Are you deep in planning for the homeschool year, or are you soaking in the summer and putting off planning until later?
I thought I was on track getting ready for kindergarten, but the more I dig into the curriculum, the more I realize how much I have to do!
Last night, I went through the songs, verses, and fingerplays I’ll be using for circle time. Although our circle will be small — just my daughter and me most days — I still like the name, although some people like to call it a warm up.
If you want to try a circle time with your child, a good first step is to write down any seasonal songs, short verses, and fingerplays that you know and would like to use.
If you need more ideas, search for “children’s autumn songs and rhymes” (or whichever season you’re looking for), and make sure to look at the images in the search results, too.
Songs can be found on YouTube, and you can make up movements to go with the lyrics. Don’t worry if your movements are very simple. Your child will enjoy getting to move around no matter what the movements are.
To make a fingerplay, choose a verse that would go well with hand movements. Then make up hand and finger movements that your child can copy as you say the verse together. You can find examples of these on YouTube, as well.
Here’s an example to get you started! Check out Apple Tree Fingerplay.
Circle time is a great way to start your morning, but what should you do after that? If you have a child starting first grade, the answer is form drawing! Click here to learn more about The Story of Creation Form Drawing Unit.