.

You can use each of them any way you like them but here are some suggestions:

•Apple Basket Categories- depending on the age and skill level you can use as many or as few categories as you like. For young children, you can start with 2 very different categories: for example animals and food. As the children progress, you can make the activity more difficult: animals with fur and animals with feathers. Some other ideas are farm animals/forest animals, ocean animals/ land animals, vehicles that go on land /ocean, etc. Many of the pictures may be applicable to several groups. Again, use your judgement to include the pictures that will work best for your group.

•One sheet Language center- if you are in a pinch try the no-prep sheet, you can use page 29 for your group and go through the sheet individually, or as a group.

•Category name- if your children are writing they can pick a card from the pile (cut and laminate page 36 and place all pictures in a pile) as they pull a card they can label the category name and write it down. If your children are younger they can just verbally label the category name. Many of the pictures can be called different names (animals/farm animals/pets). Snowman (things outside, things you find in winter, cold things, etc., again, use your judgment as to whether the answer is correct or not. To extend the activity you can have the student name more items from that category.

•Concepts- have the children circle the correct concept. To extend, you can use manipulatives to show the concepts cards around the classroom or use manipulatives with a small group.

•Identify the digraph- have the children pick one of the cards (again cut, laminate and place in a pile) then have the children say the word and place it on the correct apple according to the sound they heard. You can use 1 or 2 sounds or all 3 depending on age and skill.

 

Transportation Theme

 

This fun transportation-themed activity pack includes 27 pages of activities that can be used in therapy, small group work, centers or in the classroom.

This pack will help target vocabulary, categorization, describing, pronouns, and

possessive.

Activities include:

: An interactive book that describes a vehicle and the child must choose an answer

: Pronoun activity which can also be used to target possessive's

: An activity that teaches ordinal concepts: first, next, last and before and after

: What goes together- choose two items that are related to each type of vehicle.

So many fun activities for boys and girls :)

 

 

Arctic Theme Freebies

 Need something to tide you over until the end of February but don't want to break the bank? I found some really cute preschool/kindergarten activities for your class or therapy that are all free!

Following the Arctic Animals- one and 2 step directions! This freebie targets following directions and is made by Mackenzie the SLP.

Arctic Friends Rhyming- great for small group work, a center or one on one with your children who are struggling. Made by Teena's Teacher Tidbits

 

Here is an Emergent Reader- great to talk about the animals, their colors, what they look like. You can also use it to color, cut and other fine motor tasks. Made by United Teaching.

 

For a Interactive  Notebook you can use this freebie. It includes an activities that describe attributes of fox (where they eat and where they live)  and another to label the walrus. 

And last but not least, a great activity for strengthening vocabulary skills is this Arctic Animal Crowns. Students wear a crown with an Arctic animal on it and they have to ask questions to figure out which animal they have.

 

Hope you like these ideas and thank you to the sellers for making these neat FREE activities!

To show support, download and leave them feedback :)

And here's a Freebie from my store, too!

 

The Gingerbread Man!

 

Hello!

Here is a great activity pack that can be used for preschool, kindergarten and speech therapy. It is 55 pages of hands-on fun and it's low prep!

You can use the book (in this pack) or you can use a youtube video. Read this book a few times to encourage comprehension.

This pack includes:

•Fine motor skill activities- including playdoh mats, or drawing, colouring and pre-printing practice.

•Rhyming worksheets

•Beginning sound mats- can also be used for segmenting sounds

•Beginning Sound House Center- do the 2 pictures start with the same sound?

•Coloring pages- and printing practice for upper case letters (beginning sounds of each character from the story).

•Sensory bin pieces

•Prepositions interactive book- also targets “where” questions.

If you have question email mindy@creatingcommunicators.net

 

 

 

Transportation Theme

 Hey Everyone!!

Now I know it's winter (at least in Alberta) and you are looking at Christmas/winter themes but I use a Transportation teme for a bit. Then I am not totally out of Christmas ideas and it's a nice little break for kids as we get into the winter season. 

I only use this theme for about a week. 

You can also use this pack for one on one, small group, centers in the classroom. Teachers might even like it for a center in the class.

You can pick it up here for $1.50 for a limited time!!!