The Letter “G”
See also:
Green
Arts and Crafts
Stages of Growth
Explain the stages of growth of a bean. If you can draw, or find pictures of the stages, laminate them, and ask your child to arrange the picture from first to last.
Fingerprint Giraffe
Have the children make black fingerprints on orange paper with either a non-toxic ink pad or non-toxic paint. When dry trace a giraffe shape onto the paper and have the children cut it out. They can glue their giraffe onto another piece of paper then add torn green paper for grass and leaves.
Giraffe “Z”
Have the children cut out a yellow or orange “Z”. Then have the children glue on brown paper for the spots and add two clothes pins for the legs.
Popcorn Garland
Make popcorn. Let it cool. Supply the children with a piece of yarn and a child-safe needle (plastic and big) Have the children thread the popcorn onto the yarn to make garland.
Gluing
Glue anything to paper. You can use things like glitter, ribbon, yarn, or various spices to make pictures. You can also use objects that are specifically green or start with the letter “G” to stay on theme.
Green Art
Let children make pictures using green glitter, Crayons, Pens, colored pencils, markers, paint, string, yarn, ribbon, tissue paper, torn paper, holes from a hole punch, stickers, buttons, colored glue, colored tape, chalk, wet chalk, wrapping paper, shamrock-shaped sponges, or pasta or rice colored with green food coloring.
Green Shaving Cream Art
Add a few drops of green paint to shaving cream. Have the children use this to paint with. Not mixing the paint in will give it a special look.
Sponge Painted Ghosts
Cut out or buy ghost-shaped sponges. You will need black construction paper and white tempera paint when showing the child how to dip the sponges in the paint and press on the paper to make ghost prints.
Tissue Ghosts
Supply each child with two pieces of tissue paper and a piece of string or yarn. Have each child ball up one of the tissues, then place it in the center of the second tissue. Next, have the child, or assist the child, in tying the yarn around the second tissue to hold the balled tissue within the second tissue. The child may use a marker to make eyes.
Leaf Glitter
Find some old brown leaves. Have the children crumble them up and use them as glitter. You could even paint them before you crumble them to make different colored glitter.
Green Spray Paint Art
Obtain a clean spray bottle. Add water and a little bit of liquid or powdered tempera. Then, place a large piece of paper on an easel, and have the children spray the colored water onto the paper.
Pot of Gold
Supply the children with black construction paper pot shapes and cotton balls to glue near the top. Then add more glue and gold glitter.
CreatingtThe Color Green
Ask the children what colors you need to make green. Then supply them with blue and yellow paint and white paper. You should start with your yellow and add a little amount of blue. Ask the children to mix the colors to get their favorite shade of green. Discuss how all the colors of green are a little different.
Green Shaving Cream
Add a few drops of green paint to shaving cream. Be sure that the children’s clothes are protected as the paint may stain the clothing.
Goop
Mix 2 cups water with a little green food coloring, add 6 cups of cornflour/cornstarch to make goop.
Shades of Green 1
Supply the children with green and white paint. Allow the children to mix a small amount of the paints together. What happens? For younger children, you child add the paint to a zip lock bag to minimize the mess.
Shades of Green 2
Give the children blue and yellow paint. (A lot more yellow than blue) Let the children mix the paint to see what happens.
Shades of Green 3
Supply the children with three clear cups of water, one with a drop of blue food coloring, one with a drop of yellow food coloring, and one empty cup. Supply the children with plastic eye droppers and let them mix the colors in the empty cup. (Add more coloring as desired)
Grapefruit Seeds
Allow the children to glue the seeds from a grapefruit to a piece of paper.
Variation: Let the children glue the seeds to pink paper shaped like a grapefruit.
Variation: Have the children color a paper plate pink. The children can then glue real seeds or paper seeds to the plate.
Variation: Have the children tear bits of white paper to represent the seeds.
Grapes
Supply the children with green and purple circles to create a bunch of grapes. Use a black marker to create the vines.
Fingerprints
Supply the children with nontoxic ink pads and paper. Show the child how to make fingerprints on paper, using only one finger at a time. When finished, add details with a black pen.
You can have children make grapes, green apples, green balloons, green bugs, caterpillars, and more.
Math, science, Games, and Group Activities
Gift Hide and Seek 1
Have all the children hide their eyes while you “hide” a gift in the room. (It should be placed in plain view) Tell the children to find the gift, but not touch it. Once they spot it they should sit back down in their spot. The first one to sit down again will get to hide the gift.
Gift Hide and Seek 2
Play the game the same as above, except hide the gift. Then tell the children individually whether they are “hot” or “cold” to the relation of the gift. Allow the other children to have a change to hide the gift, and tell children whether they are “hot or cold”. It may be a good idea to discuss the meaning of hot and cold before you play this game.
Mining for Gems
Hide some stones and gems in your sand table for the children to find. Show the children how to sift through the sand to find the gems.
Growing Flowers
Have your child pretend that they are a seed. Turn the lights off. Ask your child to “grow” just a little when it rains. You can either make rain noises or use a tape recording of the rain. After your child grows a little, turn the lights on, tell your child that they have just grown above the ground a little and they can see the sun (light). Tell them to grow a little faster, until they can grow no more.
Gardener Play
Supply your child with plastic gardening tools, hats, gloves, seeds, flower pots, flower packets, and watering cans to pretend to be a gardener.
Green Day
Send a letter home, ask the parents to dress the children in green clothing on a certain day.
Hunt for Green
Ask your child to look for things that are green. Write down what they find.
Sand and Water Table Ideas
- Add a little green food coloring to water
- Add green food coloring and soap to the water
- supply the children with green colored pasta noodles
- hide plastic gold coins in the sand for them to hunt for
The Hunt for Gold
You can buy plastic gold coins or just make some from yellow posterboard. Hide them around the room and have the children hunt around the room for them.
Pot of Gold Toss
Supply the children with yellow bean bags (gold) and a laundry basket, the pot, and have them toss the gold into the pot.
Grandparents’ Day
Have a grandparents’ day party, or invite a different grandparent each day to read a special story. Be sure that stories are well-rehearsed and interesting to the children. Talk about members in a family, father, mother, sister, brother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more.
Grape, Grape, Raisin!!!
Played like “Duck, Duck, Goose” except the children will say “Grape, Grape, Raisin”.
Graph It!
Many of my themes include a graph it activity. To make these activities easier to set up you can make a graph that can be used over and over. Many of the graphs include two or three choices. You can choose to do as many choices columns as you wish, but I will instruct you on how to do three. First, print each child’s name on a piece of card stock. Laminate and place a piece of Velcro on the back of each. Be sure to place the same side of the Velcro on each of the name cards. It is best to include a couple of “visitor” or “New Student” cards for new children. Obtain a large piece of poster board. You can also use your bulletin board. Measure about three inches from the top and draw a line with a thick black marker across the top, three inches from the top. This space is designed for the title of the graph. Next, you should divide a poster board into three even columns. Place Velcro piece evenly spaced in a straight line in each column. The first Velcro piece will be used for a picture of the options available. You should have enough Velcro in each column for each student to place their name in one column. Finally, when you choose to do a graph it activity, write out the title and affix it to the top of the poster board with sticky tack, Velcro, or paper clips. Obtain pictures of the options, ie. (What apple is your favorite? You will affix (with Velcro) pictures of yellow, green, and red apples.) then ask the children to place their name under their choice.
Stages of Growth
Explain the stages of growth of a bean. If you can draw, or find pictures of the stages, laminate them, and ask your child to arrange the picture from first to last.
Red Light, Green Light
An old staple children’s game. Have one player be the light, while the other players stand against a wall or at a line. When the light says “Green light!” and turns around, the children should walk towards them. When the light says “Red light!” they should turn around and all of the other players should freeze. Anyone caught by the light gets sent back to the starting line. Whoever makes it to the finish line first becomes the next light.
Duck, Duck, Goose!!!
The children sit in a circle. One child taps each child on the head and says “duck” when the child taps a child on the head and says “goose”, that child becomes the goose and chases the first child around the circle. The first child runs around the circle and sits in the second child’s spot. If the second child catches the first one before he/she sits down, the first child had to sit in the middle of the circle (the “pot”) for one turn. The second child then repeats the game by tapping children on the head sayings “duck”.
How Far Will It Go?
Place a train at the top of a ramp and ask the children how far it will go. Record their answers with making tape with each child’s name on it. If you do this on carpet first switch to a smooth surface and try it and vice versa. Try a different train or a car.
Songs
Green Song
Sung to “Bingo”
There is a color
That I say
Represents St. Patrick’s Day
G-R-E-E-N
G-R-E-E-N
G-R-E-E-N
And Green is that color
My Gold Lies Under a Rainbow
Sung to “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”
My Gold Lies Under a Rainbow
My Gold Lies Under a tree
My Gold is Under a Leprechaun
Bring back my gold to me.
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my gold to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my gold to me, to me.
Who is Wearing Green Today?
Who is Wearing Green Today?
Green Today, Green Today?
Who is Wearing Green Today?
All Day Long
(Child’s Name) is Wearing Green Today
Green Today, Green Today?
(Child’s Name) is Wearing Green Today?
All Day Long
Leprechaun, Leprechaun Where’s Your Gold?
Chanted and played like “Doggie Doggie Where’s your Bone?”
Leprechaun, Leprechaun Where’s Your Gold?
Somebody stole it, they are bold,
Under the rainbow, Behind a tree
Find your gold as quick as can be!
Glass and Water Music
Fill a couple of identical glass cups, at least four, with varying amounts of water. Tap the side of each glass with a metal spoon. Which is the highest sound and the lowest? How could we change the sound?
Snacks
Green Milk
Add a drop of green food coloring to the milk and serve green milk.
Spider Gumdrops
Supply the children with large black gumdrops and eight toothpicks per child. Have the children push the toothpicks in the gumdrops to represent the spiders’ legs.
St. Partick’s Day Ice Cream
Add a drop of green food coloring to vanilla ice cream, or serve chocolate mint ice cream. Both are great with green sprinkles.
Green Foods
Serve different types of green foods, such as grapes, muskmelon and kiwi. Serve in shamrock-shaped dishes (optional).
Make it Green
You can add green (or blue and yellow) food coloring to whipped cream, sprite, milk, white grape juice, cream cheese, sugar cookie dough, muffin or bread dough to add a little excitement to the St. Patrick’s Day snacks.