Hot air balloons

Group identification-Hot air balloons

This tool was created in response to a special request we received. (Open group identification-Hot air balloons) Print and use the items to decorate your daycare and identify children’s belongings and personal areas.

CIRCLE TIME

Flipogram-Hot air balloons

(Open picture game-Hot air balloons) 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.

Let’s talk about hot air balloons…with a puppet

Use a puppet to encourage children to talk about various subjects related to the theme. The puppet may help some children overcome their shyness. It may also be helpful for children who require language support. One thing is certain, the puppet will encourage children to talk.

Circle time suggestions:

• Ask children to name different means of transportation that fly.
• Invite children to make different sounds associated with sirens and means of transportation.
• Have children show the group a picture of their favorite means of transportation and explain their choice.
• Ask children which types of means of transportation they use.

AREA SETUP

Thematic poster-Hot air balloons

(Open thematic poster-Hot air balloons) Print, laminate, and display where parents will see it.

Stickers-Hot air balloons

(Open stickers-Hot air balloons) Print the illustrations on adhesive paper and use them to create a collection of unique stickers. Use them to reward children throughout the theme.

Educa-theme-Hot air balloons

(Open educa-theme-Hot air balloons) Print and laminate the different elements representing the theme. Use them to present the theme to your group (and children’s parents) while decorating your daycare.

Educa-decorate-Hot air balloons

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

Hang colorful crepe paper garlands from the ceiling. You could also create a paper chain and hang it within your daycare. Set a different color tablecloth on your table each day. You can find inexpensive ones at your local dollar store. Hang multicolored Christmas lights and display colorful pictures on your daycare walls. Hang inflated balloons.

Inflated rainbow and hot air balloons

Inflate several balloons. Use invisible thread to tie them together to represent a rainbow. Hang it within your daycare or create an arch that you can set near your daycare entrance to complete your décor.

The clothesline

Have children draw hot air balloons and cut pictures of hot air balloons, clouds, suns, etc. out of old books and magazines. Using clothespins, they can hang the items on an indoor clothesline. This activity can last all week. Children will love to add to their original garland.

PICTURE GAME

(Open picture game-Hot air balloons) Use the pictures to decorate your daycare or to spark a conversation with your group. Print, laminate, and store the pictures in a Ziploc bag or in your thematic bin.

Memory game-Hot air balloons

(Open picture game-Hot air balloons) Print the illustrations twice and use them for a memory game.

ACTIVITY SHEETS

(Open activity sheets-Hot air balloons) Print and follow instructions.

WRITING ACTIVITIES

Writing activity-B like balloon

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

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

Word flashcards

Use the flashcards to spark a conversation with your group, in your reading and writing corner, or to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-Hot air balloons) (Open giant word flashcards-Hot air balloons) Print.

Hot air balloon, sky, balloon, illumination, hot air, fire, basket, launch, burners, inflation, airship, festival

Let’s chat

Print and laminate the theme’s word flashcards. Have each child pick a word. They can take turns presenting their word to the group (ex. airship). Discuss each item and ask children questions to see what they know about the theme.

Sequential story

(Open sequential story-Hot air balloons) Print, laminate, and cut out the illustrations. Children must place the illustrations in the correct order to recreate the story.

Scene-Hot air balloons

(Open scene-Hot air balloons) Print, laminate, and cut out the pieces. Children use them to decorate the scene.

Educa-chatterbox-Hot air balloons

(Open educa-chatterbox-Hot air balloons) Print and laminate the cards. To create your chatterbox, you will need an empty shoebox or a small bin that you can decorate as you see fit. Fill it with tiny objects, illustrations, pictures, and accessories related to your theme. To help you, we have created a series of cards that you may use. During circle time or, for example, when children are waiting for their lunch, have them take turns picking a card or object out of your chatterbox and naming the corresponding item.

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

Hot air balloon illustrations

Collect several pictures and illustrations of hot air balloons and press them on items throughout your daycare such as walls, cupboards, the floor, etc. Children will enjoy discovering the pictures and illustrations as they go about their activities.

My in the sky path

(Open my in the sky path) Print, laminate, and stick the illustrations on the floor to create a path leading to the areas children visit most throughout the day such as the bathroom, the cloakroom, etc. If you prefer, use the illustrations to define various workshop areas.

Clean hands bin

Fill a bin with small items related to the theme to keep children busy once they have completed their handwashing routine. The only rule that must be respected is that they may only play with the items that are in the bin if their hands are clean.

Boarding

Arrange several chairs one behind the other to form a train. Write numbers on small pieces of cardboard, creating two identical series. Use adhesive tape to press the first series of numbers on the chairs and deposit the numbers from the second series in a bag or basket. Children take turns picking a number to find their seat, as if they were boarding a bus, an airplane, etc.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Hot air balloon game

(Open game-Hot air balloons) Print, laminate, and cut out the cards. Set a round paint palette containing 10 sections on the table along with a bowl filled with colorful pompoms. Have a child pick a card and set pompoms of the corresponding colors in the paint palette sections.

Aim for the hot air balloon

(Open colorful hot air balloons) Print, laminate, and cut out the hot air balloons and set them on your daycare floor. Encourage children to try to toss bean bags or roll small balls onto the hot air balloons (ex. a yellow ball must land on a yellow hot air balloon).

Fly away balloons

You will need several helium-filled balloons. Tie a long piece of ribbon to each balloon. Tell children that they mustn’t let the “hot air balloons” fly away. They will have to stretch to grab the ribbons often, as the balloons go up towards the ceiling. Time them to see how long they are able to keep the balloons within their reach. They will enjoy trying to break their record.

Let’s hop on the hot air balloons

(Open models-Hot air balloons) Print. Laminate the illustrations and set them on the floor. Play music. When the music stops, children must sit on a hot air balloon (variation of musical chairs).

1, 2, 3…hot air balloons!

Close your daycare curtains and turn off the lights. In one corner of your daycare, set up a flashlight (or other light source). The leader of the game stands facing the light and counts while the other players stand on a line, a few meters behind him. The leader counts, “1, 2, 3…” When he says “hot air balloons”, he turns around quickly. His peers must immediately stop in their tracks. If a child moves before the leader of the game turns around again, they trade places and the other children all head back to the start line.

Modeling dough activity placemats-Hot air balloons

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Hot air balloons) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Fine motor skills-Crumpled hot air balloon shapes

(Open models-Hot air balloons) Print for each child. Have children tear pieces of tissue paper and crumple them to form tiny balls. They can fill the shapes with white glue and press the balls of paper all over to fill the shapes. Display children’s artwork throughout your daycare.

Felt hot air balloons

For each child, cut balloon shapes out of different colors of felt. Be sure to also cut baskets out of brown or beige felt. Insert each child’s shapes in an envelope. Let them manipulate their shapes and use them to build hot air balloons.

Lacing-Hot air balloons

(Open lacing-Hot air balloons) Print, laminate, and punch holes around the contour of the shapes. Children can use a string, a shoelace, or ribbon to lace the shapes.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Passenger counting-Hot air balloons

(Open passenger counting-Hot air balloons) Print, laminate, and cut out the hot air balloons as well as the numbered strips and passengers. Glue each strip on a brown paper drinking glass to represent hot air balloon baskets. Glue a balloon behind each glass. To begin, invite children to arrange the hot air balloons in numerical order. Next, they can add the correct number of passengers to each hot air balloon.

Alphabet game-Hot air balloons

(Open alphabet game-Hot air balloons) Print, laminate, and cut out the hot air balloon cards and spread them out on a table. You will need 26 paper or plastic drinking glasses. Set a different magnetic letter in each one. Children take turns picking a glass, checking to see which letter is inside, naming it, and finding the hot air balloon with the corresponding letter on it. They insert the hot air balloon in the glass.

String activities-Hot air balloons

(Open string activities-Hot air balloons) Print for each child. Children trace the outlines with white glue before covering them with colorful string.

Educa-duo-Hot air balloons

(Open educa-duo-Hot air balloons) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must draw a line between items that go together using a dry-erase marker.

Game-Four hot air balloons

(Open game-Four hot air balloons) Print, glue the cards on opaque cardboard and cut them out. Arrange all the cards upside down on the floor or table (so you can’t see the illustrations). Children take turns rolling a die. Every time a child rolls a “1”, he can turn a card. If he doesn’t already have this hot air balloon in front of him, he keeps it and places it in front of him for everyone to see. The first child who has collected all four hot air balloons wins.

Coloring hunt and seek-Hot air balloons

(Open coloring hunt and seek-Hot air balloons) Print and laminate. Children must find and color the items.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Group project-Hot air balloon

Draw a large hot air balloon outline along with a rainbow. Provide a variety of arts & crafts materials that children can use to decorate them. The goal is for children to work together to create a work of art.

I travel with…

Invite children to bring something representing a means of transportation from home. As a group compare the different means of transportation. Name their size, color, utility, etc. Sort them per different characteristics.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Three-dimensional hot air balloon

(Open three-dimensional hot air balloon) Print for each child. Invite children to color the sky, the grass, the trees, and the basket. If they wish, they can add details (flowers, birds, playground, etc.). Next, cut several sheets of bright construction paper horizontally so that you have strips of paper. Have children glue only the ends of each strip from one side of the balloon to the other to create a curved shape. The strips will have to overlap somewhat and cover the entire circle to represent a three-dimensional balloon.

My hot air balloon basket

Give each child a paper plate that will represent their hot air balloon. Let them paint and decorate the balloon as they wish. Once this is done, they can glue one end of 2 colorful paper drinking straws at the bottom their plate. They can glue the other end of the straws to a small berry basket. Set children’s hot air balloons in your cloakroom or on a shelf. They will love using their hot air balloon basket to store tiny items or playing with them along with figurines.

My hat-Hot air balloons

(Open educa-decorate-Hot air balloons) Print and cut out the items. Glue them around a paper headband along with cotton balls to represent clouds.

Models-Hot air balloons

(Open models-Hot air balloons) Print the various models and use them for your activities and projects throughout the theme.

Puppets

(Open puppets-Hot air balloons) Print the various models on cardboard. Ask children to cut them out and decorate them with arts & crafts materials. Glue a Popsicle stick behind each one to complete the puppets.

COLORING PAGES THEME

(Open coloring pages theme-Hot air balloons) Print for each child.

Have fun!

The educatall team