Activities for Children
Activities for Children
THE GERMAN BOY
Instruction: This activity is a story about a German boy who goes to school in America for the first day. When the child comes home, the son shares with his father what he had learned in school. (The teacher asks all the children in the class to copy the actions by pointing to the different body parts mentioned in the story.)
Teacher acting as father: “What is this son? What is this?” (Teacher points to the head.)
1. Children point to their heads and say “This is my hat racker, my father dear. Oooh la. Ooo la.” (With Ooo, the hands are together like praying and then spread out with la and this is done twice.) “That’s what they teach in the schoolhouse.”
2. Each verse repeated with a new word substituting for hat racker. For verse 2, it is sweat brower (pointing to the eyebrow). Continue to follow through with “my father dear. Oooh la. Ooo la. That’s what they teach in the schoolhouse.” After verse 2 is completed, reserve the process like “My sweat brower, my hat racker. Oooh la. Oooh la.” Remember the do this each time after each verse. It will accumulate with memory and fun!
3. Eye blinker (Pointing to the eyes).
4. Nose smeller (Pointing to the nose).
5. Cookie Paster (Pointing to the moustache).
6. Momma kisser (Pointing to lips).
7. Soup strainer (Pointing to the beard).
8. Squeeze boxer (Pointing to the throat).
9. Bread basket (Pointing to the stomach).
10. Knee bender (Pointing to the knees).
11. Toe stumper (Pointing to the toes).
When the entire eleven verses are completed, discuss the words like hat racker and let the children give the real body part.
Non-Rhythmical Symbols – The following symbols are introduced one at a time in the
same fashion as the XYZ symbols. Children can create their own sounds to these symbols.
Have the symbols on the blackboard in order.
‼ = rubbing knees x X X = clapping soft, loud, louder
√√√√√√ = tongue clicking ⌐ = say “shh” and point up
│= one loud stamp on the foot!
Concept Chants
a. I’ve got a name and it goes like this. (Clap and say the name at the same time)
b. Sitting next to me is ________?
c. Shopping spree; shopping spree. At the store, what do you see?
d. I have a cry inside me and it goes like this. I have a cry inside me and it goes like this.
Intonation Drill
Many children have monotonous voices with no reflection. Some have very high or low pitched voices, and some use hoarse, husky tones. Begin drilling activities by counting slowly to five in the following manner:
1- 2- 3- 4- 5
2-3-4-5; 1- 3-4-5; 1-2- 4-5; 1-2-3- 5; 1-2-3-4-
Count up and then down the scale to 5. Try singing numbers up and down to 5. Try counting to five in a whispered voice. Try counting to five in a soft voice; then in a loud voice. Once the child has acquired the necessary mobility of the tongue, lips, and jaw, articulation drills may began.
Vocal Phonics Games
These games are successful with children from three to five years of age:
a. Make circles on the floor with chalk and give each circle a “sound name” (ssss, aaah or mmmm). The child must make that sound whenever the child is in that circle. Examples: The child could jump from circle ssss to circle aaah and circle mmmm and produce the word S A M (Sam).
b. Guessing game. “Show me your n-o-s-e,” Separate the sounds at first and then gradually shorten the sounds until the child realizes that n-o-s-e is simply a slow way of saying nose. Use other words the same way like shoe, mouth, face, and so on.
Find pictures that illustrate sounds (car, bell, train) or look around the room area to find those sounds.
WHOSE NAME IS THIS?:
Write the first name of each child in the class on separate sheets of paper. Then pick a name out of a box mixed with names and say: “When you see your name, clap your hands” or “When you see your name, touch your knees.”