Columbus Day Activities For Preschool Classroom
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2009
by Stephany Springer
Columbus Day is fast approaching and preschoolers will love exploring and learning about Christopher Columbus.
Preschoolers love adventure and bringing the holiday into the classroom will benefit the kids greatly by exposing them to the history as well as exposing them to the various lessons to better prepare them for their future.
Art
Have the children make paper boats or finger paint sailboats. DTLk has a great Columbus Day boat athttp://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/columbus/mmilk_carton_galleon.htm" .
You are going to stick with the water/boat aspect in art so there are endless possibilities. You can also have the children glue craft sticks to a paper boat then add fabric for a sail. You can have the kids drop paint on a piece of paper then blow through a straw to make art. Explain how wind helped propel Columbus' ship across the ocean. Be sure to print out pictures of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria to have displayed on the table for the kids to look at.
Drama
This is my favorite center. Have suitcases and clothes available for the kids to pack. Have the kids pack up for a long sea voyage. Talk about what they would want to take. Then have a boat (made out of refrigerator box, etc) for the kids to set in. Use bamboo sticks or any sort of paddles to allow the kids to pretend to row a boat. They will love pretending to be Columbus.
Science Center
In the water table, have plastic boats or a self made boat with sail. Have preschoolers blow on the sail to propel the boat forward. You can also have a race. Also, set out a globe and allow kids to trace the path of Columbus.
Music
Sung to the tune of Are You Sleeping?
Nina, Pinta
Santa Maria
Sailed away,
One fine day.
Columbus loved the sea,
But was glad to see
Land Ho! Land Ho!
Sail Your Ship
to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."
Sail, sail, sail your ship.
Sail it night and day.
Look for land, look for land
All along the way.
These are just a few suggestions. In blocks, you can have them build boats out of legos or add plastic or wooden boats to the block area. Get creative and enjoy the holiday. The parents will appreciate that you went all out to teach about history.
Feel free to leave other suggestions below in the comments!
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Thank you for the great ideas!
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