Any New Bear/toy Activity Ideas

[Guest]

Hi

 

I am on teaching practice in a reception class and I'm struggling to find new and exciting ideas for the next few weeks. the topic is toys. I have sorting (old and New) teddy is going home with children overnight and we have a whole week of teddy bears picnic (invites, post office trip, food to make)

 

I would love some really good focus activities that are a little different. Actually I'm worried about how to fill the days. Does everything have to be topic based?

 

My class teacher is fab with thirty years experience, I feel a bit of a nuisance asking for guidance. Will be greatfull for any sugestions

 

Julie.s

[Guest]

No, you don't have to have everything topic-based, but you can if you want to

You could incorporate compare bears into maths activities - counting, sorting, weighing, measuring etc or as counters in dice games.

Favourite toy graph.

How toys move - battery, springs, hinges, wheels etc etc.

Have you looked at the Norfolk plans?

here

[Susan]

hi Julie

In short the answer to your question is probably "No". It is very difficult sometimes to link everything to your topic particularly Maths and literacy activities. Tenuous links are not always worth making!

However, I am sure that your teacher will be only to pleased to work with you if you have some ideas. You should take your lead from her, how does she plan her day etc and work with a similar structure. This will enable you to maintain the childrens routines and security and hopefully eliminate behaviour problems! I am sure that you will also want to try out your own ideas but these should be possible within the established structure.

 

Children could show and tell about their favourite toy, write and draw about it, make up stories perhaps. Christmas will presumably lead to a focus on new toys, and children could write to Father Christmas. Perhaps they could design their own toy?

 

Hope that helps a little and someone will have some better ideas!!

[Guest]

Thanks ASPK & Susan

 

The norfolk link is great and I am sooo wound up about getting through the practice that i had almost forgotten about christmas (even though ive been singing songs for play this afternoon).

 

I do intend to follow teachers structures and routine. She makes the day look very relaxed & easy. I dont have this skill yet and know it will show when i am being observed.

 

(Area for development)

 

Thanks for help and quick response its nice to know theres help out there.

 

Julie.s

[Guest]

Favourite toys is a good theme, I am using the Harry and the bucketful of dinosaurs books as a springboard. The children will be asked to bring in their favourite toys and we will use the digital camera to take pictures for sorting and bar chart activities, as well as making a book. You could combine this with your teddy bears' picnic - asking them to bring in teddy instead of favourite toys.

Also on the teddy bears theme, Ian Beck's books in the Home Before Dark series are great; Lost in the Snow features a snippet of father christmas' arm, and Alone in the Woods has a great teddy bears' picnic.

Don't get too stressed, and don't be afraid to ask your teacher's advice. Nobody gets the planning right instantly, this is part of your learning process. Have FUN!

[michaelle]

There are lots of lovely story books around the theme of toys thatyou can use as a springboard (not you blue kangaroo for instance, tatty ratty) ORT have the toys party)

 

Some toys have a specific 'shape' such as a truck or a teddy. I have often wrapped a toy with several layers of paper until they are hardly recognisable and the children make a guess what it might be, then we have played pass the parcel and the children have taken a wrapper off in turn making a guess each time until the last when they see if they are right. Works well with noisy toys too.

 

Children can make their own jigsaw - do a picture on card. cut out pieces and then try and reassemble it

 

Role play of the toy shop

 

mini theme about teddybears? describing their favourite teddy, teddy bears picnic etc