The Georgia Early Learning Standards Activity Guides may - gapitc

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Foundations for writing
Activities and Strategies
for Development
Designer Placemats
Cover a small toddler-sized table with butcher paper. Choose a table where
the children sit for snack time.
Tape the paper underneath the table so it does not slip around.
Use a black marker to outline a “placemat” in front of each chair.
Place jumbo non-toxic crayons around the table.
Invite children to come and add their creative marks with the crayons to a
placemat.
Leave the placemats on the table during snack time and talk about the marks
the children made.
Special Needs Tip
Children who cannot stand or sit around a table can enjoy this
activity too. Tape a length of butcher paper to the floor. Seat or
lay the child on the paper with the crayons, and encourage her
to “draw” on the paper in all areas she can reach!
Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head
Clip black or dark blue construction paper on the easel.
Mix white and blue tempera paint to create a color similar to raindrops.
Make the paint somewhat thin with water so that it drips a little when put on
the paper.
Put a small amount of the paint into a plastic cup at the easel.
Place a thick handled paint brush in the cup.
Invite a child to come to the easel to paint. Be sure to put on a shirt or smock.
Encourage him to use the brush to gently tap paint on the dark paper.
Say,“Look at the white drops on the dark paper. That makes me think of rain
drops falling from the sky!”
A variation of this activity is to use white paint and black paper and talk
about “snowflakes” on a snowy day. Read the board book, The Snowy Day by
Ezra Jack Keats.
Special Needs Tip
The black paper and white paint make a good contrast for
children with visual problems.