1. The projects should be kept simple during the first semester, easier activities are listed at the beginning with more involved activities toward the end.
2. Activities are easier to monitor when the class is divided into two groups. While the activity parent conducts the project with one group, the other duty parent can have story or song time with the second group.
3. Some activities work better with groups while other can be conducted with the entire class. These differences are noted with "G" for group and "C" for class.

ACTIVITIES

Movement/Dance/Stretching - imitate animals (ie. kangaroos, elephants) (C)

Simple Group Games - Ring-a-Rosy, Follow the Leader (C)

Interactive Songs - Wheels of the Bus, Teapot Song (C)

Parades - use drums, tambourines, available in the closet (C)
NOTE: This is a popular activity but everyone usually wants to be the drummer.

Musical Chairs - Two year olds don't get the idea of removing chairs, so this is more like "Musical Scramble for the Chairs". (C)

Simple Puppet Shows - finger puppets are popular. (C)

Imitate Daily Routines - sweep, shuck corn ears to take home for lunch, wash dishes, and give dolls a bath. (G)

Play dough - the single most mentioned activity. (C)

Drawing/Painting - Several suggestions:

• Children draw with fat crayons or markers (C)
• Children lie down on mural paper and parents draw and cut out body outline. These can be taped to tables for children to color. (G)
• Finger painting - very messy but popular (C/G)
• Footprints - put paint in bowls, dip in little feet and walk on paper. DO THIS OUTSIDE! (G)
• Glitter paints (G)
• Marble or sponge painting (G)
• Painting with fat brushes on boxes, paper plates, and paper on easels. (G)

Printing - with sponge shapes (clothes pegs make good handles), vegetable, fruit, or leaves.

Dyes - Put colors into water and mix different colors.

Additional ideas: put a white flower into water and watch it take on the color of the dye. Dye vanilla pudding with food coloring; cover the tables with wax paper and finger paint with the pudding. (G)

Collage - tearing and pasting a variety of materials onto any surface. Use fabric scraps, magazine pictures, bottle tops, leaves, etc. (G)

Masks -

• Buy or make black masks, then glue feathers and glitter around the eye openings. (G)
• Use paper plates with eye and nose cutouts.

GROUP TIME

• Listening - to short stories, books.
• Flannel board - create stories and picture discussions.
• Simple songs / finger plays - puppets can be used with this activity.
• Rhythm instruments - play instruments with records music or songs.
• Movement/dance/stretching - rhythmic music, props, pictures of animals, etc. provide stimulus.
• Simple games - involving large muscles such as Ring-a-Rosy, Follow-the-leader.

SMALL GROUP / FREE PLAY

• Threading - large beads, thread spools, or large holed noodles on to stiff laces (large fishing lines or old shoe laces).
• Water Play - pouring, washing dolls, toys, dishes.
• Smells in containers - spices, coffee, powder, flower petals. (Do not use talcum powder)
• Sorting objects - classifying and grouping according to size, shape, and color.
• Dramatic play - provide props to stimulate real life or fantasy situations such as going to the doctor, shopping, cooking, having a picnic, buying shoes, space flight, or acting out a story.

These are just a few ideas! The main purpose should be to have fun!