Sensory bin
If you have read my past few blogs you will know that I always start off with the outdoor sensory bin. Each week I swap out the sensory bin to match the new letter of the week theme. This week is all about the letter D. These are the modernized Zoo-Phonics alphabet flash cards I have in my TpT shop for Deedee the Deer. Check them out here.
I used brown rice as my filler and separated the uppercase from the lowercase. Place these fun letter identification pages out, for the kids to find and cross of each letter!
Dogs
For this sensory bin I ended up throwing in some doctor tools, because everything else was doctor themed that day, so why not?! 😂
- Dog food
- Dog figurines
- Ramekins
- Toy bones
- Etc.
Add all materials to your sensory bin and have kids play and discover!
Dolphins
This was a last minute set up 😂 I had something else planned but thought we did that one too often so I decided to switch it up. (Which happens often lately).
- Dolphins
- Blue rice
- Blue button mix (I got a different ones from amazon and mixed them together)
- Etc.
The dolphins I used are from another activity/center that I had from the summer, but you can easily just print and laminate some, or use toy dolphins.
Dirty Dishes
Easiest set up ever! Throw your toy dishes in the sensory bin with some water, soap, and sponges and I PROMISE the kids will stay there forever 😂👍🏻.
Science
This is more like my territory 😎. This is the table that I lead each day. Our preschool has 5 teacher led activities: Art, numbers/letters table, science, dramatic play, and sensory bin. Sometimes at science we do other things that aren’t really science…but that’s just the way we roll 😜.
Doctors
This activity is so fun and great for fine motor skills!
- Pipe cleaners
- Paper towel holders
- Pool noodles
- Dish gloves
To assemble, I cut a piece of pool noodle to fit the length of the paper towel holder and placed it on. (This will provide stability and support for your glove) Then place your glove over the pool noodle. Cut pipe cleaners into different sizes and have kids apply “stitches” to their patients by twisting pipe cleaners around the different parts of the glove.
Dino Dig scavenger hunt
I LOVE these so much! They might be my favorite thing I’ve ever created…but then again I say that about a lot of the activities I create 🤷🏼♀️😂.
- Dino scavenger hunt pages
- Flour
- Paintbrush
- Dish/tray
- Tweezers/tongs (optional)
- Magnifying glass (optional)
Print and laminate your scavenger hunt pages, and polaroids (Link is provided in the listed materials)👆🏻. Add some flour to dish/tray and add a layer of the polaroids. Repeat this step until all polaroids are scattered and covered with flour (Any filler will do, this just felt most dinosaur like to me). Have kids use their paintbrush/tools to dig and discover the polaroids, and then match them/mark them off on the page.
Duck color matching
So here’s what I mean..what category does your school/class put colors in? Usually we filter it in to the science area, sometimes it ends up at numbers and letters. Hey, as long as they’re playing, learning, and having fun, that’s all that matters to me!
These pages are not yet available in my TpT shop, but I am currently working on an A-Z set. Click here to follow me on TpT so you are notified when they get published 👍🏻.
There are several ways to teach this lesson. Usually I have them try to read the color on the card, and then we find the matching duck. Once we have those we color the correct one on the page. You can also just have them displayed like the images below, and see if the kids can find and match them on the page to color the ducks correctly.
Digging for Diamonds
I know, I know, I say this a lot…but this activity is SO fun! I used an oobleck mixture, added the diamonds and jewels, and let it dry overnight. In the morning it was hardened, and the kids used tools and their hands to try to dig the diamonds free! Once they had all of their diamonds out, I added a little more water so they can play with the oobleck mixture 🤩.
Oobleck: Mix equal parts of cornstarch and water until you get a consistency where its a bit difficult to dig but once you do, it just melts. I ended up doing a bit more corn starch than water in order for it to harden over night.
Decorate the Desert
….Dare I say it? 😂 It’s SO MUCH FUN! I just love watching their little imaginations create and play on these pages! You can find them here.
Print and laminate pages and fill a tray/basket with loose parts. I used fake succulents, snakes, scorpions, and lizards. Have kids use their imagination to create, build, and play in the desert.
Dramatic play
Doctors
I feel like I use this one way to often 😅. All you need is a play doctor set and you’re good to go!
Donation Center
I did this activity during the summer for kindness week and thought it was too cute to not use again!
- Brown paper bags
- Donation items
Label each of your bags: Time, money, food, and toys. Set out some corresponding items and have kids donate!
Donuts
Who doesn’t love a donut? Especially if it’s a maple bar 😍. Any time I do this activity, I try to put it somewhere different in the room so there’s a little variety. This time I used this cute display shelf we have to showcase our donuts, and then set out the coffee and milk props. So much fun!
Need more ideas?
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