Movies

Print various posters related to your theme and use them to decorate your daycare. (Open thematic poster-Movies)

Welcome
Collect several posters representing a variety of movies and display them on the walls of your daycare. Add several comfortable furniture items such as cushions, sofas, bean bag chairs, stuffed animals, etc. Make a special hat by gluing a DVD case on a headband or baseball cap and wear it to greet children in the morning. If you prefer, dress up as a character from one of your group's favorite movies (you can watch it together later in the day too!). For example, if the children in your group like Frozen, your costume can be a simple cape and a magic wand.

Movie schedule
(Open schedule-Movies) Print and display.

Stickers for rewards
(Open stickers-Movies) Print the illustrations on adhesive paper and use them to create stickers that can be given to children to reward them for good behavior.

Educa-theme-Movies
(Open educa-theme-Movies) Print and laminate the elements representing your theme. Use them to present your theme to children (and their parents) while decorating your daycare.

Educa-decorate-Movies
(Open educa-decorate-Movies) Print, laminate, and cut out the items. Use them to decorate the walls of your daycare and set the mood for the theme.

Integrating movies throughout your daycare
Here are a few simple decorating suggestions for this theme:

• Cut out and glue pictures from several DVD cases on the walls, the floor, the ceiling, under tables, in your various workshops, on toys, etc.
• Provide stickers representing characters from children's favorite movies.
• Cut the letters that make up the word "MOVIES" out of construction paper and glue each one on a paper plate. Make a hole at the top of each plate and thread them onto a long ribbon or string to create a garland.
• Use pictures found in a newspaper announcing movies currently playing at your local movie theatre or from movie rental magazines to decorate the walls of your daycare.

SPECIAL TOOL

This tool was created in response to a special request received. (Open poster-Silence please) Print and laminate. Display the poster on a wall when necessary.

CIRCLE TIME

Animated discussion-Movies
(Open picture game-Movies) Print and laminate the pictures in the format you prefer. Use them to spark a conversation with your group. Ask children questions to see what they know about movies. Present several different movies and let them manipulate the cases. Encourage them to share whether they have seen them, if they enjoyed them, etc.

Suggested circle time questions:

What is your favorite movie?
Which movies would you like to watch?
Which movies have you seen? Describe the main characters.
Have you ever seen a 3D movie?

Keep in mind that children learn when they are having fun. Change their circle time spots and decorate your circle time area with a variety of items related to movies. Hang DVD cases from the ceiling in your circle time area.

PICTURE GAME

The picture game may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with the group. The pictures may also be used simply to decorate the daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game-Movies) Print and laminate. Store the game in a "Ziploc" bag or in your thematic bin.

Memory game-Movies
(Open picture game-Movies) Print the series of illustrations twice and use them for a traditional memory game.

Writing activities-M like movie
(Open writing activities-M like movie) Print for each child or laminate for use with a dry-erase marker.

Educa-nuudles-Movies

(Open educa-nuudles-Movies) Print for each child. Have children color the sheet and use Magic Nuudles to give it a three-dimensional look. If you don't have Magic Nuudles, simply ask children to fill the spaces with bingo markers or stickers. To order Magic Nuudles

Stationery-Movies
(Open stationery-Movies) Print. Use the stationery to communicate with parents, in your writing area, or even to identify your thematic bins.

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS-Movies

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

Construction/building blocks:

• Add any figurines you have which represent characters from movies (fish to represent Nemo for example).
• Encourage children to build their own movie theatres or movie scenes using different types of blocks.

Arts & crafts:

• Popcorn collage.
• Smarties collage.
• Two or three-dimensional model of a movie theatre, including spectators, seats, etc.
• Individual murals or crafts representing each child's favourite movie.
• Colourful cardstock, Popsicle sticks, and characters that can be cut out and used to create puppets.
• Make 3D glasses using red and blue cellophane paper.
• Using finger paint, invite children to paint behind movie posters (glossy paper).
• Use yellow cardstock and recycled boxes to make boxes for nachos.
• Use black cardstock and white paint to create a clapper board.
• Paper plates, Popsicle sticks, and construction paper for creating masks representing children's favorite characters.
• Recycled materials for building a three-dimensional castle as a group.

Drawing:

• Coloring pages related to children's favorite movies.
• Creative coloring activity of one of your group's favourite movies.
• Draw in the dark with flashlights (to represent a dark movie theatre).
• Draw on a strip of paper (one picture after the other) to represent a movie scenario.

Role play:

At the movie theatre:

• Chairs, a bed sheet hung from the ceiling to represent the movie screen, popcorn containers, soft drink glasses, empty candy boxes or bags, movie posters, etc.

At the snack bar:

• Cash register, money, empty candy boxes or bags, glasses, popcorn containers, popcorn machine, etc.

Cinderella:

• Old clothing items, a broom, a bucket, rags, a princess dress or costume, shiny shoes, etc.

Snow White:

• Elf hats (dwarfs), a bed, stuffed animals, a pretty dress, a mirror, an apple, etc.

Manipulation:

• Memory game related to well-known movies.
• Lite-Brite game.
• Association game.
• Various sounds that can be associated to illustrations, like movie sound effects.
• An old projector, an old VHS player, a screen, a film reel, a video cassette.
• Various accessories which can be used in movies.
• Using a children's digital camera, take several pictures and create your own movie by gluing them on a large piece of cardstock.

Pre-reading:

• Storybooks about well-known movies.
• CD and book sets children can listen to (example: Nemo).
• Use educatall.com pictures to create your own stories.
• Movie posters can be used to decorate the area.

Pre-writing:

• Hunt and seek activities.
• Various activity sheets related to the theme.
• Games with educatall.com's word flashcards.
• Tracing and maze games.
• Laminated drawings that can be traced with dry-erase markers.
• Observation games.

Motor skills:

• An obstacle course throughout which children must hop over popcorn containers, run around colourful candy pieces, etc.
• A treasure hunt in which children must find various items representing a movie. Once all the items have been found, watch the movie with your group.
• Bean bag toss. Replace traditional numbers with pictures of movie characters.
• Create your own movie, record it with a digital camera, and then watch it as group.

Science:

• 35 mm film. Show children how the colours are backwards.
• Perform various sound and picture tests with a camera.

Kitchen:

• Prepare nachos.
• Make your own pretzels.

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-Movies) (Open giant word flashcards-Movies) movie, film reel, comedian, comic strip, camera, character, comedy, 3D, producer, film set, costumes, décor

Let's chat
(Open word flashcards-Movies) (Open giant word flashcards-Movies) Print and laminate the word flashcards. Have each child pick a flashcard and take turns presenting the item to the group. Discuss each item to see what children know about the theme.

Word race
(Open word flashcards-Movies) (Open giant word flashcards-Movies) Print several word flashcards and hide them throughout your daycare or yard. Divide your group into two teams. When you give the signal, children must search for the flashcards for a pre-determined period, for example three minutes. When the time is up, children must be able to "read" their flashcards to earn a point for their team. If they are unable to find the correct word, the other team can earn the point if they succeed.

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

Places everyone
(Open picture game-Movies) Print and laminate the pictures twice in the format you prefer. Stick one picture on each chair and keep the copies. At lunch or snack time, invite children to take turns picking a picture to determine where they must sit (corresponding picture).

My movie path
(Open transition games-Movies) Print, laminate, and use adhesive paper to stick the illustrations on the floor, creating a path that leads to various areas frequently visited by the children in your group (bathroom, cloakroom, etc.). If you prefer, you can also use the illustrations to delimit workshops or corners within your daycare.

Game-This is my spot-Movies
(Open transition games-Movies) Print each illustration twice. Use adhesive paper to secure one copy of each illustration on the table. Deposit the second copy of each illustration in an opaque bag and invite children to pick a card that will determine their spot at the table (corresponding illustration). The illustrations can also be used to determine children's naptime spots or their place in the task train.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Movie carriers
Draw a simple path on the floor using colourful electrical tape. Add a balance beam, a few cones, etc. Invite children to place a DVD case on their head and try to complete the obstacle course without it falling to the floor.

Movie relay race
Divide your group into two teams. You will need a backpack as well as an equal number of DVD cases for each team. Set a plastic bin at the other end of the daycare for each team. Children take turns picking a DVD case, placing it in their team's backpack, running to the other end of the daycare to deposit it in their team's plastic bin, and running back to hand the backpack to the next child in line. The first team that has successfully transported all its movies wins.

Where are the movies hiding?
(Open miniature movies) Print and laminate. Deposit miniature movie illustrations throughout your daycare. When you give the signal, children search for them. For this activity, there is no winner. The goal is simply for children to have fun!

Movie hop
(Open models-Movies) Print, laminate, and cut out the movies. Use adhesive paper to secure the illustrations on the floor. Encourage children to hop from one movie to the next in a variety of different ways (on one foot, backwards, sideways, etc.).

Film producers
Children take turns pretending to be a film producer. The other children dress up and act out the producer's directions, strike various poses, etc.

Mime game
Explain what a mime is to your group. Invite children to mime going up and down stairs, pulling on a rope, climbing a tree, etc.

Take 1
Use your camera to film your group during different activities throughout the day. If you wish, you can also film them during naptime. At the end of the day, children will enjoy watching their very own movie.

Stuntmen
Encourage children to crawl under chairs or coffee tables, jump over a rope hanging between two plastic bins, or perform somersaults.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Movie exchange
Invite each child to bring a movie from home and let them trade their movie with one of their friends. They will love watching their borrowed movie at home with their parents.

Picture books
Make your own original picture books for your group. Collect pictures and illustrations associated with movies and arrange them in photo albums. You may also choose to laminate the pictures and arrange them in Ziploc bags. Staple the bags together (cover the staples with heavy tape) to create a picture book little hands can safely manipulate.

New releases
Fill a container with magazines from several different video rental stores. Set the container on a shelf and let children explore its contents, admire the colors, observe the different characters, etc.

Hidden camera
Use your camera to secretly film your group during different activities throughout the day. If you wish, you can also film them during naptime. At the end of the day, children will enjoy watching their very own movie.

Movie day
(Open perpetual calendar-Movie Day) Give each child a ticket. (Open movie tickets) Invite children to bring movies from home to daycare and pick and choose among the selection throughout the day. Serve Corn Pops cereal (safer than popcorn for young children) and watch movies as a group.

Comedy hour
Children sit on the floor, facing a partner. They must imitate each other's facial expressions. The goal of the activity is for children to make their partner laugh.

Light show
Provide flashlights and encourage children to create a unique light show.

Movie stars
Select a well-known movie star and encourage children to take turns pretending they are this person.

Standing ovation
Select one child per day. Throughout the day, the child can request a standing ovation whenever he wishes simply by saying, "I would like a standing ovation please." The other children will love clapping as hard as they can for their friend.

Makeup
Each child finds a partner and they take turn applying makeup on their friend's face.

Silence, we're filming!
When you give the signal, children must be completely silent. The game ends when all the children have spoken. Ask children to peer into their friends' eyes. This game can be used throughout the theme, whenever you need children to be quiet.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Hunt and seek-Movies
(Open hunt and seek-Movies) Print and laminate. Children pick a card and search for the item in the scene.

Movie production
Collect coloring pages or pages that are falling out of old storybooks. Remove all text. With your group, place the illustrations in a certain order and use them to invent your movie's storyline.

Popcorn game
(Open game-popcorn) Print and laminate the popcorn bags. Place the bags face down on the floor. Invite one child to pick a bag and have him count the popcorn kernels. If the child succeeds, have him pick another bag. The child continues until he makes a mistake.

Magnetic movies
Collect several old DVD cases, remove the pictures, and laminate them. Glue a magnet behind each picture and display them on your refrigerator.

Educ-pairs-Movies
(Open educ-pairs-Movies) Print. Children must draw a line between items that go together or color them using the same marker.

Color by number-Movies
(Open color by number-Movies) Print for each child. Children must color the picture per the color code.

Collective comic strip
(Open blank comic strips) Print for each child. Encourage children to draw or make a collage to represent one section of a comic strip. When all the children are done, glue their work together to create one big comic strip and have fun inventing a story to go along with their artwork.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Snack and a movie
Plan an outing to your local playground. Bring a snack and use a portable DVD player to watch a movie with your group while you are there.

EARLY SCIENCE

Popcorn bin
Fill a large bin with popcorn and add figurines, measuring cups, plastic containers, utensils, etc. Let children manipulate the items.

How does sound travel?
Encourage children to speak into various empty containers and listen to their voice and the sounds they make.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Camera
Use an empty box of tissues and make a hole in it so that you can see right through the box. Wrap the box with aluminum foil. Children will have fun pretending to film one another throughout the day.

Popcorn bag
Give each child a brown paper lunch bag. Provide popcorn they can glue on the bag to decorate it. Write the name of each child on his or her bag. During naptime, fill the bags with treats (not popcorn since it can be dangerous for small children).

Drive-in
(Open craft-car) Print, cut out, color, and glue the pieces on a cardboard box. Each child makes his or her own car. Let children decorate their car as they wish. They can sit in their car to watch a movie, just like at an actual drive-in theatre.

Home theatre
Use cardboard to make a large screen which can be hung on a wall. Next, set up chairs, just like in a movie theatre. Add empty popcorn containers, a few drinking glasses, and crafted movie tickets. Glue movie posters on your large screen.

Special 3D glasses
(Open models-glasses) Print and cut out. Each child makes his/her own pair of 3D glasses. Once they have colored and cut out their frame, have them glue red and blue cellophane paper in the openings for the eyes.

Movie scenario
Cut at least five sheets of white paper into tiny strips. Use them to create a pad of paper. Staple or glue them together on the left side. Draw a simple object or character performing an action (for example a flower growing in a pot or a stick figure looking at the sun). Start at the base of the drawing. On each page, repeat the same drawing, adding a small detail. Continue until you reach the last page of your pad of paper to create a scenario. Hold the pad of paper firmly with your left hand and quickly flip through the pages to see your scenario come to life. Children will want to create scenarios of their own!

Mandalas-Movies
(Open mandalas-Movies) Print for each child. Encourage children to color the mandalas to help them relax and unwind during the theme.

Models-Movies
(Open models-Movies) Print the models and use them for your various activities and projects throughout the theme.

COLORING PAGES AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE THEM

(Open coloring pages theme-Movies) Print for each child.

Identical coloring pages-Movies
Print the same coloring page for each child and an additional copy for your model. Color only certain parts of your picture. Present the model to your group and ask them to color their picture to make it look exactly like yours.

Coloring binder-Movies
Print and laminate several coloring pages and arrange them in a binder with a few dry-erase markers. Leave everything on a table for children to explore.

Musical drawing-Movies
Play musical drawing with your group. Give each child a coloring page. Have children sit around a table. When the music starts, they must pass the coloring pages around the table. Every time the music stops, they must color the picture in front of them until the music starts again.

Homemade puzzles-Movies
Give each child a picture to color. When they are done, cut each picture into pieces to create unique puzzles.

SONGS & RHYMES

(Open songs & rhymes-Movies)

By: Patricia Morrison Sung to: Five little monkeys

Five little bears

Five little bears watching a movie
One laughed so hard it hurt his tummy
The mother called the doctor
And the doctor said
No more watching silly movies

Four little bears watching a movie
One cried so hard it hurt his tummy
The mother called the doctor
And the doctor said
No more watching sad movies

Three little bears watching a movie
One screamed so hard it hurt his tummy
The mother called the doctor
And the doctor said
No more watching scary movies

Two little bears watching a movie
One yawned so hard it hurt his tummy
The mother called the doctor
And the doctor said
No more watching long movies

One little bear watching a movie
Oh my, he was oh so lonely
The mother called the doctor
And the doctor said
Come back bears and enjoy the movie

Have fun

The educatall team