Toddler Program
Juegos para campeones /
Games for Champions
By Alexandra Corona and Paula Gonzales
Books to Share
- ¿Dónde está Spot? by Eric Hill.
- Maisy Dresses Up by Lucy Cousins.
- Maisy Goes to the Playground by Lucy Cousins.
- Toddlerobics by Zita Newcome.
Bulletin Board
Let’s Play!
Enlarge and color some of the clip art from the Texas Reading Program. Affix drawings of children enjoying fun activities such as skateboarding, playing soccer, running, or kayaking.
Nametag
Tennis Shoes
On card stock, copy and cut out a tennis shoe shape using the pattern.
Refreshments
Serve baseball-shaped Ritz® crackers. If your store doesn’t carry the baseball-shaped crackers, use plain round ones. The Ritz® sticks look like baseball or cricket bats.
Fingerplays
Una papa, dos papas
(Translated by Alexandra Corona. Tap fists on top of one another, right on left, then left on right, as you say the words to this rhyme.)
Una papa, dos papas, tres papas, cuatro.
Cinco papas, seis papas, siete papas. ¡Mas!
Ocho papas, nueve papas,
Y ahora contaremos hasta diez.
Repetiremos la rima otra vez.
One Potato, Two Potato
(Traditional)
One potato, two potato, three potato,four.
Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more!
Eight potato, nine potato,
Now we count to ten.
Let’s say the rhyme all over again.
Action Rhymes
Tengo manita
(Traditional. English translation by Paula Gonzales. Repeat this rhyme twice.)
Tengo manita,
No tengo manita.
Porque la tengo
Desconchabadita.
I Have a Little Hand
Now you see my hand, (Swing a hand up)
Now you don’t. (Swing hand down)
Because my little hand is
Playing hide and seek.
Cinco pollitos
(Traditional. English translation by Paula Gonzales.)
Cinco pollitos
Tiene me tía.
Uno le canta,
Otro le pía.
Y tres le tocan
La sinfonía.
Five Little Chickens
Five little chickens (Hold up your hand, fingers open)
Has my aunt.
One sings so pretty, (Bend thumb down)
One say’s “tweet, tweet, tweet.” (Bend pointer finger down)
And the three others (Bend remaining three fingers down)
Play a great samba!
Songs
Lo más que nos juntemos
(Translated by Alexandra Corona.)
Los más que nos juntemos, juntemos, juntemos,
Los más que nos juntemos seremos felices.
Tus amigos son mis amigos,
Y mis amigos son tus amigos.
Lo más que nos juntemos
Seremos felices.
The More We Get Together
(Traditional)
The more we get together, together, together, together.
The more we get together the happier we’ll be.
For your friends are my friends,
And my friends are your friends.
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be.
Crafts
Stick Puppet Ponies
Materials
- White card stock
- Crayons
- Strips of various colored construction paper
- Glue stick
- Craft sticks
Directions
Copy the horse head pattern onto card stock and precut one for each child. Cut or tear strips of construction paper. Let the children color the horse head. Then allow the children to glue the strips of paper to the horse head for the mane. Older children may want to tear the paper to different sizes or curl the ends around their finger to create a curly mane. Attach the horse head to a craft stick to create a stick puppet. If desired, enlarge the head and use wooden yardsticks or long painter sticks, available at hardware stores, to create a stick pony.
Games and Activities
Simon Says
Play “Simon Says” while the children and caregivers hold the edges of the parachute and shake it. When you say, “Simon Says stop moving,” the children should stop shaking the parachute. Then place one or more foam balls in the middle of the parachute and say “Simon Says shake the parachute.” When you are ready to put the parachute away and stop playing, say “Simon says put your hands on your head.” This makes it easy for the storytime presenter to pick up the parachute and put it away. Parachute games encourage cooperation and non-competitive play. Visit Child and Family Canada for additional games to play. Be aware that parachutes are made of flammable material and have a hole in the center. If the parachute does not come with a mesh cover, make one so that no child can stick his or her head through the parachute and be caught in a “tug-of-war.” Smaller parachutes, about 6-feet in diameter, can be purchased inexpensively from Discount School Supply or other school suppliers.
Web Sites
- Games Kids Play
- www.gameskidsplay.net
- This web site includes educational games for children.
- Games. Kid. Us
- www.games.kids.us
- This web site has a variety of games children can play.
- Kid Games
- http://moodypublishing.com/coloring-page/game.html
- This web site contains coloring pages, on-line coloring, printable activities, and games.
Professional Resources
- Child and Family Canada
- http://collections.ic.gc.ca/child
- This Canadian non-profit group supports the health and well being of children and families. The web site includes articles about play and physical activity.
- Discount School Supply
- www.discountschoolsupply.com
- On-line source for early childhood and art supplies.
