This is a unit of lesson plans for a week in an infant classroom. This plan is geared for infants 6 weeks to 15 months of age. Of course for the very young babies you may not be able to do a lot of the art or movement activities, use your own judgment and go with the flow of the class. Don’t feel you need to be tied to any lesson plan for kids this age. The lessons are not in any particular order and can be done at any time of the day when there is time. These lessons include art projects that use baby’s fine motor skills and provide sensory, large motor activities, math and music activities. It also includes a project for president’s day and groundhog’s day.
Day One
Art – Fine Motor
Color a groundhog picture and glue on his shadow. Cut out a picture of a groundhog and trace it on a piece of black construction paper, cut this out to use for the shadow of the groundhog. Help the kids use crayons or markers to color another copy of the groundhog. Then have them glue the shadow to their picture.
Language
Read “Go to Sleep Groundhog!” by Judy Cox. Check out other book choices by reading “Best Groundhog Day Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers.
Language – Social
Sit on the floor with the kids and do the “Mr. Groundhog” 1 fingerplay
Mr. Groundhog in the ground, (Make fist with thumb inside.)
Pop you head up, look around. (Pop up thumb and move it in a circle.)
Look up high, look down low. (Move thumb up, then down.)
Will you see your little shadow? (Tilt head to one side while moving thumb around.)
-by Deborah A. Roessel
Day Two
Art-Fine Motor
Make a Heart Caterpillar. Provide the kids with one heart about 3 inches in diameter with a happy face drawn on it. Help the kids glue it to the left side of a piece of construction paper. Provide them with a variety of colored 2 inch diameter hearts to glue for the body of the caterpillar.
Language
Read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric C arle.
Movement – Pretending
Get down on the floor and pretend to be a crawling caterpillar with the kids, encourage them to try it.
Day Three
Art – Fine Motor
Provide the kids with a variety of hearts, cut outs and stickers. Help them glue and stick them to a piece of white construction paper any way the like to make a heart collage.
Math
Show the kids a picture of some hearts. Count the hearts for them. This will help them get a beginning sense of numbers and counting.
Language – Social
Sit on the floor with the kids and do the “Five Little Valentines”1 fingerplay.
Five little valentines waiting in the store, (Hold up five fingers.)
Joseph bought one, and then there were four. (Bend down thumb.)
Four little valentines for you and for me,
Katie bought one, and then there were three. (Bend down pointer finger.)
Three little valentines wondering what to do,
Daniel bought one, and then there were two, (Bend down middle finger.)
Two little valentines think up some fun,
Teresa bought one, and then there was one. (Bend down ring finger.)
One little valentine said, “Buy me and run!”
Cameron did that, and then there were none. (Bend down little finger.)
(Substitute the names of your children for those in the rhyme.)
-by Mildred Hoffman
Day Four
Art – Sensory
Create a hand print heart. Paint each child’s hand red, pink or white, press the hand with the fingers pressed together at an angle onto a red, pink or white piece of construction paper. Paint the other hand the same color and press it at the opposite angle so the fingers overlap to form a heart. Find directions for this and other handprint art in Happy Hands and Feet by Cindy Mitchell.
Language – Social
Sing “I’m a Little Valentine”1 with the kids.
Sung to “I’m a Little Teapot.
I’m a little valentine
Red and white,
With ribbons and lace
I’m a beautiful sight.
I can say, “I love you,”
Just put me in an envelope
And give me away!
-by Vicki Claybrook
Day Five
Art – Dramatic Play
Make a George Washington hat to celebrate President’s Day. Use 12″ by 18″ construction paper to make George Washington hats for the babies. Help them put them on and have fun with dress up time.
Language -Music
Sing “It’s Presidents’ Day Today” with the kids.
Sung to “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”
Let’s sing a song for Abe Lincoln,
Let’s sing a song for Abe Lincoln.
Let’s sing a song for Abe Lincoln,
It’s Presidents’ Day today.
It’s Presidents’ Day today,
It’s Presidents’ Day today.
Let’s sing a song for Abe Lincoln,
Let’s sing a song for Abe Lincoln.
Let’s sing a song for Abe Lincoln,
It’s Presidents’ Day today.
– by Heather McPhail
Movement – Large Motor
Play with a variety of balls in different sizes and colors. Point out the red ones for the babies.
Sources:
1. Totline, 1001 Rhymes and Fingerplays, Totline Books, Warren Publishing, 1994
Next Lesson Plan:
March & April Lesson Plans for Toddlers
More from Rebecca:
December Lesson Plans for Infants and Toddlers
January Lesson Plans for Infants and Toddlers
Tiny Literature for Tiny Tots
