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Pre-K activities, learning games, crafts, and printables


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Children around the world

This theme will take children on a journey around the world! Each country has something different to share: dancing, crafts, culinary activities, and music too!

In the Educatall Club
Coloring pages, word flashcards, picture game, and activity sheets to complement your theme


Educatall Club
Educatall Club

ALL THEMES See 2024 schedule

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CIRCLE TIME

Turn circle time into a trip around the world. Invite each child to sit in a cardboard box which will represent his airplane throughout the theme.

 

Each morning, invite children to board their airplane and say, "Good morning, I will be your pilot today. We are going to discover... (example: Italy). Please fasten your seatbelts and have a good trip!" Fill a suitcase with pictures and objects which represent the country you will be discussing. Open the suitcase and invite each child to select an item. Children take turns presenting their object with your help.

 

Postcard

We have prepared a postcard model for you. (Open models-Postcard) Print for each child. Have them glue their postcard to the front and back of a piece of cardboard. At the end of the theme, ask children to draw the country they enjoyed visiting most. Have them glue the country's flag on the postcard. When they are done, mail the postcards to each child's home. They will be very surprised!

 

AREA SETUP

(Open thematic poster - Children around the world) Print, laminate, and decorate the walls of your daycare with all kinds of posters. (Open world map and flags) Print and laminate. Display on the wall. Using Velcro, add the flag of the country you are discussing each day.

 

Passport
(Open passport) Print for each child. Have children add a picture or a drawing of themselves. At the end of each day, encourage children to add the flag of the country they visited to their passport.

 

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS

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

 

 Construction/building blocks:

  • Decorate the area with pictures of various buildings or structures from around the world (mosque, pyramid, tower, etc.)

Arts & crafts:

  • World map drawings.
  • Drawings of flags children can color (you can decorate the area with colourful flags).
  • White rice or tinted rice which can be used to make collages (flags, etc.)
  • Make maracas using a variety of containers filled with rice.
  • Multicultural Crayola crayons to color various skin types.

Role play:

 

  • Chinese kitchen: Chinese hats which can easily be made, chopsticks, small square boxes (available at Dollar stores and in supermarkets), etc. You can even add real rice!
  • Bin filled with food items from around the world.
  • Bamboo placemats.World maps and flags
  • Pictures of traditional costumes from different countries displayed on the walls.
  • Caribbean: small swimming pool filled with sand (or empty), umbrella, beach towels, flippers, mask, and empty sunscreen bottles.

 Manipulation:

  • Memory game with flags or people from around the world.
  • Modeling dough which represents various skin types.
  • Puzzles related to the theme.
  • Globe...children try to find their location.

 Reading and relaxation:Passport

 

  • Books about countries with lots of pictures.
  • A world map can decorate the area.
  • Books about characters which travel throughout the world.

Music:

  • Music from around the world... and dances!

Sensory bins:

  • Rice bin: dyed or not.
  • Lentil bin

Early science:

  • Recipes from around the world.

Activity-sheets-The-continentsACTIVITY SHEETS

Activity sheets are suggested for each theme. Print and follow instructions. Children must associate the colors to the correct continents. (Open activity sheets-The continents)

 

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with your group. Use them to decorate the daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game-Children around the world)

 

WORD FLASHCARDS

The flashcards may be used to spark a conversation with your group, in your reading and writing area, or to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-Children around the world) China, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Italy, United States of America, France, Haiti, Hawaii, Greenland, Scotland, Holland

 

ACTIVITIES

Picture game - Children-around-the-worldCamera
(Open model-camera) Print the model. Trace it onto heavy cardboard and cut it out. Each child will have his own camera. They can use their cameras to take pretend pictures to remember the activities they enjoy most. Invite children to draw their favourite activity at the end of each day. (Open models-picture) They may present it to the group.

 

Photo album
Ask parents and grandparents to provide pictures they took on various trips (or use pictures found in magazines). Cut them out and glue them on 10 cm x 13 cm pieces of paper. Place the pictures in plastic bags (Ziploc). You can place two pictures in each bag, back to back. Staple the bags together so you can open them if needed. Use adhesive tape to cover the staples. Variation: You can take pictures of the costumes you make throughout the theme and place them in a photo album or in Ziploc bags.

 

Word flashcards - Children-around-the-worldPhotographer
Children take turns pretending they are a photographer. The other children dress up with clothing which represents different cultures (a sombrero and a poncho, for example) and strike different poses.

 

Children of the world
(Open children of the world) Print and lay the pieces on the table along with glue, scissors, sparkles, wiggly eyes, felt, etc. Children will love creating multicultural characters. Link them together by adding fasteners to their hands to form a chain of children from around the world. Hang from the ceiling or display on your wall.

 

Pyramids
Children build pyramids with cardboard boxes.

Here are a few suggestions for specific countries:

 

CHINA AND JAPAN

Model - CameraChinese lantern
Use small glass jars (baby food jars). Cover the jars with colourful tissue paper or paint them using stained glass paint. Place a small tea light inside.

 

Calligraphy
(Open calligraphy) Print and display in your writing area. Set a large piece of white paper on a table along with fine paintbrushes and black paint. Let children invent their own Chinese code.

 

Chinese hats
Trace a large circle on heavy paper and cut it out. Cut a straight line to the center of the circle. Fold the two parts, on either side of the slit. Glue or staple the two parts together. Make holes on either side of the hat's tip. Thread ribbon through the holes. Children can decorate their hats.

 

CalligraphyRice
Let children create a picture by gluing rice grains on dark paper.

 

Spoonfuls of rice
Provide each child with an empty 2-litre soft drink bottle. Fill a large container with rice and deposit it in the center of the table. Set a timer and invite children to add rice to their bottle as quickly as possible. When the timer rings, the child with the most rice in his bottle wins.

 

Sushi and tatami snack time
At snack time, set cushions around a coffee table and encourage children to sit on their knees. Make your own banana sushi using a tortilla. Spread jam on top and add banana slices. Roll and cut into pieces.

 

Chinese meal
Set a large blanket on the floor and serve rice. Let children use chopsticks.

 

Collective flag
(Open flag-Japan) Provide a rectangular piece of white fabric. Let children reproduce the flag of Japan. Display within the daycare.

 Flag - Japan

Vocabulary
Thank you: Arigato
I love you: Wuo ai nee
Hello: Panorama
Goodbye: Sayonara

 

MEXICO

The piñata
This is a traditional game children enjoy in Mexico. Fill tiny Ziploc bags with candy and place them in an empty shoebox. Close the box and secure it with tape. Wrap the box with wrapping paper or tissue paper and tape. Decorate the box with strips of paper and tissue paper flowers. Use hot glue to add these decorations to the box.

 

Maracas
Fill empty water bottles with pasta. Seal the bottles with hot glue. Children can decorate their maracas and then make music with them.

 

Mexican flower
Cut several circles out of multicoloured tissue paper. Use six layers for each flower. Secure them together with a pipe cleaner, pinching the tissue paper in the center. Separate the layers and use the flowers as hairpieces for the girls in your group.


My banjo
Glue an aluminum pie plate on a strip of heavy cardboard. Slide rubber bands over the plate. Show children how to create banjo-like sounds by pinching the rubber bands with their fingers.

 

Mexican fiesta
For lunch, prepare your very own Mexican fiesta. Prepare various Mexican foods such as fajitas, tacos, nachos, salsa, guacamole, etc. Play Mexican music in the background.

 

Collective flag
(Open flag-Mexico) Provide a rectangular piece of white fabric. Let children reproduce the flag of Mexico. Display within the daycare.

 

Flag - MexicoVocabulary
Thank you: Gracias
I love you: Te amo
Child: Niño
Hello: Hola
Goodby: Adios

 

ITALY

Spaghetti
Cook several boxes of spaghetti and let cool. Prepare a sensory bin with the cooked pasta. Children will love playing with the noodles.

 

Pasta and more pasta
Provide several different types of dry pasta. Let children use the pasta to make a collage, a bracelet, a necklace, a garland, etc.

 

Colourful pasta
Prepare sensory bins filled with tinted dry pasta.

 

1 pint of noodles
2 tablespoons of food coloring
3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol

 

Combine the food coloring and rubbing alcohol in a container. Add the pasta. Cover. Shake gently to coat pasta completely with color. Spread noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet and let dry several hours. Prepare a single color at a time and then divide to create several sensory bins. This preparation must be done by an adult.

 

Italian chef
Let each child prepare his own tiny pizza. Give them each a small ball of pizza dough. Set a variety of ingredients in bowls and let them create!

 

Collective flag
(Open flag-Italy) Provide a rectangular piece of white fabric. Let children reproduce the flag of Italy. Display within the daycare.

 

Flag - ItalyVocabulary
Thank you: Grazie
I love you: Ti amo

Child: Bambino
Hello: Ciao
Goodbye: Arrivederci

 

AFRICA

Tam-tam
Set pots, pans, and various sizes of metal cans on the floor. Using utensils, children can enjoy creating African sounds and rhythms.

 

African mask
Give each child a brown paper grocery bag. Make holes for the eyes. Let children decorate their African mask using a variety of materials.

 

African dance
Play African music and invent your own dance steps.

 

Rainstick
Provide an empty paper towel roll for each child. Make a tiny hole on either side of the tube, large enough to fit a drinking straw through. Cut the straw so that it is the same size as the width of the paper towel roll. Add tape to one end of the tube and drop dry peas inside. Close off the other end the same way and gently turn your rainstick.

 

African-animalsAfrican animals
(Open African animals) Print, cut out, and deposit the animals in a jar. Children take turns picking an animal and making the corresponding animal sounds and moves.

 

African jewellery
Make bracelets by cutting large strips of cardboard and gluing the extremities together. Cover them with aluminum paper and add decorative items. Use large, colourful buttons and raffia to make your bracelets bright!

 

African safari
(Open African animals) Print as many copies as necessary. Glue the animal illustrations here and there throughout the daycare. You must have one illustration of each animal per child (if you have 5 children in your group, you must have 5 zebras, 5 lions, etc.) Children walk around the daycare to discover the animals. They must collect one picture of each animal and hold it in their hands. When the safari is over, children can color the animals and then assemble them to form a small book.

 

Exotic fruits and vegetables
Introduce children to exotic fruits and vegetables such as plantains, kiwis, oranges, mangoes, miniature bananas, sweet potatoes, litchis, or passion fruit.

 

Collective flag
(Open flag-South Africa) Provide a rectangular piece of white fabric. Let children reproduce the flag of Africa. Display within the daycare.

 

Flag - South - AfricaVocabulary:
Thank you: Dankie
I love you: Ek het jou life
Child: Kind
Hello: Goeiedag
Goodbye: Totsiens

 

CANADA

The maple family
(Open craft-Maple leaf family) Print a maple leaf for each child. Invite them to create a maple leaf family by simply coloring, cutting out, and gluing their maple leaf onto cardboard. Next, each child can create a character by adding eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

 

Maple leaf familyIndian bandana
(Open craft-Indian bandana) Print a copy for each child. Have them cut out and color their bandana and the feathers. They must then glue the feathers to the bandana. When they are done, assemble each headband to fit the size of the child's head and staple. Note that if you prefer, you may use a strip of construction paper. The child may also glue real feathers on the strip of paper.

 

Igloo
Cover a table with white bed sheets. Set up a container filled with snow and winter figurines. Add books about polar animals. Children will love playing in their "igloo".

 

Sugar shack Day
(Open perpetual calendar-Sugar Shack Day) Ask each child to arrive at daycare wearing something checkered (shirt, scarf, etc.)

 

Circle time: Taste a variety of products made with maple syrup. Explain how maple syrup is made (water, syrup, butter, taffy, sugar).

 

Perpetual-calendar - Sugar Shack DayLunch and snack: As a snack, serve maple leaf cookies. For lunch, serve a typical sugar shack lunch and use a checkered tablecloth.

 

Special activities: To represent a sleigh ride, pull children in a sled on the grass or snow. Organize outdoor activities. At the end of the day, serve maple taffy on snow. Boil the contents of one can of pure maple syrup, stirring constantly. Use a candy thermometer. The taffy will be ready when the temperature reaches 240⁰F. Pour over snow and enjoy!

 

Collective flag
(Open flag-Canada) Provide a rectangular piece of white fabric. Let children reproduce the flag of Canada. Display within the daycare.

 

Vocabulary:

Thank you: Merci
I love you: Je t'aime
Child: Enfant
Hello: Allo
Goodbye: Au revoir

 

Flag - CanadaCOLORING PAGES

(Open coloring pages theme-Children around the world) Print for each child.

 

SONGS & RHYMES

It's a small world

by: Disney

 

It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hope
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world

There is just one moon
And one golden sun
And a smile means
Friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world

 

Around the world

by: Patricia Morrison

sung to: Skidamarink

 

Around the world, the world, the world
Around the world you'll find
Me and you
Around the world, the world, the world
Around the world you'll find
Me and you
You may be in Italy
While I'm in Canada
If you're in China or Japan
Mexico, Africa
Around the world, the world, the world
Around the world we grow
Me and you

 

 

Have fun!

The Educatall team

Mettre à jour Annuler

 

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