Red

AREA SETUP

(Open thematic poster-Red) Print, laminate, and decorate the walls of your daycare with all kinds of posters.

Banner-September
(Open banner-September) (Open banner September-small) Print and laminate. Use the banners to decorate your daycare.

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

Garland-Red
(Open garland-Red) Print. Let children decorate the garland. Cut it out and hang it within your daycare or near your daycare entrance.

Educ-poster-Red
(Open educ-poster-Red) Print and display.

SPECIAL TOOL

This special tool was created in response to a special request received. (Open group identification-Squirrels) Print and display in a specific location or in your circle time area.

CIRCLE TIME

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

PICTURE GAME

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

ACTIVITY SHEETS

(Open activity sheets-Red) Activity sheets are suggested for each theme. Print and follow instructions.

WRITING ACTIVITIES

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

Stationery-Red
(Open stationery-Red) Print. The stationery can be used to communicate with parents, in your writing area, or to identify your thematic bins.

Educa-nuudles-Red

(Open educa-nuudles-Red) 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:

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS-Red

Construction/Building blocks:

• Instead of dividing your blocks according to their type (wooden, LEGO, etc.), divide them according to their color.
• Different shades of red felt can be added to children's constructions.
• Sort cars, figurines, etc. according to their color.

Arts & crafts:

• Use paint to introduce children to color combinations.
• Construction paper, tissue paper, etc. in different shades of red for cutting, drawing, and creating.
• Finger paint for exploring color combinations.
• Red markers with different tips (narrow, broad, etc.).
• Color by number activity sheets requiring the use of red crayons.
• Coloring pages.

Role play:

• Transform your area to represent a paint store. Include paint sample cards, paintbrushes, rollers, painter hats, and wooden sticks used to stir paint. Ask parents to provide old decorating and design magazines. Add old shirts with paint stains on them.
• Create an artist studio complete with easels, paint palettes, etc. Add large sheets of paper and let children pretend they are famous artists.
• Decorating magazines.
• Old t-shirts with paint stains on them.

Manipulation:

• Memory game related to colors.
• Modeling dough. Allow children to mix colors together. Homemade modeling dough helps reduce the cost of this activity.
• Association game involving colors (example: a red card can be associated to strawberries).
• Sorting activities using items available in your daycare.
• Red cellophane paper can be cut and glued to the bottom of empty toilet paper rolls to make red binoculars.
• Lite-Brite or mosaic games.

Reading/relaxation:

• Books related to shapes and colors or books with pretty illustrations.

Music and motor skills:

• Homemade Twister game involving red items.
• Red light, yellow light, green light game.

Sensory bins:

• Water table: add drops of red food coloring to the water.
• Rock bin: fill a container with tiny red rocks (used in aquariums).
• Froot Loops bin.

Early science:

• All experiments that involve colors can be explored here.
  o Color explosion in milk.
  o The flower that changes color when food coloring is added.
  o Color combinations with paint.
  o Bake a cake and add food coloring to the icing.
  o etc.

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

Word flashcards

Use the cards to spark a conversation with your group or in your reading and writing area. They may also be used to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-Red) (Open giant word flashcards-Red) Print. ladybug, fire truck, strawberry, raspberry, tomato, stop sign, apple, car, cherries, dice, heart, ball

Red Day
(Open perpetual calendar-Red Day) Print and display near your daycare entrance to inform parents and children of this special day.

Area setup and greeting:

• As children arrive, draw a red item on their cheek such as a ladybug or a heart.
• Serve a special red fruit cocktail.
• Fill a bowl with red fruit (strawberries, raspberries, cherries, etc.) and deposit it on a table. Let children eat red fruit throughout the morning.
• Wear a red hat. Make your own by simply gluing red items on a baseball cap or strip of paper. You can also make red hats with your group or invite parents to make a special red hat with their child.
• Display pictures of red items on your walls and deposit some on the floor. Hang red decorations from the ceiling.
• Offer as many red toys as possible.

Food:

• For lunch, serve pasta with tomato sauce or use red food coloring to tint a variety of food items such as mashed potatoes, pasta, etc.
• Serve red juice, strawberry pudding, or a cherry-flavoured cake with red icing.
• Serve red fruit, red Jell-O, or strawberry pie for dessert.
• Serve blancmange with a strawberry coulis.

Activities:

• Hang a large banner on the wall. Invite children to make a collage by cutting red items out of catalogues or flyers, tearing pieces of red paper or cardboard, etc.
• Play a modified version of musical chairs. Simply replace chairs with red shapes secured on the floor (or stick them directly on the chairs).
• Play music and invite children to dance while waving red scarves (or pieces of red fabric).

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

Game-This is my spot-Red
(Open game-This is my spot-Red) Print two copies. Laminate and cut out the cards. Glue one copy of each card on the table using adhesive paper. Drop the other copies in a bag. Children take turns picking a card to determine their spot at the table for the day. You may also use the cards to determine naptime spots or for your task train.

My red path
(Open my red path) Print, laminate, and secure the illustrations on the floor to create a path which leads to areas frequently visited by children such as the bathroom or cloakroom. If you prefer, the illustrations may also be used to delimit your various workshops.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND MOTOR SKILLS

Lacing-Red
(Open lacing-Red) Print, laminate, and punch holes around the contour of each shape. Give each child a shoelace or ribbon they can thread through the holes.

Red toys
Fill a large container with red toys. Children take turns selecting a toy. Have them return it to the correct spot/shelf within the daycare.

Color hunt
Visit your local hardware store and collect several red paint chips. Be sure to have two copies of each color. Cut the paint chips that contain more than one shade of red. Hide one series of paint chips throughout the daycare. Divide the second set of paint chips among the children in your group and invite them to find the matching cards.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Red treasure hunt
Hide red objects throughout the yard. Invite children to hunt for them. Make this activity even more fun by hiding very tiny items and providing magnifying glasses. Variation: This activity may also be done indoors or even in the dark with flashlights.

On the lookout for red
Go for a walk with your group in your neighbourhood and search for red items. Make a list of all the red things you see (or take pictures) and discuss your findings during lunch time.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Educ-trace-Red
(Open educ-trace-Red) Print for each child. Children must trace the lines using the correct color and then color each item using the corresponding color.

Educ-colors-Red
(Open educ-colors-Red) Print for each child. Children must color only the items that are normally red.

Educa-symmetry-Red
(Open educa-symmetry-Red) Print. Children must color the bottom picture (black & white) to make it identical to the top picture (in color).

What is missing?
Deposit several red objects on a table. Have children observe them closely. After a few minutes, hide the items with a blanket. While the objects are hidden, remove an item. Remove the blanket and ask children to identify the missing item.

I see red in my book
Give each child a picture book. When you give them the signal, they must turn the pages to find red items. Each time they see a red item, they must say "red" and show the other children what they found.

MUSICAL AND RHYTHMIC ACTIVITIES

Musically red
Cut a variety of shapes out of red construction paper and secure them on the floor throughout your daycare (or yard). Play calm music and invite children to move to the sound of the music. When the music stops, they must quickly find a red shape to stand on.

EARLY SCIENCE/MANIPULATION/EXPLORATION

Where does red come from?
Using poster paint, ask children to try to create red paint by mixing different colors. Once they have had the chance to try a few combinations, tell children about primary and secondary colors. Give each child a small quantity of various paint colors. Let them experiment.

Colourful ice cube tray
Add a few drops of red food coloring to the water in each section of an ice cube tray. Freeze. You may also choose to insert a tiny red object in each section. Deposit a plastic container on a large towel, drop the ice cubes in the container and let children manipulate them.

Color wheel
(Open color wheel) Print and cut out the different pieces. Glue the color wheel in a paper plate. Make a small hole in the centre of the paper plate and insert a fastener that will hold the two arrows in place. Use the two small arrows to point to two primary colors. Use the large arrow to point to the corresponding secondary color. Experiment with your group by combining the two paint colors.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Red everywhere!
Use a juice extractor to make tomato juice, strawberry juice, etc. Prepare red Jell-O and add strawberry pieces to the preparation. Bake a red velvet cake and top it with red icing.

My fire truck sandwich
Cut a square piece of bread in two. Cut one half in two again. You will have a rectangle and two squares. The rectangle will represent the body of the fire truck. Place one square in front of it and the other square on top. Mix cream cheese and red food coloring together. Cover the fire truck with this mixture. Use two round crackers to add the wheels and pretzel sticks to create a ladder. Finally, add a red jellybean on top (flashing light).

ARTS & CRAFTS

Puppets-Red
(Open puppets-Red) Print the models on heavy cardboard. Have children cut them out and decorate them. Glue a Popsicle stick behind each model to create puppets.

Models-Red
(Open models-Red) Print the models and use them for various crafts and projects throughout the theme.

Red fruit
Trace or print the outline of various red fruits. Have children fill the shapes with crumpled pieces of red tissue paper.

Modeling dough fruit pieces
Provide red salt dough or modeling dough. Encourage children to sculpt red fruit or tomatoes. Set the fruit out to dry. If you wish, you can add an envelope of fruity Kool-Aid to your dough to give it a sweet scent.

Monochromatic project
Give each child a single piece of white paper. Have them cut red items out of magazines, catalogues, and flyers and glue them on their paper. Encourage them to draw on their paper using only red crayons too.

Red lollipops
Give each child a cardboard circle. Have them glue tiny pieces of red construction paper all over it. When they are done, glue a Popsicle stick behind the circles to create red lollipops.

Fire truck
You will need the top of an egg carton for each child. Have them paint it red. Next, trace four circles on black construction paper to represent the fire truck's wheels. Have children cut them out and glue them on either side of the egg carton. Cut a tiny ladder out of black construction paper. Sprinkle it with silver glitter and then glue it on the side of the truck.

COLORING PAGES

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

SONGS & RHYMES

(Open songs & rhymes-Red) Print.

Red

By: Patricia Morrison

A red ladybug is small
A red fire truck is tall

A red race car is fast
Even when it's last

A strawberry is yummy
Especially in my tummy

Have fun!

The Educatall team