Creative Pre- K is daily lesson plans for the preschool teacher who wants a creative, hands-on, child centered program. The lesson plans are divided into weekly themes and they focus on five daily experiences.

You’ll learn original songs, original finger-plays, original flannel board stories, unique games, story suggestions and child centered activities that relate to the weekly themes. Circle Time is the time of day when we “explore” stories, “experience” songs, ask questions about the world we live in and act silly.

Every school should have a Messy Table. At the messy table, we smoosh shaving cream between our fingers. We mix colors and experiment with different textures. We blow milk bubbles and put our hands to work experiencing the world. The possibilities are endless at the Messy Table.

Preschoolers are pre- readers and pre- writers. Creative Pre- K will provide you with daily activities that give preschoolers the skills they will need “before” they learn to read and write. These skills strengthen small muscles, reinforce left to right eye movement, and build language skills. The Cut & Color Table gives the pre-schoolers the confidence they will need to embark upon their next, great adventure; kindergarten.

The creative art projects in Creative Pre- K encourage self expression. Give a child a paint brush and you will see his creativity blossom. Give a child collage materials and some glue and you will see his unique spirit unleashed. But, give a child a worksheet and remind him to stay between the lines and you will see a child with stifled creativity who would rather watch television. Our projects are open ended, creative and fun!

Oh! How wonderful it would be to have child-like energy again! Every preschool program should have a balance between outside free play and structured movement activities. Creative Pre- K encourages outside, dramatic play as well as movement with a purpose.

I really struggled with the decision to write thematic lesson plans because I have always been the kind of teacher who allowed curriculum to emerge. I am gifted in the area of flying by the seat of my pants. I have always been able to create environments based upon the interests of the children without much help from resource books. But, when I began searching for an appropriate preschool program for my own daughter to attend I was sadly disappointed. The types of activities being done were not appropriate. The art table was a cookie cutter craft conveyor belt. Everything looked the same and the children learned that being different was wrong. The circle time activities were boring, teacher directed, fertile with behavior problems and the focus was on rote memorization of songs, letters and numbers. The most disturbing thing I saw was that the many of the teachers were tired, burned out and unexcited about what they were doing.

Why was I different? Why did I love teaching preschool so much? Why did the children rarely pose behavior challenges while in my care? Why did the children enthusiastically come to school and have a zest for learning? The answer is simple. The environment I set up for them was age appropriate, creative and fertile with uninterrupted play opportunities.

I wondered to myself if it was possible to write pre-planned lessons without losing the integrity of the spontaneous classroom. I wondered if the way I teach could be passed along in a book. I wondered if I would betray my beliefs about the importance of child centered learning by sharing my ideas in the form of structured lesson plans. I brainstormed the themes that my children have led me to throughout the years. And then I began to write.

Creative Pre-K is the result of a year chained to my computer. I hope that you will use these lesson plans in the manner in which they were intended; as a resource. I hope that you will remain flexible in your approach and allow the children to lead you into uncharted waters. I hope that the activities within these pages will excite you about teaching and lead you down a path filled with unbridled fun and childlike messiness. I hope that these lesson plans make your life a little easier and your children a little more creative.

I believe that preschool aged children learn much of what they need to know through play. It is our job to give them the opportunity to play in an appropriate environment for long, uninterrupted blocks of time. That is why I suggest that the activities on the creative art table, cut and color table, and the messy table be available simultaneously.

The children should have access to these areas as well as the dramatic play, big block and small manipulative areas all at once. The activities should be offered as a choice. They should not be mandatory. Parents often see artwork as tangible “proof” that their children did not spend their entire day “just playing.” I suggest that you begin the school year with an informational meeting that outlines the value of block play, dramatic play and other types of play that do not yield an end product. You can receive articles from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Some children do not enjoy messes and others do not enjoy art. That’s OK.

We suggest that you establish a working relationship with your local children’s librarian to obtain the books listed in Creative Pre-K. You will need to be organized and plan ahead. We added a “Library List” to our second edition to make this task easier. Simply make a copy of the library list and give it to the librarian. She can do a search to obtain the books from surrounding libraries to meet your needs. Some of the books that are listed do not directly relate to an extended activity. In this case, you can be flexible. Circle these titles and tell the librarian that she can substitute other books that teach the same concept. For example; If the lesson plans call for a non-fiction title on frogs but the one listed cannot be located, ask the librarian to find another non-fiction title about frogs. You will probably have trouble finding every book listed. That’s OK. Amazon.com is a great resource for used books. I have gotten really great deals on really good books.

We also included a supply list to the second edition so you can be on the lookout for the unusual supplies you will be needing. We suggest that you list your needs in a newsletter in advance. That way, parents can help gather supplies that might otherwise be expensive. For example; if you are doing a project that requires eggshells, the parents can bring them in through the week as they use eggs for cooking. Paper donations can be collected from parents who work in offices. It really doesn’t matter if it is used. The children can learn a lot about conservation by re-using paper products. Hang a wish list next to your bulletin board and ask parents to bring in needed supplies as they become available. You can cross them off your list as they are provided.

You will need a music collection to use in the classroom. Some of my favorite artists are Hap Palmer, Joe Scruggs, Greg and Steve, Raffi, Georgiana Stewart, Henry “Buzz” Glass, Ella Jenkins and Marcia Berman. But don’t forget to include music by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and other contemporary artists. Flood the classroom with classical music, opera, big band instrumentals and Bach. The children will learn to appreciate all kinds of music when they are exposed to it at an early age. The children will learn to appreciate all kinds of music when they are exposed to it at an early age. I cannot possibly write dancing music that begins to compare to these artists, so I won’t even try. Use the listed CDs often. Don’t wait for a “scheduled” circle time to put on dancing music and move. Anytime is a good to shake your bootie.