Post
Office
Step inside!
Stamps for sale!
Packages, postcards,
Letters to mail!
Come to us
For your money's worth.
Deliveries made
All over the Earth!
SAFETY WHEN CROSSING STREET
This isn't for traffic lights, but for crossing
safely:
Stop, look, listen
When you cross the street.
Use your eyes,
Use your ears,
Before you use your feet!
POST OFFICE IDEAS
We took a large box and painted it to be a
mailbox. Used poster board to make the top part and cut a slot
for letters and an opening in the back to take the letters out of.
We used old envelopes and paper the kids wrote *letters*
on to mail.
We also used shoeboxes to make individual mailboxes labelled
with each child's picture so that kids could *mail* letters and cards to their
friends.
We set up a post office using stamps and stamp pads the
kids could pretend with as well.
We also took a walk to the post office and went through
the back. This was set up ahead of time of course and the kids loved
it. We did this during Feb so the kids got a Valentines coloring
book with stamp images too.
There are coloring books that have many different pretend
stamps in large formats so kids who are into that might enjoy coloring them.
We also had some parents who had contacts in the post
office and got us old uniforms for the kids to dress up in. Hats and
jackets were a real hit.
MAIL CARRIER SONG
Sung to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"
Write, write, write your cards,
And lots of letters, too.
I will bring them to your friends,
And they will write back soon.
5 LITTLE LETTERS
Five little letters lying on a tray (extend
fingers of right hand)
Mommy came in and took the first away (bend down thumb)
Then Daddy said, "This big one is for me"
I counted them twice, now there were three (bend down
the pointer finger)
Brother Bill asked, "Did I get any mail?"
He found one and cried, "A letter from Gale!" (bend down
middle finger)
My sister Jane took the next to the last.
And ran upstairs to open it fast. (bend down ring finger)
As I can't read, I'm not able to see
Who the last one's for, but I hope it's for me! (wiggle
little finger then clap hands)
POLICE ACTIVITES
These cross-curriculum ideas submitted by
Cheryl
I Am A Policeman
(sung to: I'm A Little Teapot)
I am a policeman, with my star.
I help people near and far.
If you have a problem, call on me.
And I will be there, 1, 2, 3!
Our Friend
The policeman has many jobs.
They never seem to end.
But this you must remember:
The policeman is your friend.
Police Officer
The police officer stands so tall and straight
Holds up his hand for cars to wait
Blows his whistle, 'Tweet, tweet!'
Till I'm safely across the street.
The Policeman
There on the corner,
in his suit of blue,
The neighborhood policeman
is there to help you.
If you get lost,
he knows what to do.
Just tell him your name
and your address too!
The Policeman
Sung to 'Mary Had A Little Lamb'
The policeman walking down the street,
Down the street, down the street,
The policeman walking down the street,
I wonder who he'll meet.
Lost Child
The adult plays the role of a mother and the
child plays the role of the police officer. Mother pretends
to cry and says, "Oh, dear, I've lost my child, can you help find
my child?" The police officer says, "What does your child
look like?" The mother discribes the child's hair color,
clothing, eye color, ect. The police officer walks around the
circle and chooses one child he thinks fits the discription and brings
the lost child back to the mother. That child is the next police
officer and the game continues.
Two tall policemen met in a lane,(Place
3rd finger on each side of cheek)
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do,
How do you do,
And how do you do again?
Police Officer
Police officers are helpers wherever
they may stand.
(Stand with feet apart, hands on hips.)
They tell us when to stop and go by holding up
their hands.
(Signal stop by holding up hand and go by pointing
index finger.)
Police Officers fingerplay
Five police officers standing by a door-------
One became a traffic cop; then there
were four.
Four police officers watching over me----
one took home a lost boy, and then there were three.
Three police officers dressed all in blue----
One stopped a speeding car, and then there were
two.
Two police officers---how fast they run!
One caught a bad man, and then there was one.
One police officer saw smoke faraway.
He called the firehouse, and the fireperson saved
the day.
Art:
Make police hats using black construction paper.
The front of the hat has a small brim and top of the officer's hat
all one piece. Add more of a strip to fit around the child's
head.
Make badges out of yellow paper.
Paint using police cars in paint.
Dramatic Play--Police Station:
Police officer hats and badges, black belts,
walkie talkies, telephone aphonebook, pads of paper and pencils (for
ticket books), table and chairs (front desk), small clipboards for
issuing tickets, 911 signs, stamp pads, posters or pictures of police
officers (make sure to include female officers), two large empty
boxes (have children help decorate one to resemble the jail and one
to resemble a squad car)
Fingerprints
Police people...here are 2 ways to observe
and collect fingerprints. Rub a pencil point several times on paper.
Rub the child's finger in the graphite and stick a piece of transparent
tape over it. Then stick the tape onto paper. After doing several
of one child's fingers, observe that each
print is the same. But everyone's prints are different.
Have child touch a metal box. Pour a line of powder at
the edge of the box and "blow" gently. With a soft brush, very lightly brush
over the box. Fingerprints will appear. Allow children to use magnifying glasses
to examine prints.
For police week, line the children up
against the wall, which has a big piece of newsprint paper taped
to it. Then we trace the outlines of their bodies for our "line-up." Then
they can decorate their own outlines any way they choose with whatever
materials you provide.
ART ACTIVITIES FOR COMMUNITY HELPERS
The Cook's Kitchen
Need: play dough, pictures of various foods,
cookbooks, cooking utensils, medium-sized cartoon with flap that
opens.
Put out play dough, box, and other props so children
can create different foods. Then, children can become chefs by cooking them
in the cardboard "oven."
Menu
Need: markers, glue, magazines with pictures
of food, construction paper.
Have children cut out of the magazines pictures of food
and glue onto construction paper to create menus.
Children can "write" the names and prices underneath
the pictures of these foods. Compile menu pages and place in the Dramatic Play
area.
COMMUNITY HELPERS RHYME
Recite each verse and have children take turns
telling about each job and how doing it benefits others.
What Do You Do?
Teacher, Teacher,
What do you do?
I teach you reading
And writing, too.
Doctor, Doctor,
What do you do?
I help when you're sick
With a cold or the flu.
Counselor, Counselor,
What do you do?
I help you with problems
And I care about you.
Firefighter, Firefighter,
What do you do?
I help fight fires
That might hurt you.
Officer, Officer,
What do you do?
I help you stay safe
In all that you do.
Dentist, Dentist,
What do you do?
I clean your teeth
And keep your gums healthy, too.
Children, Children,
What will you do?
When you grow up,
Which job is for you?
Health/Community Helpers (Doc/Nurse)/etc.
Submitted by Margie
Demonstrate covering your mouth when you cough
or sneeze by showing
children to use the backs of hands so that they don't
touch things after
they sneeze/cough. Some teach to use upper inner
arm too?!?!
HEALTH
Submitted by Jen
this is a wonderful demonstration of the importance
of covering our mouths when we cough or sneeze:
you will need: a balloon, holes from hole puncher, a
permanent marker
Place the holes in the balloon, blow it up and twist
the end but don't tie it. Draw a face on it using the end that you blow on
as the mouth. Tell the kids that there are germs inside of Mr. Balloon and
he is going to remember to cover his mouth as he coughs....then let the air
out of the balloon covering the opening with your hand. only a few germs should
escape......then blow him back up and show them what happens to Mr. Balloons
germs when he coughs and forgets to cover his mouth....germs fly all over the
room
COMMUNITY HELPERS SONGS & FINGERPLAYS
Following cross curricular activites submitted
by Anita N.
SONGS/CIRCLE TIME
Police Officers fingerplay
Five police officers standing by a door-------
One became a traffic cop; then there were four.
Four police officers watching over me----
one took home a lost boy, and then there were three.
Three police officers dressed all in blue----
One stopped a speeding car, and then there were
two.
Two police officers---how fast they run!
One caught a bad man, and then there was one.
One police officer saw smoke faraway.
He called the firehouse, and the firemen or
fireperson saved the day.
Hurry Hurry Fire Truck
Hurry, hurry drive the fire truck, (hands on
steering wheel)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck,
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck,
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. (ring bell)
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner, (1ean to the right)
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner, (lean to the left)
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner,
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. (ring bell)
Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder....(climb the ladder)
Slowly, slowly, back to the fire station.... (lean slowly
to the left and
to the right)
DID YOU EVER SEE A WORKER ?
Did you ever see a builder, a builder
, a builder
Did you ever see a builder saw this way and that?
Saw this way and that way, saw this way and that
way
Did you ever see a builder saw this way and that
Did you ever see a painter A painter A painte
Did you ever see a painter brush this way and that
Brush this way and that way brush this way and
that way
Did you ever see a painter brush this way and that
Did you ever see a farmer a farmer a farmer
Did you ever see a farmer Plow this way and that
Plow this way and that way plow this way and that
way
Did you ever see a farmer plow this way and that
Did you ever see a miner a miner a miner
Did you ever see a miner dig this way and that
Dig this way and that way dig this way and that
way
Did you ever see a miner dig this way and that
Did you ever see a teacher a teacher a teacher
Did you ever see a teacher write this way and that
Write this way and that way write this way and
that way
Did you ever see a teacher write this way and that
Did you ever see a baker a baker a baker
Did you ever see a baker toss pizza like that
Toss this way and that way toss this way and that
way
Did you ever see a baker toss pizza like that
I'm a Big Red Fire Truck
I'm a big red fire truck long and stout,
When I am needed, I roar and shout.
People love to see me rush about,
Just turn me on and head me out.
I'm a big red fire truck stout and long,
Here's is my laddler, tall and strong.
When I get a call, you'll hear my song,
Just climb aboard and turn me on.
SENSORY
Bakery Shop
Give the children a large batch of play dough
that you could scent with cinnamon, and cookie cutters. Let them
have fun making bread, cookies and cakes.
GAMES
Charades
Act out an occupation and have the children
guess who you are pretending to be. Then let the children take turns
pretending to be someone.
FOOD EXPERIENCE
Cheese Hammers
You will need cheese chunks and pretzel sticks.
Cut a variety of cheese into small squares. Poke a pretzel into each
one.
Title: Bakery Shop
Give the children a large batch of play dough
that you could scent with cinnamon, and cookie cutters. Let them
have fun making bread, cookies and cakes.
Title: Beyond The City Limits
Materials: colored chalk, throw-away objects
On a sunny day, take a box of colored chalk
outdoors and let the children create a town or city with buildings,
roads, intersections with traffic signs, reailroads leading out of
town past the factories and farms, lakes, streams, and other interesting
roadside attractions - simply by drawing them to life on the sidewalk,
Various 'throw away' items may be used to build bridges, tunnels,
caves, waterfalls, and mountains. A rock may serve as a car, or a
leaf may be an airplane. The children's imaginations will lead the
way.
Title: Doctor's Bag
Materials:black construction paper, red contruction
paper], stapler, white chalk, items such as band-aids, cotton balls,
etc....
1. Fold the black paper in half and draw a docot
bag on it so that the fold is the bottom of the bag.
2. Cut it out and staple the sides together
3. Cut a red cross out of the red paper and glue it on
the bag
4. Write Dr. **** on the other side of the bag
5. Put cotton balls, band-aids, and whatever else you
would find in a doctor bag that the kids could play with.
Title: The Fix-It Shop
Find something broken - an old appliance, a
chair, or a vehicle (wagon, tricycle, bike, etcLet the children fix
it with pliers, screwdrivers an masking tape. Let each child work
on a different broken item. When they're finished, they'll charge
you for 'parts and labor,' so be ready to pay plenty.
Title: What I Want To Be
Materials: large white butcher paper, tracing
crayon, crayons or paints, scissors
Have each child lie on a large piece of butcher paper
and outline the body. When complete, have the children dress themselves in
appropriate attare for what they want to be when they grow up. A firefighter?
They will need a red suit, heavy black boots, and a firefighter's hat. A mommy?
They might have a baby in their arms or at their side and wear pretty earrings
and carry a purse. A doctor? They might have a white coat and wear a stethocscope.
Cut out the life-size pictures and mount them for display. |
