Early Childhood Commission

Term Two Parent Support

Activity Plans

Week Eight, Day One

Age: Four Year Olds

Theme: Plants

Sub theme: Plants Are Useful

Circle Time

Name of Activity: The /O/ Sound

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Make the /o/ sound

2. Recognize the /o/ sound in words

3. Name words that begin with the /o/ sound

Content: The words orange and olive begin with the /o/ sound. Oranges, onions and
olives come from plants. Other words that begin with the /o/ sound are ostrich, oil
and octopus.
Skills: Observing, speaking, listening, manipulating

Resources: Pictures of oil, olive, oranges, onion, octopus, Letter O video The

Letter O Song- Learn the Alphabet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWbY5EKys60, worksheet, crayons

Activity Steps:

1. Have child/children look at pictures of things beginning with the /o/ sound

(oil, olive, oranges, ortanique, onion, octopus).

2. Allow child/children to say what they notice about the names of all the items
(all start with /o/ sound).
3. Say the names of the pictures and allow child/children to clap whenever they
hear the /o/ sound.

4. Discuss with child/children that oranges, olives and onions come from plants
and can be eaten.

5. Ask child/children to tell other things that begin with the /o/ sound.

6. Click link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWbY5EKys60 view and listen

to the video, The Letter O Song- Learn the Alphabet.

7. Play the video again and allow child/children to make the /o/ sound and do the
actions from the video.

8. Engage child/children in discussion about the letter O that represents the

/o/ sound (capital O and common o).

9. Let child/children complete the worksheet by colouring all the pictures with
the initial /o/ sound.
Guided Learning

Name of Activity: Oranges on the Trees

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Identify numerals

2. Group objects in different sets

3. Follow instructions

Skills: Counting, drawing

Resource: Work sheet

Activity Steps:

1. Show child/children the activity worksheet.

2. Ask child/children to touch and state the name of each numeral.

3. Tell child/children to draw oranges on the orange trees to match the

numerals.

4. Help child/children to review their work .

Creative Activity

Name of Activity: Orange Print

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Follow instructions

2. Create a pattern

Skills: Observing, manipulating, listening

Resources: An orange, different colour paints, and a blank sheet of paper

Activity Steps:

1. Provide child/children with paint and a sheet of paper.

2. Cut an orange in half and have child/children describe the orange.

3. Have child/children dip a half of the orange in the paint of choice then press

the orange onto the paper.

4. Repeat Step 3 using different colours of paint to create a pattern on the

paper.
 5. Ask child/children to describe the shape of the prints and tell which letter

the prints look like.

Outdoor/Indoor

Name of Activity: Pull Oh Pull

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Do body movements while maintaining balance

2. Work in a team

Resource: A piece of rope

Skills: Pulling, listening

Activity Steps:

1. Organize children in two teams, each with the same number of team members.

2. Explain to child/children that they will be playing a game called Pull Oh Pull.

3. Tell child/children that each team will pull at the rope at the same time,
 trying not to be pulled away by the other team.

4. Allow child/children to continue the activity as desired.

5. Cheer the teams on!

Story Time

Name of Activity: Alphabet Short Stories/ Letter O

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Respond to questions from a story

2. Recall events from a story

3. Create an alternate ending to a story

Skills: Listening, speaking, observing.

Resources: https://youtu.be/2X5FQ77itbo

Activity Steps:

1. Click on the link https://youtu.be/2X5FQ77itbo to view and listen to the

story, ‘Olive Ostrich’ (Alphabet Short Stories/Letter O).

2. Engage child/children in a discussion about the story by asking the following

questions:

a) What is the name of the story?

b) Where does Olive live?

c) What does Olive like to eat?

d) Where did Olive decide to go one day?

e) What foods did Olive take with her?

f) Do you like oranges? Why, why not?

 g) Name some of the things/animals that Olive met on her journey.

h) Where did Olive have her picnic?

i) Have you ever gone on a picnic? Did you have fun?

j) Would you like to go one on? What foods would you carry? Why?

3. Have child/children create another ending to the story.

4. Allow child/children to role play being Olive the Ostrich.

Follow-Up Activities: Have child/children practice writing capital O and common o.
 Early Childhood Commission

Term One Parent Support Activity Plan

Week Eight Day Two

Age: Four Year Olds

Theme: Plants

Sub theme: Plants Are Useful

Circle Time
Name of Activity: Nature Walk

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Identify at least two different uses of plants

2. Classify plants according to size and colour

Concept/Content: Plants are very useful. Some plants provide food and some

provide shade. We must care for the plants in the environment. Plants have

different sizes and colours.

Skills: Differentiating, speaking, naming identifying.

Resource: A camera or a cell phone with a camera

Activity Steps:

1. Take child/children on a nature walk outdoors. Take along a camera

or a cell phone with you.

2. Allow child/children to identify some of the plants they know by

name.

3. Discuss with them the uses of some of the plants they see. Explain

to child/children that some plants provide food and some provide

shade. Some plants provide both food and shade.

 4. Let child/children look for plants that provide them with food and

shade. Allow them to pretend to eat the food from the tree,

showing on their faces whether or not they are enjoying the food

item.

5. Assist child/children to classify trees according to size and colour.

6. Let child/children take pictures of at least three different sized

trees.

7. Allow child/children to share the pictures of the plants on a social

media platform with a family members informing them of the uses

of each plant.

Guided Learning:

Name of Activity: Protecting Our Plants

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/ children should be able to:

1. Differentiate between plants that look unhealthy from those that

look healthy.

3. Talk about how they can care for plants

 4. Demonstrate how they can care for plants

Skills: Speaking, listening, observing, manipulating.

Resources: Pictures of plants that look healthy and unhealthy

Activity Steps:

1. Show child/children the plants below. Let them identify which of

the plants look healthy and those that do not look unhealthy.
 2. Review with child/children what plants need to grow and stay

healthy.

3. Ask child/children to demonstrate how they can care for plants in

their environment to keep them healthy.

Creative Activity

Name of Activity: Painting Food

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Name at least three foods that come from plants

2. Paint a picture

Skills: Painting, identifying, naming, observing.

Resources: Paint, paper, paint brush

Activity Steps:

1. Review with child/children foods that come from plants.

2. Provide child/children with paint, a sheet of paper and a paint brush.
3. Instruct child/children to paint at least two pictures of foods that
come from plants.
Indoor/Outdoor Play

Name of Activity: Animal Walk

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/ children should be able to:

1. Imitate movements of different animals

2. Do movements while maintaining balance

3. Follow instructions

Skills: Observing, speaking, listening, manipulating

Resources: None needed

Activity Steps:

1. Take child/children outdoors.

2. Instruct child/children to:

a. slither like a snake

b. hop like a frog

c. gallop like a horse

d. walk like a bear on all fours.

 3. Ask child/children to say the name of the animal they are imitating

each time an action is done.

Story Time

Name of Activity: Alphabet Short Stories/Letter O

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/ children should be able to:

1. Listen to a story

2. Identify letter O

3. Respond to questions about a story

4. Identify the main character in a story

Skills: Speaking, identifying, writing.

Resources: Internet access, computer/phone/tablet, story ‘Alphabet Short

Stories/Letter O’ by Rita Rbeiz, https://youtu.be/2X5FQ77itbo

Activity Steps:

1. Click link https://youtu.be/2X5FQ77itbo view and listen to the

story.

2. Engage child/children in a discussion about the story by asking

the following questions:

a. Where did Olive live?

b. What did Olive like to eat?

C. What did Olive take with her to the picnic?

3. Allow child/children to draw and colour the main character in the story.

4. Ask child/children to name characters in the story whose names

begin with letter O.

5. Have child/children give other words with initial /o/ sound.

6. Ask child/children to write the letter O in the air and in their

book.
Follow-Up Activities: Have child/children collect pictures of words with

the initial /o/ sound and paste in their scrapbook.

 Early Childhood Commission

Term Two Parent Support Activity Plan

Week Eight, Day Three

Age: Four Year Olds

Theme: Plants

Sub theme: Plants Are Useful

Circle Time

Name of Activity: Help Me Find the Dangerous Ones

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Identify plants that are harmful

2. Name at least two harmful plants found in Jamaica

Concept/Content:

Some plants are harmful; they may be poisonous or have sharp thorns, we should
avoid all harmful plants.

Skills: Speaking, identifying, naming, observing.

Resources: Internet access, pictures of harmful plants, laptop, phone or tablet,

video ‘Leave Poison Ivy Alone! by Botany for Kids’ https://youtu.be/Rcg7C1lRq8w

Activity Steps:
1. Click link https://youtu.be/Rcg7C1lRq8w view and listen to the video,

‘Leave Poison Ivy Alone! by Botany for Kids’

2. Engage child/children in identifying harmful plants in Jamaica using the

picture below. (pictures can be cut out from worksheet)

3. Explain to child/children that, some plants like the cow itch and dumb cane

can cause itching, others like the unopened ackee and the gully bean can

cause vomiting or even death if eaten

4. Tell child/children that some harmful plants include those that have

pointed sections that can cut or harm them.

 5. Take child/children on a nature walk to identify any of the harmful plants

shown above or any other harmful plant they know.

6. Assist child/children in naming pictures of at least two harmful plants

found in Jamaica.

Culminating Activity: Allow child/children to use playdough to make models of

dangerous plants that can be identified in the environment.

Guided Learning

Name of Activity: Good Plants, Bad Plants

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Identify number of objects in a set

2. Add objects to find total

3. Write numerals for the number of objects in a set

4. Identify harmful plants

Skills: Counting, identifying, recalling, writing

Resources: Worksheets, pencil

Activity Steps:
1. Show child/children each worksheet and explain what they are asked to

do.

2. Review addition with child/children.

 3. Assist child/children in completing the worksheets provided.

Creative Activity

Name of Activity: Plant Collage

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Make a plant collage

2. Manipulate materials

Skills: Observing, tracing, tearing, folding, pasting.

Resources: A simple outline of a plant/flower, pencil, paper, old newspaper or

colourful construction paper or cartridge paper, glue.

Activity Steps:

1. Show child/children the picture below. Allow them to trace the shape in
their books.
 2. Provide child/children with coloured paper and allow them to tear the

paper into small pieces.

3. Guide child/children in using glue and the pieces of papers to cover the

inside space of the plant.

4. Display collage and talk about the colours used.

Indoor/Outdoor Play

Name of Activity: Run Away from the Scary Monster

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Maintain balance while running

2. Follow instructions

Skills: Running, observing, listening, balancing

Resources: None required

Activity Steps:

1. Explain to child/children that you are going to play a game called the

‘Scary Monster’. You will be the scary monster.

2. Instruct child/children that you will count to ten while they hide.

3. At the count of ten, the scary monster will make funny sounds and attempt

to find child/children.

Story Time:

Name of Activity: Hug Me

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Listen to a story

2. Recall information from a story

3. Respond to questions from a story

Skills:
Resources: Computer/tablet/phone, internet access, story, ‘Hug Me by Simona
Ciraolo’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn0yvkceLTA

Activity Steps:
 1. Click link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn0yvkceLTA view and listen

to the story, ‘Hug Me’ by Simona Ciraolo.

2. Engage child/children in a discussion about the story by asking the

following questions:

a. What kind of plant is Felipe?

b. What made Felipe a dangerous plant?

c. What do you think would happen if you hugged Felipe?

d. Do you know any other plant that is like Felipe?

3. Allow child/children to draw and colour a picture showing how Felipe can

play safely with his new friend.

Follow-Up Activity: Assist child/children in taking pictures of at least three

harmful plants and pasting the pictures in their scrapbook.
 Early Childhood Commission

Term Two Parent Support Activity Plans

Week Eight, Day Four

Age: 4 Years Olds

Theme: Plants

Sub theme: Plants Are Useful

Circle Time

Objectives: At the end the end of the activity, child/children will be able to:

1. Identify at least three things that are made from plants

2. Participate in discussion about the use of plants

Concept/Content: Different parts of the plants are used to make different things. These

materials are used to make hats, baskets, bags and clothes.

Skills: Listening , speaking,

Resources: Pictures, miscellaneous objects

Activity steps:

1. Click link https://youtu.be/8VHNwviElgw and allow child/children to view and listen to

the story of the ‘Three little pigs’.

2. Discuss with child/children the materials that were used to make the houses.

3. Allow child/children to tell what other things these materials can be used to make.

4. Display pictures of and or real items that materials from plants are used to make, for

example cotton = T shirt, corn = corn flakes, straw = basket.

5. Have child/children observe and talk about the colour and texture of each item.

6. Allow child/children to paste pictures of three things that we use materials from

plants to make.
Guided Learning

Name of Activity: What am I made of?

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Talk about how plants are used to make useful things

2. Identify things made from plants

3. Count number of objects in sets

Skills: Counting, grouping

Resources: Pictures, real objects

Activity Steps:

1. Take child/children walk indoors and outdoors.

2. Discuss with child/children the things seen that are made from plants, for example

furniture, clothes, food, basket, paper money.

3. Talk about things that are not made from plants such as coins, plastic objects, glass.
 4. Draw a two columns with labels ‘made from Plants and ‘Not Made from

5. Have child/children place pictures of things under the matching column.

6. Allow child/children to count the number of pictures under each column.

7. Encourage child/children to identify the numerals on a number chart.

Guided Creative Activity

Name of Activity: Weaving Coconut Leaves

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Cut along a straight line

2. Participate in a weaving activity

3. Recognize when to use “over and under”

Skills: Weaving, cutting along a straight line

Resources: 10 to 12 coconut leaves (fronds)

Activity Steps

1. Explain to child/children that some parts of the plants can be used to make useful

things. Tell them that coconut leaves can be used to make mats, hats and bracelets.

2. Prepare the coconut leaves by removing the stick

that runs in the middle to get two leaflets.

3. Allow child/children to fold the cartridge paper in half.

4. Assist child/children to draw eight straight lines from the end of the paper to the

where the paper folds.

5. Allow the child/children to cut along the straight lines, leaving at least an inch at the

edges.( Do not cut all the way to the edge of the pape)r.
 6. Unfold the paper and use a coconut leaf to start at one end and weave all the way to

the other end.

7. Allow child/children to put the coconut leaf under the first cut area, then bring it

over. Continue the over and under pattern until that row is complete.

8. Allow the child/children to repeat the same patterns until all the paper is covered.

9. Tuck the ends under and use glue to secure them.

10. Allow child/children to use the craft as a place mat when eating their next meal.

Indoor/Outdoor

Name of Activity: Ball Kicks

Objectives: At the end of activity, child/ children should be able to:

1. Kick a ball towards a target

2. Identify numerals 1-8

3. Follow instructions

Skills: Kicking, listening

Resources: Ball, 8 labelled plastic bottles

Activity Steps

1. Label eight plastic bottles with numerals 1 - 8. Arrange the bottles ten (10) inches

apart on a flat surface outdoor.

2. Position child/children three (3) feet apart from the bottles.

3. Instruct child/children to kick the ball to hit bottles with specific numerals, for

example you can say: “kick the ball to hit the bottle with numeral 6”.

4. Praise child/children for their effort.

Story Time

Name of Activity: World of Knowledge, Plants and their Uses

Objectives: At the end of activity, child/ children should be able to:

1. Listen to a story

2. Recall information from a story

3. Respond to questions from a story

4. Use drawings to represent ideas

Skills: Listening, recalling, speaking

Resource: Story, Plants and their Uses https://youtu.be/6sQmYPFCj34

Activity Steps:

1. Click link https://youtu.be/6sQmYPFCj34 and allow the child/children to view and

listen to the story- Plants and their Uses.

2. Engage child/children in a discussion about the story by asking the following questions:

a. What are the three things that plants need to grow?

b. What are the names of two parts of a plant?

c. How are two ways in which plants are useful to us?

d. What are some plants that we eat?

e. Allow the child/children to complete the worksheet (see resources) about what

plants need to grow.

3. Have child/children draw and colour two things that are made from plants.

Follow-Up Activities:

1. Have child/children go on a search to find things made from plants .

 Early Childhood Commission

Term Two Parent Support Activity Plans

Week Eight, Day Five

Age: Four Years Olds

Theme: Plants

Sub theme: Plants Are Useful

Circle Time

Objectives: At the end the end of the activity, child/children will be able to:

1. Talk about how useful plants are

2. Name two trees that are used to make furniture

3. Identify objects made from plants

Concept/Content: The trunk and branches of trees provide wood which is used to make many

things we use at home and school, for example furniture, walls, floors, toys, blocks, paper and

cardboard.

Skills: Listening, speaking, creating

Resources: Pictures of trees, cord, paper pencil, furniture

Activity steps:

1. Have child/children look at the things in the home that are made of wood.

2. Tell child/ children where wood comes from.

3. Encourage child/children to tell which part of the tree they think is used to make

furniture, doors and houses.

4. Explain to child/children that there are special trees that are used to make furniture.

Some of these special trees are Cedar, Mahogany, Spanish Elm and Blue Mahoe (See

Resource List for table).

5. Show child/children pictures of some of these special trees and tell them their names.

If possible, take them to see some of these trees.

6. Allow child/children to look at the pictures of the trees and furniture and talk about

the differences or similarities in the colour of the wood used to make the furniture.

7. Assist child/children in using cord to measure furniture in the home.

8. Engage child/children in a discussion to about their findings. Highlighting the

differences in length and size of furniture measured.

Guided Learning

Name of Activity: What Do Plants Make?

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Identify things made from plants

2. Colour within given lines

Skill: Listening, speaking,

Resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oke5AQrN2es, worksheet

Activity Steps:

1. Click link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oke5AQrN2es and allow child/children

to view and listen to the video, ‘The Uses of Plants’.

2. Engage child/children in a discussion about the usefulness of plants.

3. Allow child/children to share some of the things that plants are used to make. Tell

them that the trunk and branches of trees can be used to make furniture.

4. Ask child/children to look around the house and name some things that plants are used

to make. (chair, tables, dresser, beds)

5. Provide worksheet and instruct child/children to circle and colour the items that

plants are used to make (See resource list for Day 5)

Guided Creative Activity

Name of Activity: Let’s Create

Objectives: At the end of the activity, child/children should be able to:

1. Make art forms using plants

2. Talk about their own creation

Skills: Cutting, assembling, designing

Resources: String, glue, scissor, tape, paint, markers, cardboard, leaves, twigs/sticks, flower
petals, leaves

Activity Steps

1. Ask child/children to name things made from plants.

2. Allow child/children to take a walk outside, tell child/children to collect objects from

plants; these may include, leaves, sticks, twigs, tree bark, cardboard, flower petals.

3. Ask child/children to use the objects collected to create an art form of choice.

4. Ask child/children to talk about their creation.

Indoor/Outdoor

Name of Activity: Obstacle Course

Objectives: At the end of activity, child/ children should be able to:

1. Follow instructions

2. Manipulate body parts to complete an obstacle course

Skills: Climbing, crawling, bending

Resources: Chairs, tables, music

Activity Steps

1. Let child/children help to set up chairs and tables to form an obstacle course.

2. Explain to child/children that the aim of the game is for them to go over, under and

around any object in their way (an obstacle).

3. Tell child/children that when they hear the music they should start going through the

obstacle course. Once the music stops they have to stay still. If they complete the

obstacle course by the time the music ends they get one point. The person who gets to

five points first wins the game.

 4. Repeat the activity as desired. You may also take turns on the obstacle course while

child/children play the music.

Story Time

Name of Activity: We Love Trees

Objectives: At the end of activity, child/ children should be able to:

1. Listen to a story

2. Recall information from a story

3. Respond to questions from the story

Skills: Listening, recalling, colouring

Resources: Story, ‘We Love Trees’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBZUKKGEeNw

Activity Steps:
 1. Click link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBZUKKGEeNw and allow child/children

to view and listen to the story.

2. Engage child/children in a discussion about the story by asking the following questions:

a. Do you love trees?

b. What are the names of three animals in the story?

c. How did trees help the animals?

d. What are some of the things made from trees?

e. If you were a tree, what tree would you be and why?

Follow-Up Activities: Outdoor Exploration

1.Allow child/children to explore the outdoor environment and look for animals that they can

find living on plants and trees.

2. Let child/children draw these animals or insects on their Outdoor Exploration Sheet

(see resources).
 Early Childhood Commission

Week Eight Resources

Day One
Circle Time
 Guided Learning

Draw the correct number of oranges on the orange trees.

 Early Childhood Commission

Week Eight Resources

Day Two
Circle Time
Guided Learning
Guided Creative
Indoor/Outdoor
Story Time

Letter “Oo”
 Early Childhood Commission

Week Eight Resources

Day Three
Circle Time
Guided Learning
Creative Activity
 Early Childhood Commission

Week Eight Resources

Day Four
Circle Time
Guided Learning
Story Time
 Early Childhood Commission

Week Eight Resources

Day Five
Circle Time
 Guided Learning
Circle the pictures of the things made from plants.

Colour the items you circle.