Distance learning

Tips
• Make it interactive
• Use visuals
• Make it a predictable routine
• Send families a reminder with what students need to bring
• Do circle time activities your students LOVED at school but
on video!

Activity Ideas
• Dance party

• Read a book

• Retell a book with character cards

• Read a class book your students made

• Use puppets with books or songs

• Sing songs or nursery rhymes

• Sing fingerplays with puppets – Make DIY puppets with clip art
and popsicle sticks.

• Message of the Day or Morning Message

• Question of the Day – Read the question, have students

answer with thumbs up or thumbs down.

• Digital Musical Chairs (aka Magic Letter Dance Party) – Play

music, dance in your chair, and freeze when the music stops.
You model writing a letter, number, or shape then they write it
on their “dry erase board” (paper in a page protector) on a
piece of paper. Then erase or turn the page. Dance and repeat.
 Distance learning
More Activity Ideas
• Syllable Games – Show a card or object and clap the
syllables. You can use most printable syllable games!

• Rhyming Games – Show a card or object and say words

that rhyme with it. You can use most printable rhyme
games.

• Name Games or Name Songs using Name Cards – ex:

“Hickey, Pickey, Bumblebee Can you Say your Name for
Me?” Or “Who Took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar”

• Initial Sound Games – Sound tubs, sound sorts, or Mystery

Sound Bag (see below).

• Sensory Tub – Hide letters, numbers, or shapes in a mini

sensory tub. Pick one and students identify it.

• Mystery Bag – Put objects or cards in a bag. Give clues to

about what it is and students guess what it could be. Try
this with vehicles, farm animals, or other theme.

• Mystery Letter – Play just like mystery bag but give clues
about what letter it is. Ex: It makes the /t/ sound, Tatum
has this letter in her name, turtle begins with this letter, so
what is the mystery letter?

• Fine Motor Journal Activities – You model first then they

try it in their journal or on paper.
• Draw various types of lines (straight, curvy, zig zags,
spiral)
• Write a Letter
• Write name or sight words
Distance learning
More Activity Ideas
• Make Patterns – Make patterns with blocks or other
manipulative. Students call out what is next and make the
pattern.

• Class Graph or Survey – Make a class graph just like you do

at school. For extra fun, connect it to a book or theme.

• Learning Show and Tell – Do show and tell but tie it to a

learning objective. Ex: Bring something that is red. Bring
something that starts with the letter P. Bring something
you can recycle.

• What’s Missing – Show a tray of items, cover it with a cloth

while students close their eyes, take one item off the tray,
and students guess what is missing.

• Make things with playdough - You model it, they try it, and
show the camera. Make balls, snakes, shapes, or monsters.

• Simple Directed Drawings

• Count and Move – Rote count and move as you count: clap,
tap, twist, jump, shoulder raises. Fun twist, pick a card,
identify the number, and count to that number.

• Animal Walks – Show an animal card or say an animal and

students move like that animal.

• Challenge Share – Students show in the camera (all at once

or one at a time) their project from a challenge. See Page
4 for more details on challenges.
Distance learning
Challenges
• Give students a fun challenge to do after the video meeting
(aka fun homework)!

• Students can take a photo and post it or if it is a project then

they can bring it to the next meeting.

• You can show an example 

• Make it simple using materials your students have at home so

it’s not overwhelming for families.

• Connect it to a book or learning theme.

Challenge Ideas:
• Playdough Challenges – Sculpt a monster, sculpt your
name, sculpt a tree, or sculpt shapes.
• Building Challenges – Build your house, build a road, build a
skyscraper, or something for a toy.
• Art challenges – Make rainbow, draw your favorite toy,
draw how you feel, make a letter collage, make a cutting
collage, or make a picture with stickers.
• Cooking Challenges – Cook a yummy treat or make trail
mix with 5 ingredients.
• Hunts – Go on a letter, shape, number, nature, sound, or
color hunt. Bring something you find to the next meeting.
• Literacy Challenges: Make a card for a family member,
make a book, rainbow write your name/letter, cut letters
from magazines/ads.
• Math Challenge: Make a counting book, make a shape book,
count all the ____ in your house (ex: shoes), write numbers
to 10 or 20, or measure everyone in your family.
Distance learning
Fun Twists
• Have spirit or dress up days! Try a PJ day, super
hero day, sports day, bring a friend (stuffed
animal), crazy hair day, hat day, or any fun day you
can think up!

• Guests! Have a special person come like another

teacher, admin they know, therapist, or someone
from your own family.

• Celebrate birthdays or wacky holidays! Show your

students you can still celebrate even though we
are apart.
Distance learning
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Distance learning
Lesson plan
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