Theme & Activities

Robots
Open thematic poster

CIRCLE TIME

Nancy Hamelin suggests an imaginary game for your group. (Open thematic letter - Robots) Print the letter. Place it in a box wrapped in aluminum paper. Deposit the box in an easy to find location in the daycare. Have children find it and read portions of the letter to them each day.

AREA SETUP

Wrap as many things as possible with aluminum paper.

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with the group. Use them to decorate the daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game - Robots) Print, laminate, and store in a "Ziploc" bag or in your thematic bins.

ACTIVITY SHEET

Activity sheets are suggested for each theme. Print and follow instructions.

(Open activity sheet - Robots)

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS

Have fun with these wonderful workshop ideas provided by Caroline Allard.

Construction or building blocks:

Cover the floor with a solar blanket, camping mattress, or aluminum paper
Wrap wooden blocks with aluminum paper
Add Styrofoam balls which can be used to make space-like constructions
Lego-style blocks are great for building robots

Arts & crafts:

Aluminum paper or other types of metallic paper
Various sizes of cardboard boxes to build robots with
Recycled material, scraps of paper, pipe cleaners, etc.
Sparkles, glitter glue, anything which reminds you of outer space

Drawing:

Silver, gold, or bronze-coloured gel crayons can be used on dark paper
Rocket, spaceship, planet, and star stencils
Coloring pages representing robots, outer space, rockets, and spaceships

Role play:

A tent or a large appliance box can become a robot's home. Glue fluorescent stars to the ceiling. Children will feel like they are really in outer space
Wacky costumes can be used to create space creatures, remember to take pictures!
Large cardboard boxes are perfect for creating robot costumes. Bubble wrap, an old snowsuit, or simply transparent garbage bags are fun too!
An old computer keyboard, old pots, a colander, etc. Children will get creative and fantastic robots will emerge!

Manipulation:

Memory game with robot illustrations, use our Educatall picture game or a store-bought versionrelated to the theme
Robot puzzles
Blue, white, or grey modeling dough. Why not add a few sparkles? Children will love to see their creations sparkle! Use star or moon-shaped cookie cutters
A container filled with space-coloured beads children can use to make multifunction bracelets oranti-alien necklaces. Using old buttons, children can invent all kinds of jewellery for robots with various functions fit for a science fiction movie...of course imagination is required
Lite-Brite game. It shines like the stars in the sky
Assembly or gear games for creating original robots
K'NEX game

Pre-reading:

Books about robots, planets, outer space, and means of transportation
Hang a piece of tulle over your reading area and deposit confetti stars or glow in the dark stars on top
Decorate your reading area with lights (Christmas lights) so it looks like there are shining stars

Pre-writing:

Hunt and seek games
Activity sheets related to the theme
Games with educatall word flashcards
Tracing and maze activities
A dot to dot robot

Motor skills:

Game of "Robot says" played like "Simon says" using robot-like movements and a robot-like voice
Your parachute may become a spaceship! Adapt the games you normally play to give them an out of this world robot twist
Obstacle course throughout which children move like robots
Sing into different containers and listen to the different tones! Try a metal container, children will enjoy
Record yourself speaking with a microphone and listen to the recording

Sensory bins:

Container filled with straws, children search for precious stones
Container filled with artificial snowflakes

Science:

Hot and cold activities to discuss temperature changes and the temperature on various planets
Activities with and without oxygen (fire is extinguished without oxygen)
What is rust?
Motor pieces can be manipulated
Manipulation of real tools

Kitchen:

Prepare a recipe using a food processor (your own little robot)

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

Word flashcards

The flashcards may be used during circle time to spark a conversation with the group or in your reading and writing area. They may also be used to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards - Robots) robot, oil, metal, screw, antenna, computer, magnet, remote control, spring, bolt, rust, silver

Picture clue story
(Open picture clue story - Robots) Print. Sit in a circle with the group. Begin reading the picture clue story. Pause for each picture clue. Point to the clue and have children guess the missing word. Complete the activity with a craft and discuss the story.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

The robot says...
This game is played like "Simon says". Give children instructions. They must follow the instruction only if you said "The robot says..." first. Otherwise, they must remain still.

Lego robot
Have children build a robot using Lego blocks. Each child can build his own robot or they may work together.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Giant robot pieces
(Open game - Giant robot pieces) Print, laminate, and cut each robot piece. Children sit on the floor to assemble their giant robot.

Coded message
(Open coded message) Print. Robots have a language of their own which we do not understand. Have children invent or interpret the meaning of the messages.

Obedient robot
Children find a partner. Deposit various objects on the table (pencil, small car, block, etc.). One child sits at the table, blindfolded. The other child stands beside him. The blindfolded child must listen carefully to his partner's instructions. For example, he may instruct him to move his hand higher, lower, to the left, or to the right, to find an object.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Identical robots
Two children stand, facing each other. They must try to repeat each other's movements as if they were their friend's reflection in a mirror. Invite them to move like robots.

EARLY SCIENCE

Magnetic robot
Robots are made of metal and magnets stick to them. Provide children with magnets and encourage them to find metal objects within the daycare.

Magnet game
Place objects on a table (nails, paperclips, coins, elastics, aluminum, pencils, blocks, lipstick, etc.). Place a magnet near one object at a time. Sort the objects. The objects attracted by the magnet go in one container and the objects which are not attracted to the magnet go in another container. Help children understand how metals are attracted by the magnet.

Magnetic memory game-Robots

(Open story and memory game - Robots) Print twice and cut out the illustrations. Glue them to the top of frozen juice cans. Attach a magnet to the end of a fishing rod (or a stick with string). Lay the illustrations face down on the floor. Children pick two illustrations. If they are identical, they keep them and play again. Otherwise, they must wait for their next turn.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Spring and oil soup
Prepare chicken broth. Add noodles shaped like tiny springs. Have children drink the soup using straws and eat their "springs" with their fingers.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Robot
Give each child a brown paper grocery bag. Draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Cut them out. Provide several metal cans, empty toilet paper rolls, aluminum paper, and a variety of material children may use to create their robot. Help them secure their pieces with hot glue.

Robot head
For each child, cut a hole in the top of a box for his head. Remember to cut out a nose, eyes, and a mouth. Cover with aluminum paper. Add antennas made with pipe cleaners and Styrofoam balls. Let children decorate as they please.

Oil and screws
Have children create a collage using fusilli pasta and corn syrup.

Oil painting
Let children paint with a corn syrup and maple syrup. You may add food colouring to make the "paint" darker.

Robot antennas
(Open robot antennas) Print for each child. Cover a headband and the antennas with aluminum paper. Staple and decorate.

COLORING PAGES

(Open coloring pages theme - Robots)

CREATIVE COLORING
(Open creative coloring - Robots) Print for each child. Children complete the picture by drawing what is hidden in the robot's stomach.

SONGS & RHYMES

Five little robots

by: Patricia Morrison

Sung to: Five little ducks

Five little robots went to outer space one day
Up in the sky and far away
Mother robot said,
"Beep, beep, beep, beep"

But only 4 little robots came back

Four little robots went to outer space one day
Up in the sky and far away
Mother robot said,

"Beep, beep, beep, beep"

But only 3 little robots came back

Three little robots went to outer space one day
Up in the sky and far away
Mother robot said,

"Beep, beep, beep, beep"

But only 2 little robots came back

Two little robots went to outer space one day
Up in the sky and far away
Mother robot said,

"Beep, beep, beep, beep"

But only 1 little robot came back

One little robot went to outer space one day
Up in the sky and far away
Mother robot said,

"Beep, beep, beep, beep"

But no little robots came back

Sad mother robot went to outer space one day
Up in the sky and far away
Sad mother robot said,

"Beep, beep, beep, beep"

And all of the five little robots came back

The lights on the robot

by: Patricia Morrison

Sung to: The wheels on the bus

The lights on the robot go on and off
On and off, on and off
The lights on the robot go on and off
All day long

The arms on the robot go up and down
Up and down, up and down
The arms on the robot go up and down
All day long

The feet on the robot go clickity clack
Clickity clack, clickity clack
The feet on the robot go clickity clack

All day long

The antennas on the robot go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
The antennas on the robot go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
All day long

Have nice day!

Educatall team

Our job is to make yours easier. Do not hesitate to suggest themes you would like to see us develop. Let us know of any printable documents or tools which could be useful. Send us your comments and suggestions!

No part of this text may be copied, reproduced, distributed, published, translated, downloaded, posted, or transmitted, in any way, without first obtaining written authorization from educatall and the copyright holder. Elements of the text may be posted or downloaded solely for personal and non-commercial use provided no modification is made and that all notices of intellectual property are clearly indicated (name of the author, title of the article, name of the website, date the text is used).