Students identify the different types of play and examine how play helps students grow and develop. They read case studies and identify the types of play represented, and observe students playing in group situations.

Students turn cardboard boxes into outdoor dramatic play. In this early childhood visual arts lesson, students explore cooperative and dramatic play outdoors by challenging children to create a train from cardboard boxes.

These activities center around acting out a play to help create fluent readers who use expression and emotion. As readers work through the play the first time, they also practice decoding strategies. In small groups of four, they then...

Play a game to build social skills. This is a social story to be used with the game Peanut Butter and Jelly, but it could be modified for any game. The intention is to provide Autistic students with an idea of what to expect and how to...

This is a very comprehensive lesson on infant and preschool sexual development. It says only one class period, but I think it could be several days worth of materials to cover. The point of view taken here is from that of being a parent....

Even young children watch sports and like team logos and products. It's never too early to think critically about what's onscreen. This exercise develops awareness that media communicate values (i.e. who participates in sports and who...

Students role play different situations. In this respect instructional activity, students read Mr. Lincoln's Way, identify the story elements and answer comprehension questions. Students discuss how they can always treat others with...

How much do you know about the black guillemot of the Arctic region? With great background information, images, and a quick discussion, the class will learn all about the plight of the foraging seabird as they play a fun game. First,...

A bird's life is one of danger and intrigue as it struggles for survival in sometimes harsh environments. To understand how difficult surviving in the wild can be, children play a simulation game where they act as little auks, birds from...

Using clues provided by the images, kids cut out, color, and paste together the bodies of children playing in the snow.

Fire safety is a hot topic for kids! With this resource, little ones will read, color, draw, and play as they are learning about prevention and, as an added bonus, practice naming shapes, counting, and adding numbers! Reading, math, and...

Playing with bugs and buttons has never been so much fun! Offering a variety of different activities, this is a great resource for developing basic skills in preschool and kindergarten-aged children.

Young scientists transform themselves into rivers, oceans, clouds, and drops of water in order to explore the water cycle. After assigning and explaining to students their different roles in the activity, the teacher reads aloud a...

What do Ebenezer Scrooge, the Grinch, and Frosty the Snowman have in common? They're all characters from beloved holiday movies that viewers revisit in the play Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!). Scholars conduct research...

Students discuss with their parents the rights of every child to have the opportunity to play. They share games associated with their own culture and learn new games from others. They examine how the value of play for a child's...

Get children's blood pumping with this primary grade lesson on the human heart. After learning about the important role this muscle plays in the human body, students monitor their heart rates and discover the importance of...

Students participate in historical role play about the Plantation of Ulster. In this historical role play lesson, students work in groups to depict the characters of the Plantation of Ulster. They practice and perform a radio program by...

Who, what, when, where, and why questions are often the questions that teachers use to foster engagement, verbal communication skills, higher-order thinking, and hopefully, a deeper understanding of the world. This tool is geared toward...

Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Children of Long Ago. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, answer short answer questions, have discussions,...

Students make homemade puppet characters that have faces that tell it all. In this early childhood dramatic play lesson, students create stick puppet characters that encourage language and story development, creative-thinking and...

Students explore physical sciences by participating in a class experiment. In this matter lesson, students identify the three forms of matter and their physical differences. Students utilize cookie dough to create a play dough like...

Students explore language arts by reading Dr. Seuss stories in class. In this word play instructional activity, students identify the rhymes in both Dr. Seuss and Nursery Rhyme stories. Students utilize flash cards with rhymes written on...