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Several friends and I happen to have 3-year-olds at home, so we decided as a group to do a home-based preschool with them. We do 2 days a week, 9:30-12:30, and we alternate teaching in our homes. It’s great because there are 6 kids and 5 moms (one has twins) so I only have to teach once every 6 weeks. Honestly, I find the lesson preparation and teaching really fun, but it’s also a LOT of work, so I’m glad I don’t have to do it every week!
We’ve decided to focus on one letter each week. Our main goal is for the kids to have fun, but we also want them to learn something and to get used to being in a structured, school-type setting. We start the day with a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a review of the calendar, singing the Days of the Week song, and a review of our letters.
Today for our letter review I used these fun cards I purchased a long time ago in Colonial Williamsburg. I had the kids try to make the letters with their bodies like the children on the cards. We laughed quite a bit trying to contort ourselves into the right shapes!
Then, because I had chosen “G is for Ghosts” as this week’s theme (Halloween and everything) we sang a song about 5 Little Ghosts and I used the flannel board to take the ghosts away one at a time as we sang.
Next we moved to a “web” I had created on the floor using masking tape for our Ghost Gathering Game. I put paper ghosts at various places on the web and the children had to take turns “walking the web” and collecting the ghosts.
They had to be careful not to step off the lines!
Once they had collected the ghosts, they ended at the scarecrow who had a box. They put the ghosts into the box and....
...then they took out the bell and rang it! Then we all clapped for them.
After our ghost gathering we headed to the kitchen for our ghostly snack- mozzarella cheese sticks and pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate with mini chocolate chip eyes.
When the kids finished their snacks I had them start on their craft- a ghost wind sock. I had already cut out all the pieces; they just had to glue it together. It was a windy day today, so when they took them out to their cars when it was time to go home, there were lots of happy squeals when they saw their ghosts wiggling in the wind!
After that we had some free play time so I could feed the baby, then we gathered together again on our blanket to read a book called, “Georgie the Ghost” about a ghost whose house became unfit for haunting for awhile. Poor Georgie!
Once our ghost bowling was done we went back to the blanket for another story- this one called “The Ghosts’ Dinner”. In the story, a ghost hosts a dinner party and the food makes the ghosts change color! The kids thought that was very silly.
When the story was done, I let the kids go outside for some free play while I prepared our lunch: PB&J ghosts (cut out using a tulip-shaped cookie cutter upside down!) with raisin eyes, ghostly bananas on a stick with mini chocolate chip eyes, and Go-Gurt (to keep with our “G” theme).
After lunch I had a G is for Ghost coloring sheet for the kids who wanted to do it then (I gave them the option of doing it here or taking it home) and I encouraged them to think about what they’d serve their ghost for dinner and color the ghost that color. Little Boo decided her ghost had eaten strawberries.
I think all the kids had a good time and I always have so much fun planning it! Doing a home-based preschool with friends is a really great way to help your kids develop social skills and prepare them for school. It’s also great for the moms to get a break a couple times a week, but to also get the opportunity to teach. It doesn’t need to cost money- with a little creativity (Pinterest, people!) you can keep it thrifty but fun.
My next letter is M- I’m thinking mail and music...any thoughts? :-)
I would love to have been a student at your Joy School yesterday!
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