Sense of sight

AREA SETUP

Print a variety of posters and use them to decorate the walls of your daycare. (Open thematic poster-Sense of sight)

Educa-theme-Sense of sight

(Open educa-theme-Sense of sight) Print and laminate the different elements representing the theme. Use them to present the theme to your group (and their parents) while decorating your daycare.

Educa-decorate-Sense of sight

(Open educa-decorate-Sense of sight) Print, laminate, and cut out the illustrations. Use them to decorate your walls and set the mood for the theme.

Garland-Sense of sight

Cut out letter-themed illustrations to make a connection with an optometrist letter chart. Use the letters to create a garland and hang it within your daycare or near your daycare entrance.

Sense of sight mosaic

Hang a large paper banner on a wall. Ask children to cut pictures of people wearing glasses out of magazines, catalogues, and flyers. They can glue the pictures on the banner to create a mosaic.

Who do these eyes belong to?

This game represents a fun way to introduce your theme to the parents of the children your group. Photograph each child, but only his eyes. Print the pictures and use them to create a poster. Have children decorate their poster as they wish. Write Who do these eyes belong to? at the top of your poster. Hang it near your daycare entrance so parents can play along. Will they recognize their child’s eyes?

CIRCLE TIME

Have fun having children try to guess who each pair of eyes in the poster created above belongs to.

Animated discussion-Sense of sight

(Open word flashcards-Sense of sight) Print and laminate the word flashcards. Use them to spark a conversation with your group. Ask children questions about their eyes and sense of sight.

Point to or name the flashcard

(Open giant word flashcards-Sense of sight) Print, laminate, and display the word flashcards on a wall, close to your circle time area or on a large cardboard that can easily be moved around. Children take turns identifying a word.

Poni discovers and presents-Sense of sight

(Open Poni discovers and presents-Sense of sight) Print the cards. Laminate and cut them out. Use your Poni puppet (or another puppet children are familiar with) to present them to your group.

Flipogram-Sense of sight

(Open picture game-Sense of sight) Print and laminate the pictures in the format you prefer. Use a hole-punch to make a hole in the upper right and left corner of each picture. Stack the pictures and insert a ring through each set of holes. The flipogram is easy to manipulate. Simply show children how they can lift a picture and flip it under the stack. Name each item with your group. Use the flipogram to encourage children to talk during circle time and to ask them questions about the theme.

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-Sense of sight) Print, laminate, and store in a “Ziploc” bag or in your thematic bins.

Memory game

(Open picture game-Sense of sight) Print the pictures twice and use them for a memory game.

ACTIVITY SHEETS

(Open activity sheets-Sense of sight) Print and follow instructions.

Ways to use your activity sheets

Stick two crayons together, end to end. Have children complete part of an activity sheet with one end, rotate the crayon, and use the other color to complete the second portion of the activity sheet.

Different positions

Stick activity sheets on walls, on the floor, or under tables. Ask children to stand, sit, or lie down to complete the activities.

Writing activities

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

Creating your own activity binder

Laminate several activity sheets and writing activities and arrange them in a binder along with dry-erase markers. Leave the binder in your writing area and let children complete the pages as they wish. At the end of the day, simply wipe off their work so the activity binder can be reused.

Educa-nuudles-Sense of sight

(Open educa-nuudles-Sense of sight) Print for each child. Have children color the sheet and use Magic Nuudles to give it a three-dimensional look. Variation: You don’t have Magic Nuudles? Have children fill the spaces designed for Magic Nuudles with bingo markers or stickers. To order Magic Nuudles.

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

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-Sense of sight) (Open giant word flashcards-Sense of sight) eyeglasses, lens, magnifying glass, eyes, optometry, binoculars, pupil, to look, eye exam, frame, glass, eyepatch

Let’s chat

(Open word flashcards-Sense of sight) (Open giant word flashcards-Sense of sight) Print and laminate the word flashcards. Have each child pick a word and present it to the group (ex. lens). Ask them questions to see what they know about the theme.

Reinvented scrabble

(Open word flashcards-Sense of sight) (Open giant word flashcards-Sense of sight) Print many copies of the word flashcards and encourage children to use scrabble tiles to write the words. Manipulating the small tiles represents a great fine motor skill exercise. At the same time, children will notice which letters make up the different words.

Word association-Sense of sight

(Open word flashcards-Sense of sight) (Open giant word flashcards-Sense of sight) Print two copies of several different word flashcards. On a large piece of cardboard, stick one copy of each flashcard vertically to create a word column. Cut the second copy of each word flashcard so you have the word on one side and the illustration on the other side. Attach Velcro behind each part as well as to the right of the uncut flashcards (on the cardboard). Arrange the cut flashcards on the table and encourage children to look at your flashcard board to identify a matching word and illustration. When they succeed, they may stick them next to the corresponding flashcard, on your board. This exercise will help children associate words with pictures.

Word clothesline

(Open word flashcards-Sense of sight) (Open giant word flashcards-Sense of sight) Print two copies of several word flashcards. Hang one copy of each word on an indoor clothesline with colourful clothespins. Arrange the copies in a pile on a table. Let children take turns picking a word and finding the matching word on the clothesline. When they find a match, they can place the flashcard on top of the one that was already hanging on the clothesline. Help younger children manipulate the clothespins if necessary.

Word race

(Open word flashcards-Sense of sight) (Open giant word flashcards-Sense of sight) Print several word flashcards and hide them throughout your daycare or yard. Divide your group into two teams. When you give them 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

Sunglass trot

Collect all the sunglasses you can find. Purchase extra pairs at your local dollar store or ask parents to lend you some if your collection is incomplete. Invite children to pick a pair of sunglasses and let them wear them when you go for a walk in your neighbourhood. Take pictures of the children in your group and print them. Display them in your cloakroom as a souvenir of this fun activity.

Fostering observation skills during routines

Take the time to help children notice items that are present during various routines. When you go for a walk, stop to admire a bird in a tree. At lunch time, encourage children to notice the color of the food items that are in their plate. Hang a mobile from the ceiling in your naptime area. Display pictures of the children in your group enjoying an outdoor activity in the cloakroom.

Diaper change mirror

Find an unbreakable mirror and let children manipulate it during diaper changes. They will enjoy using it to look at themselves.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Fabric-covered floor

Cut several squares of colourful fabric, making sure they are all the same size (you must have enough to cover a large surface). Ask children to use the fabric squares to completely cover the floor. The only rule they must respect is that each square much touch another one, at least one corner. Use adhesive tape to stick the pieces of fabric on the floor. Use the colourful floor for a game of musical squares or to create an interactive story (the blue squares are water and children must jump over them, the orange squares are fire, etc.).

I am blind

Blindfold children and have them try to build a structure using blocks.

The right token in the right slot

(Open colourful box) Print. Stick one colourful square on each side of the box. Remove the top portion so children can easily retrieve the tokens at the end of the game. Cut a slot out of each side of the box. You will also need bingo markers (corresponding colors). Children take turns picking a token, naming the color, and identifying the corresponding color on the box to insert the token through its slot.

Observing shapes with my eyes

Cut basic shapes (triangles, squares, circles) out of Fun Foam sheets. Let children use the shapes to create mosaics. They can start over as often as they wish. Be sure to provide large shapes children can use to create oversized mosaics on the floor.

My eyes recognize colors

Cut several different colors of fabric to represent various shapes. Set them on the floor. When you give the signal, children have two minutes to collect objects of a specific color and set them on the fabric of the corresponding color.

My eyes associate colors

Give children colourful gift bags. Hide tiny pieces of fabric throughout your daycare. Invite children to collect as many pieces of fabric corresponding to the color of their bag as possible. To increase the level of difficulty, you may use bags containing two colors.

Where are my eyeglasses?

(Open miniature eyeglasses) Print and laminate. Hide a specific number of eyeglasses throughout your daycare. Set a basket on the floor. Every time children find eyeglasses, ask them to set them in the basket before returning to search for more. Continue until all the glasses have been found.

Touching without seeing

Deposit a variety of soft items on the floor (sponges, stuffed animals, tiny cushions, etc.). Set a blanket on top of the items and use heavy-duty adhesive tape (sold in hardware stores) to stick the edges of the blanket on the floor. Let children crawl over the blanket.

MUSICAL AND RHYTHMIC ACTIVITIES

Observing and sorting toys

Fill a bag with a variety of toys and items from your daycare. Children take turns picking an item out of the bag and sorting it per the characteristic you determined at the start of the activity. The items can be sorted per their size, their shape, their color, or their use. Continue for the duration of one song.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Educ-math-Sense of sight

(Open educ-math-Sense of sight) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must count the items in each rectangle and circle the correct number.

Educa-symmetry-Sense of sight

(Open educa-symmetry-Sense of sight) Print. Children must color the picture at the bottom of the page to make it look exactly like the picture at the top of the page.

Finding shapes

(Open finding shapes) Print for each child. Children must identify the various shapes (clrcles, squares, rectangles, triangles) and color them per the legend.

Visual memory

(Open card game-visual memory) Print and laminate. To begin, use two cards. Name the items with your group and set the cards face down on the table. Ask children to name both items again, without looking at the cards. Slowly increase the number of cards.

Discovering hidden items

(Open discovering hidden items) Print and laminate. Set one picture under a colourful piece of cardboard. Slowly slide the cardboard down, unveiling a small portion of the picture at a time. Who will be the first to recognize the picture?

What’s missing under the blanket?

Select two or three items from your daycare. Set a blanket on top of the items. Discreetly remove one item. Take the blanket off and ask children to identify the missing item.

Finding the correct lid

Fill a bin with a variety of plastic containers and their lids. Children must associate each lid to the correct container.

I can hear, but I can’t see

This activity is great for working on object permanence. Set an alarm clock or timer under a blanket on the floor. Wait for it to ring. When it does, let children raise the blanket to see what is making the sound they hear.

What’s hiding in my bag?

Set a variety of toys or items from your daycare in an opaque bag. Children take turns picking an item out of the bag without showing it to the others. After picking their item, they must name characteristics of their object (shape, color, size, use, etc.) to help the others identify it.

Shape sorting

(Open shape sorting) Print and laminate. Set the shapes in front of your group. Name a characteristic (shape, color, size). Children must sort the shapes per this characteristic.

5 senses association game

(Open association game-5 senses) Print, laminate, and cut out the parts. Children must associate each picture to the correct sense (hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste).

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Photo booth-Sense of sight

(Open photo booth-Sense of sight) Print the various accessories, cut them out, and glue a drinking straw behind each one. Purchase hats, scarves, glasses, etc. at your local dollar store. Create a décor using a large piece of cardboard or curtain. Invite children to pick the accessories they prefer and pose for you. You can take individual, group, or family photos. Print the pictures and display them on a wall for everyone to see.

Sight instruments

With your group, explore different instruments that can be used to see things (eyeglasses, binoculars, magnifying glass, microscope). Let children use the items to provide them with the opportunity to discover each tool. If you don’t have the actual items, use pictures and explain how each tool can be useful (eyeglasses to correct one’s eyesight, binoculars to see things that are very far away, a magnifying glass to make something bigger, etc.).

Eye change

(Open eyes to cut out) Print. Invite children to color the eyes. Laminate them if necessary. Punch a hole out of the centre of each eye so children can look through them. Glue the eyes on Popsicle sticks. Children can walk around the daycare, holding the eyes in front of their face. Take pictures of your group, print them, and add them to your souvenir box.

Shadow game

Set a flashlight a few metres from a wall. Stand in front of the luminous ray and use your hands to create shadows. Encourage children to guess what each shadow represents.

Eyeglasses bin

Have children sit in a circle on the floor. Set a box filled with eyeglasses in the centre of the circle. To the sound of music, children pass one pair of eyeglasses around the circle at a time. When the music stops, the child who is holding the eyeglasses must put them on. The game continues until there are no more eyeglasses in the box. Some children might end up wearing several pairs of eyeglasses. That’s what makes the activity fun!

Mirror game

Divide your group into teams of two children. Children from each pair stand, facing each other. Pick a team leader for each pair. The team leaders will execute various movements with their body or face (silly faces, smiles, etc.). the other children must mimic their partner’s moves.

Eye exam

(Open eye exam) Print and laminate. Set up an optometrist office in your role play area. Hang a poster with different sizes of letters on it. Add eyeglasses of all kinds (ask your optometrist), a small flashlight, pictures of eyes, a spoon that can be used to hide one eye at a time, pictures to identify, a mirror, and a table and long chair. Children will enjoy pretending to examine their friends’ eyes.

Detective game

Provide magnifying glasses and let them pretend they are detectives. Encourage them to walk around the daycare and observe different items (plastic insects, toy cars, crayons, etc.).

Crazy multi-coloured socks

Select a day and ask parents to put two socks of different colors on their child’s feet. Encourage them to pick very bright socks. Once all the children have arrived, remove children’s shoes and have fun naming the colors you see. Help children notice how their socks don’t match.

Light game

Fill a large bin with a variety of items that light up (flashlights, toys with lights, etc.) that can safely be manipulated by the children in your group. Turn the lights down and let children explore the items. If you prefer, hide the items in various hiding places or play tents. Children will enjoy finding and exploring the light sources.

EARLY SCIENCE/MANIPULATION/EXPLORATION

My eyes help me see

Collect different types of tongs or tweezers as well as scraps of different types of fabric. Invite children to grasp the fabric pieces using the tongs or tweezers. They will have fun as they develop their fine motor skills.

Observation sheets

(Open observation sheets-Triangle) Print for each child or laminate for use with a dry-erase marker. Ask children to find the triangle.

Insect inspector

Provide magnifying glasses, butterfly nets, and small boxes children can use to search for insects. Punch holes in the lid of a plastic container and drop their findings in it. Encourage them to observe the insects.

I observe well

Set up an observation table with many tools used to see (binoculars, magnifying glasses, mirrors, colourful cellophane paper, etc.).

ARTS & CRAFTS

I can draw my eyes

(Open I can draw my eyes) Print for each child. Encourage children to look at their eyes in a mirror. Help them notice their eye color and shape so they can draw their eyes as accurately as possible.

Mandalas-Sense of sight

(Open mandalas-Sense of sight) Print for each child. Invite children to color the mandalas as they wish to help them relax.

Models-Sense of sight

(Open models-Sense of sight) Print the models and use them for your various projects and needs throughout the theme.

Binoculars

Give each child two empty toilet paper rolls. Let them draw on them and decorate them as they wish. When they are done, glue each child’s toilet paper rolls together. Attach a string on either side so children can wear their binoculars around their neck.

COLORING PAGES

(Open coloring pages theme-Sense of sight) Print for each child.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE THE COLORING PAGES

Identical coloring pages-Sense of sight

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-Sense of sight

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-Sense of sight

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-Sense of sight

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

SONGS & RHYMES-SENSE OF SIGHT

(Open songs & rhymes-Sense of sight)

I like to see

By: Patricia Morrison - Sung to: Apples and bananas

I like to see, see, see

Flowers and the sun

I like to see, see, see

My family and my friends

I like to see, see, see

My toys and my crayons

I like to see, see, see

Your face when you are happy

Have fun!

The educatall team