Inside: I’ve put together all the toddler and preschool virtual learning activities and printables that I’ve done since school closures. A great resource for educators who are teaching online!
If you are in the position of preschool virtual teaching, as I am, you need resources!
When I started this online teaching journey in spring 2020, I had no idea where to begin.
Yes, I’d been a teacher in the classroom for over 20 years.
But online?
No experience whatsoever.
I got no training.
I literally was told we would be moving from in-person teaching due to the pandemic to online teaching.
I had to learn along the way.
I decided to share my online teaching journey with all of you – from my mistakes to my victories.
Scroll down to find what I’ve been doing!
As I create more Zoom meetings with my students I will update this page.
Table of Contents
Connecting with Students During School Closures – Winter 2021
By now I’ve been doing online teaching for many months.
This page will be dedicated to 2021 online classes.
If you’d like to see what I did in 2020, check out these pages:
Spring 2020 Virtual Teaching Resources
Fall 2020 Virtual Teaching Resources (including Christmas)
Zoom Meetings – A Few Tidbits
Do not be afraid to use the mute button! This is especially true while reading books. While I want to hear each child, sometimes the feedback is too distracting not just for me, but for the children as well. I tell our families that if there is excessive noise in their house, feel free to hit the mute button.
- We email the families a link to get into the Zoom meetings and the children wait in the “waiting room” so we can invite them in one at a time.
- Once all of the children have arrived (or when you feel it’s time to start), we move into the meeting.
- I do not rush these meetings. I take my time, pausing to look directly at them with a warm smile.
- As soon as the children arrive, I welcome them all and let them know how good it is to see them!
- Then, we begin.
- These meetings are about 25-35 minutes long and I do not rush it. I cannot emphasize enough that you do not need to rush through your meeting.
At the start of each week, I send an email home to our families outlining what we will be doing that week, letting them know which props their children will need.
If children have a hard time sitting, some families have found that sitting their children at the kitchen table with a snack really helps.
I told the families that if their children just weren’t into it, I completely understood if they needed to leave the meeting.
However, I also tell them that it’s okay if their children want to move around during the meeting.
This is a young age group (2 and young 3 year olds) and their attention spans are much shorter than preschoolers.
Video Set Up
I keep my set-up rather simple.
I have my laptop, my bluetooth speaker, my schedule, and my props ready to go.
See how I set up my simple virtual teaching area here:
January 2021
Outline:
- Week #1 – Snow and Ice
- Week #2 – Snowmen
- Week #3 – Winter Clothing
- Week #4 – Winter Bears
January Music Playlist
⭐️ See my January playlist here!
Take Home Packets
Every 2 weeks we put together a packet that includes props they can hold during our meetings, as well as activities they can do on their own time.
Take Home Packets for Weeks #1 and #2:
Take Home Packets for Weeks #2 and #3:
Hot Cocoa Color Page (Part of This Packet)
Week #1 – Snow and Ice – Tuesday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
What we did:
Good Morning Song
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
Book: Millions of Snowflakes
Book: Snow Kisses
Song: Snowflakes, Snowflakes
Song: I’m a Little Snowflake
Prop to Hold: Snowflake Sticks
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
Goodbye Song
Week #1 – Snow and Ice – Thursday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
What we did:
Book: Ten Sparkly Snowflakes
- You can find the snowflakes in our Winter Counting Props Pack
Book: Little Bea and the Snowy Day
Song: Snowflakes, Snowflakes
Song: I’m a Little Snowflake
Song: Open, Shut Them
Prop to Hold: Snowflake Sticks
Week #2 – Snow and Snowmen – Tuesday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Book: The Itsy Bitsy Snowman
Book: Little Snowman
Song: I’m a Little Snowman
Song: Five Little Snowmen
Prop to Hold: Snowman Sticks
Rhyme: 10 Little Snowflakes
- You can find the snowflakes in our Winter Counting Props Pack
Prop to Hold: Snowflake Sticks
Week #2 – Snow and Snowmen – Thursday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Book: Biscuit’s Snowy Day
Book: Colors in the Cold
- We used this free printable.
Song: I’m a Little Snowman
Song: Five Little Snowmen
Prop to Hold: Snowman Sticks
Song: I’m a Little Snowflake
Prop to Hold: Snowflake Sticks
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
Week #3 – Winter Clothing – Tuesday
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Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Book: Amy Loves the Snow
Book: Will You Wear a Blue Hat?
Prop to Hold: Mitten Sticks
Song: I Wake Up My Hands
Song: Mitten Colors
- Prop: Colored Mittens
Song: Hot Chocolate
- Prop: Numbered Hot Cocoa Mugs (Part of our Winter Counting Packet)
Fingerplay: I Have a Cup of Hot Cocoa
Song: Snowflakes, Snowflakes
Prop to Hold: Snowflake Sticks
Song: Shake My Sillies Out
Week #3 – Winter Clothing – Thursday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Book: Let It Snow
Book: Red Mittens
Activity: Count 5 Mittens
- Prop: Numbered Mittens (Part of our Winter Counting Packet)
Song: Mitten Colors
- Prop: Colored Mittens
Song: Hot Chocolate
- Prop: Numbered Hot Cocoa Mugs (Part of our Winter Counting Packet)
Fingerplay: I Have a Cup of Hot Cocoa
Song: Shake My Sillies Out
Week #4 – Winter Bears – Tuesday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Book: Baby Bear Sees Blue
Song: Where is Hibernating Bear?
Prop to Hold: Bear Sticks
Book: Old Bear
Song: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Sharing: The children can bring a favorite teddy bear to our meeting.
Song: I Stamp
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
Week #4 – Winter Bears – Thursday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Book: Where, Oh Where, is Baby Bear?
Song: Where is Hibernating Bear?
Prop to Hold: Bear Sticks
Song: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Song: The Color Song
- Prop: Colored Mittens
Sharing: The children can bring a favorite teddy bear to our meeting.
Song: I Stamp
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
February 2021
Valentines Day and Transportation
Outline:
- Week #1 – Valentine’s Day (Props: Heart Sticks)
- Week #2 – Valentine’s Day (Props: Heart Sticks)
- Week #3 – Transportation (Props: Car Sticks)
- Week #4 – Transportation (Props: Car Sticks)
Take Home Packets for Weeks 1 and 2 (Valentines):
- Heart Prop (Tape to Popsicle Stick)
- Heavy Paper Cut Into Heart Shape (Using This Template) – Will provide small pieces such as pom poms and tissue paper squares that they can glue on top.
- Matching Hearts Activity
- Heart Mat (To Be Used As a Color Page)
Take Home Packets for Weeks 3 and 4 (Transportation):
- Bus Prop (From This Packet)
- Car Prop (From This Packet)
Please check back, as I will be adding details soon. Make sure to check these resources:
- February Themes and Activities
- Valentine’s Day Books I Will Be Reading
- Valentine’s Day Song Playlist
Week #1 – Valentines – Tuesday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Props: Heart Sticks
Book: I Love You Every Day
Song: Skidamarink
Book: Where is Love, Biscuit?
Song: Valentines Are Made to Share
- Prop: I cut out the yellow, blue and red hearts from this printable.)
Song: Five Valentines to Give Away
- Prop: Numbered Valentine Hearts (Get the free printable here.)
Song: If You Love Me and You Know It
Song: Monkeys on the Bed
- Using the Five Little Monkeys Prop (from our Song & Rhyme Props Packet)
Week #1 – Valentines – Thursday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Props: Heart Sticks
Book: I Love You, Spot
Book: Ten Little Kisses
- Prop: Numbered Valentine Hearts (Get the free printable here.)
Song: Valentines Are Made to Share
Song: Five Valentines to Give Away
- Prop: Numbered Valentine Hearts (Get the free printable here.)
Song: Everybody Clap
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
Week #2 – Valentines – Tuesday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Props: Heart Sticks
Book: Biscuit’s Valentine’s Day
Book: Where Is Baby’s Valentine?
Song: Five Valentines to Give Away
- Prop: Numbered Valentine Hearts (Get the free printable here.)
Song: Five Little Hearts
- Prop: Numbered Valentine Hearts (Get the free printable here.)
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
- Using Props From Our Song & Rhymes Packet
- Talk About Feelings Using This Feelings Printable
Week #2 – Valentines – Thursday
Props: Heart Sticks
Book: Llama Llama I Love You
Book: Peppa’s Valentine’s Day
Song: Five Little Hearts
- Prop: Numbered Valentine Hearts (Get the free printable here.)
Song: Skidamarink
Activity: Valentine Hearts Matching (Using this free printable.)
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
- Using Props From Our Song & Rhymes Packet
- Talk About Feelings Using This Feelings Printable
Song: If You Love Me and You Know It
Week #3 – Transportation – Tuesday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Car Prop and Numbered Cars (From This Packet)
Book: Vroom, Vroom, Trucks!
Book: Pop-Up Peekaboo! Things That Go
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
- Bus Prop (From This Packet)
Song: Driving Around In My Little Car
- Using Plain Color Cars From This Packet
Song: Five Little Cars
- Using Numbered Cars From This Packet
Song: I’m Driving In My Car
Week #3 – Transportation – Thursday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Car Prop and Numbered Cars (From This Packet)
Book: Vroom
Book: Planes
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
- Bus Prop (From This Packet)
Song: Driving Around In My Little Car
- Using Plain Color Cars From This Packet
Song: I’m Driving In My Car
Song: Let’s Be Planes!
Song: Five Little Airplanes
- Using These Planes Taped to Popsicle Sticks
Week #4 – Transportation – Tuesday
Car Prop and Numbered Cars (From This Packet)
Book: Machines at Work
Book: Little Blue Boat
Song: 10 Little Sailboats
- Prop: Ten Sailboats Attached to a Magnetic Board (From This Printable)
Song: Let’s Be Planes!
Song: Five Little Airplanes
- Using These Planes Taped to Popsicle Sticks
Song: Fire Truck
Week #4 – Transportation – Thursday
Car Prop and Numbered Cars (From This Packet)
Book: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car
Book: I Love Trains!
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
- Bus Prop (From This Packet)
Song: Here’s a Little Choo Choo Train
Song: Driving Around In My Little Car
- Using Plain Color Cars From This Packet
Song: Five Little Cars
- Using Numbered Cars From This Packet
Song: I’m Driving In My Car
March 2021
NOTE! As of March 2021 I am finally back IN PERSON with my students so I am no longer virtual teaching. I will continue to share highlights here for those of you who are virtual teaching, giving you books, songs and props that might be helpful.
Outline:
- Week #1 – Rainbows
- Week #2 – Rainbows/St. Patrick’s Day
- Week #3 – St. Patrick’s Day
- Week #4 – Spring Break for My Preschool
- Week #5 – Easter
St. Patrick’s Day and Rainbows Song Playlist
Week #1 – Rainbows – Tuesday
Book: My Rainbow Surprise
Song: I Can Sing a Rainbow
Song: Colors of the Rainbow
Week #1 – Rainbows – Thursday
Book: Hello, Rainbow
Song: I Can Sing a Rainbow
Song: Colors of the Rainbow
Week #2 – Rainbows/St. Patrick’s Day – Tuesday
Prop: Shamrock Sticks
Book: Pop-Up Peekaboo! Unicorn
Song: A Rainbow Cheer
Activity: Counting Shamrocks
Week #2 – Rainbows/St. Patrick’s Day – Thursday
Prop: Shamrock Sticks
Book: The Itsy Bitsy Leprechaun
Song: Five Little Leprechauns Jumping on the Bed
- Using props from my St. Patrick’s Day Learning Packet
Song: Shamrock Shake
Week #3 – St. Patrick’s Day – Tuesday
Prop: Shamrock Sticks
Book: Little Lucky Leprechaun
Song: Five Little Leprechauns Jumping on the Bed
- Using props from my St. Patrick’s Day Learning Packet
Song: Shamrock Shake
Week #3 – Rainbows – Thursday
Book: Little Owl’s Colors
Song: A Rainbow Cheer
Week #4 – SPRING BREAK FOR US
Week #5 – Easter – Tuesday
Printable: Bunny Prop
Printable: Bunny Color Matching Puzzle
Book: Eggs Are Everywhere!
Book: Hello Bunny
Song: 5 Little Bunnies
Song: This is the Way the Bunny Hops
Week #5 – Easter – Thursday
Printable: Bunny Prop
Printable: Bunny Color Page
Book: Spot’s First Easter
Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Easter Colors
Song: 5 Little Bunnies
Song: This is the Way the Bunny Hops
Song: Five Jelly Beans
April 2021
NOTE! As of March 2021 I am finally back IN PERSON with my students so I am no longer virtual teaching. I will continue to share highlights here for those of you who are virtual teaching, giving you books, songs and props that might be helpful.
In April we will be exploring the spring season. In addition to bugs, butterflies and gardening, we will also explore pond life.
Outline:
- Week #1 – Bugs & Butterflies
- Week #2 – Bugs & Butterflies
- Week #3 – Gardening
- Week #4 – Gardening
Spring Music Playlists
Week #1 – Bugs & Butterflies – Tuesday
Props: Colorful Plain and Numbered Butterflies
Book: Caterpillar Spring: Butterfly Summer
Song: Five Little Caterpillars
Song: Caterpillar Caterpillar
Week #1 – Bugs & Butterflies – Thursday
Props: Colorful Plain and Numbered Butterflies
Book: Ten Wriggly, Wiggly Butterflies
Song: Five Little Caterpillars
Song: Caterpillar Caterpillar
Week #2 – Bugs & Butterflies – Tuesday
Book: Let’s Count Butterflies
Song: Ten Little Caterpillars
Song: Butterfly Colors Song
Week #2 – Bugs & Butterflies – Thursday
Book: In My Flower
Song: Five Little Caterpillars
Song: Butterfly Colors Song
Week #3 – Gardening – Tuesday
Props: Flower Circle Time Props
Book: The Little Gardener
Song: Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day
- Using Ducks Printable from Song & Rhymes Pack
Song: The Grasshopper Hop
Week #3 – Gardening – Thursday
Props: Flower Circle Time Props
Book: What Happens Next?
Song: The Gardener Plants the Seeds
Song: Five Little Speckled Frogs
- Using Frogs Printable from Song & Rhymes Pack
Week #4 – Gardening – Tuesday
Props: Flower Circle Time Props
Book: My Garden
Song: 5 Spring Flowers
Song: Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day
- Using Ducks Printable from Song & Rhymes Pack
Week #4 – Gardening – Thursday
Props: Flower Circle Time Props
Book: Lola Plants a Garden
Song: The Gardener Plants the Seeds
Song: Five Little Speckled Frogs
- Using Frogs Printable from Song & Rhymes Pack
May 2021
Weeks 1 and 2: Dinosaurs
Prop: Dinosaurs
Prop: Ten Little Dinosaurs
Template: Dinosaur
Book: Listen and Learn Dinosaurs
Book: Dinosaur Dance!
Book: How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends?
Book: Baby Touch and Feel: Baby Dinosaur
Book: Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs
Book: Peek-A-Boo Dinosaur
Book: Ten Little Dinosaurs
Here is our dinosaur playlist:
Weeks 3 and 4: Oceans and Beaches
Props: Plain and Numbered Fish
Book: I’m the Biggest Thing In The Ocean
Book: Baby Beluga
Book: Freddie Goes to the Beach
Book: Sea, Sand, Me!
Book: Biscuit’s First Beach Day
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