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!
Hello dear newsletter and YouTube subscribers!
Like many of you, I’ve had to quickly learn how to connect with my students remotely during school closures as the virus keeps everyone home.
At first I honestly could not wrap my brain around providing online meetings with my 2 and 3 year olds.
I am so used to physically being with them in our classroom.
How on earth could I interact with them through a screen?
However, when we learned that school was going to be out for an extended period of time, I knew I had to find ways to connect with them.
When I shared this with all of you, you asked that I please share my resources.
That’s why I put this page together. My goal is to share the topics of my videos along with resources used.
I am also including my simple printables if you’d like to use them as well. Please note that these printables were made with my own students in mind. I hadn’t planned on sharing them and they aren’t “professional”. But my students have enjoyed them, and they’ve been a nice addition to my videos.
As I create more videos and Zoom meetings with my students I will update this page.
Thank you for all of your support during this time. I’m learning right along with you.
Connecting with Students During School Closures
SPRING 2020
⭐️ Note: We are also starting our Fall 2020 school year online. Scroll down this page to see what I am doing … I will continue to add as the weeks progress, so check back!
I’ve been asked to share a sample of my schedule for both my Zoom meetings and my YouTube videos.
Zoom Meetings
Do not be afraid to use the mute button! I cannot stress this enough. The children can still hear and interact with you even when on mute. It’s much easier for the children to follow along without being distracted by the sounds of all the other children, not to mention feedback.
We use a password 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.
- Good morning song (the same one we sang in class)
- A favorite song we loved while in class (such as “If You’re Happy and You Know It” or “The Wheels on the Bus”) – Everyone is muted except me due to noise level/feedback.
- Sharing time – before our meeting I send home the invite and let the parents know what their children can bring to the meeting to share. Some things we’ve shared: Objects that are a certain color, a favorite stuffed animal, a farm toy (went with our farm theme), a transportation toy (went with our space theme), a favorite food. I have everyone muted for this EXCEPT the child who is sharing.
- Book – I make sure to hold the book close to the computer so they can really see the photos. Everyone is muted except me.
- Fingerplay – I find a finger play related to that meeting’s theme and will often use props. Everyone is muted except me.
- Song – I find a song that is related to the theme.
- Goodbye song – I sing the same goodbye song that we sang in class, calling each child by name.
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.
YouTube Videos
I create 2 story times a week that are uploaded to a private YouTube channel. For privacy reasons I keep them unlisted and the only way our families can view them is with a link that we send via e-mail.
An example:
- Welcome
- Introduce the book
- Read the book
- Short activity – this might be a counting activity related to the book, or a song or finger play.
- Printable – I often create a printable that is related to the book I read. I will send the link to this printable to the parents before the video is shared.
These videos are about 10 or so minutes long. I also add a slideshow at the end with photos from our time together in school, to remind them of the fun we had together before school was closed.
Below I will share the contents of each YouTube video that I am sharing with my preschool. I’m sharing my free printables as well, in case you’d like to use them.
Make sure to watch the videos as you can get a better idea of my set up.
Keep checking back, as I will be adding more!
The The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used:
- Book
- Felt Set
- Flannel Board or Some Sort of Flannel Cloth
- Printable
Five Little Ducks
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
- Five Little Ducks (there is also this version)
- Magnetic Chalkboard
- Magnetic Numbers
- Printable
Mouse Shapes
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
Five Little Bunnies Hopping on a Hill
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home
- Five Little Bunnies Hopping on a Hill Book
- Here’s a Little Bunny Finger Play
- Bunny Hop Song
- Printable
Fat Frogs on a Skinny Log
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
- Brown Bear Circle Time Prop – Click here to see how this printable is used. Link to free download is on that page.
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear Color Book Printable – Click here to see how this printable is used. Link to free download is on that page.
- Brown Bear Flannel Pieces
- Felt Cloth
- Book
You can find lots more Brown Bear, Brown Bear activities in this post.
Farmyard Beat
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
- Farm Printable Color Pages
- Farm Animal Sticks (I cut them out from this printable and taped to craft sticks)
- Farm Counting Puzzles 1-5
- Book
Ten Little Caterpillars
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
- Ten Little Caterpillars Book
- Spring Color Pages
- Spring Counting Cards
- Magnetic Chalkboard
- Magnetic Numbers
- Felt Butterflies (not quite like mine, but very similar)
Butterfly, Butterfly
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
- Butterfly, Butterfly Book
- Butterfly Printable
- Butterfly Matching Printable
- Bug Counting Puzzle
- Felt Butterflies (not quite like mine, but very similar)
How to Catch a Star
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
- How to Catch a Star Book
- Star 1-10 Matching Printable
- Star Cutting Cards
- Star Counting 1-10 Printable Puzzle
- Star Printable Template
On the Launch Pad
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car
Materials that I used or sent home:
Ten Little Dinosaurs
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
- How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Book
- Dinosaur Color Pages (Free Printable)
- Dinosaur Egg Color Matching Printable
How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?
Note: Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
Mister Seahorse
Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef
Please refer to this video for details.
Materials that I used or sent home:
- Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef Book
- Ten Fish in the Ocean Printable (Free Printable)
- Ocean Count and Clip Cards (Free Printable)
- Magnetic Chalkboard
- Magnetic Numbers
FALL 2020
See how I set up my simple virtual teaching area here:
Spring has come and gone, as has summer.
In August we learned that our little preschool would need to start online. At this time we are not sure when we will get approval to open our preschool, so I will keep you updated!
For fall 2020, I am only doing live online Zoom meetings, no YouTube videos.
We meet on the same days we’d meet during the school year – Tuesday and Thursdays.
Our Zoom meeting times start at 9:30 am we can can go up to 30 minutes.
Starting a school year online with brand new students was, I will admit, frightening. I stayed calm and positive through all the planning, but on the morning of our first meeting I definitely had butterflies in my stomach. It felt like my very first year of teaching all over again!
Some tips:
I sent home an email to all the families ahead of time outlining what we’d be doing.
I had the children bring a favorite stuffed animal and suggested providing a snack at the table during our meeting. (This helped tremendously, as it kept the children more focused.)
I told the families that if their children just weren’t into it, I completely understood if they needed to leave the meeting.
I also suggested they change their screen name so it was their children’s names. This was a HUGE help since I had not met my students yet.
SEPTEMBER
September Music Playlist:
September 2020 Week #1 – All About Me
Tuesday’s outline:
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star using Star Sticks
Book: Toes, Ears, Nose by Marion Dane Bauer
Song: The Wheels on the Bus using Song Sticks
Song: Goodbye Song
Thursday’s outline:
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
Book: Here Are My Hands by Bill Martin Jr.
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
Song: Goodbye Song
September 2020 Week #2 – All About Me
Tuesday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star using Star Sticks
Book: I Went Walking by Sue Williams
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them (Spotify)
Song: Everybody Clap by Nancy Kopman
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
Song: Goodbye Song
Thursday
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: One Little Finger (Spotify)
Book: Where’s Spot? By Eric Hill
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them (Spotify)
Song: Everybody Clap by Nancy Kopman
Song: 5 Little Monkeys (Spotify)
Song: Goodbye Song
September 2020 Week #3 – Apples Day 1
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them (Spotify)
Book: Under the Apple Tree
Color Activity: Red, Yellow, Green Apples (Using Apple Props)
Counting Song: Way Up High in the Apple Tree
Song: I Wake Up My Hands (Spotify)
Song: 5 Little Monkeys (Spotify)
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It (Spotify)
Song: Goodbye Song
September 2020 Week #3 – Apples Day 2
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: One Little Finger (Spotify)
Fingerplay: Put Your Apple in the Air (Using Apple Props)
Book: Apples
Counting Song: Way Up High in the Apple Tree
Song: I Wake Up My Hands (Spotify)
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
Song: Goodbye Song
September 2020 Week #4 – Apples Day 3
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Fingerplay: Put Your Apple in the Air (Using Apple Props)
Book: 5 Little Apples
Fine Motor: Introduce Playdough
Book: At the Apple Orchard
Song: I Wake Up My Hands (Spotify)
Song: Goodbye Song
September 2020 Week #4 – Apples Day 4
Watch the video here!(This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Counting Song: Way Up High in the Apple Tree
- (Using Apple Props)
Book: Peppa Pig Goes Apple Picking
Song: I Wake Up My Hands (Spotify)
Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider (Spotify)
Book: One, Two, Tree
Song: Song: Shake, Shake, Shake
Song: Goodbye Song
OCTOBER
October Music Playlist:
October 2020 Week #1 – Farm Day 1
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
- (Using Farm Animal Props)
Book: Barnyard Dance
Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Spotify)
Song: Here is a Beehive
Song: 5 Little Monkeys (Spotify)
Song: Goodbye Song
October 2020 Week #1 – Farm Day 2
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
- (Using Farm Animal Props)
Book: Let’s Go Visiting
Song: I Wake Up My Hands (Spotify)
Song: Here is a Beehive
Song: Goodbye Song
October 2020 Week #2 – Farm Day 3
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
- (Using Farm Animal Props)
Book: Quack! Moo! Oink!
Song: 5 Little Ducks (Spotify)
Song: Here is a Beehive
Song: Goodbye Song
October 2020 Week #2 – Farm Day 4
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
- (Using Farm Animal Props)
Book: Night Night Farm
Song: 5 Little Ducks (Spotify)
Book: Moo, Baa, La La La
Song: Here is a Beehive
Song: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Song: Goodbye Song
October 2020 Week #3 – Pumpkins Day 1
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Book: Where is Pumpkin?
Song: Five Little Pumpkins
Song: Everybody Clap
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
Song: Goodbye Song
October 2020 Week #3 – Pumpkins Day 2
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Book: Five Little Pumpkins
Song: Five Little Pumpkins
Book: Boo, Boo, I Love You
Song: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Song: I Wake Up My Hands
Song: Goodbye Song
October 2020 Week #4 – Pumpkins
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Book: Five Little Pumpkins
Song: Five Little Pumpkins
Book: Boo, Boo, I Love You
Song: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Book: Five Little Pumpkins
Song: Goodbye Song
NOVEMBER
November Music Playlist:
November 2020 Week #1 – Fall Day #1
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: One Little Finger
Book: Mouse’s First Fall
Song: Five Little Leaves
- Using Leaf Props and Numbered Leaves from this Post
Book: Little Owl’s 1-2-3
Song: One Little Owl
Song: Goodbye Song
November 2020 Week #1 – Fall Day #2
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: Good Morning Song
Song: The Owl Song
Song: Gray Squirrel
Book: The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel
Activity: What Colors are the Leaves
Song: Five Little Leaves
- Colored Leaves and Numbered Leaves are Here
Song: The Wheels On the Bus
Song: Goodbye Song
November 2020 Week #2 – Fall Day #3 (Squirrels and Owls)
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: The Good Morning Song
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
Action Rhyme: I am a Squirrel
Song: Gray Squirrel
Flannel Board: What Colors are the Owls?
Book: Hoot
Song: The Owl Song
Song: You Can Clap Your Hands
Song: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Song: The Goodbye Song
November 2020 Week #2 – Fall Day #4 (Squirrels and Owls)
Watch the video here! (This video includes snippets of our actual meeting.)
Song: The Good Morning Song
Song: I Wake Up My Hands
Song: Five Little Leaves
- Colored Leaves and Numbered Leaves are Here
Book: Autumn in the Forest
Action Rhyme: I am a Squirrel
Song: Gray Squirrel
Flannel Board: What Colors are the Owls?
Song: The Owl Song
Song: Open, Shut Them
Song: The Goodbye Song
November 2020 Week #3 – Fall Day #5 (Squirrels, Owls and Turkeys)
Watch the video here! (Includes snippets of my actual online meeting.)
Song: Good Morning
Song: Gray Squirrel
Book: Where Is Baby’s Turkey?
- Children Hold Up Turkey Sticks
Activity: What colors are the turkey’s feathers?
- Using our FREE Turkey and Feathers Printable
Song: Five Little Turkeys
Activity: Count the Turkeys
- Using Our Free Numbered Turkeys Printable
Book: Five Silly Turkeys
Song: The Owl Song
Song: Goodbye
November 2020 Week #3 – Fall Day #6 (Squirrels, Owls and Turkeys)
Watch the video here. (It contains live snippets of our classroom meeting.)
Song: Good Morning
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
Book: This Little Turkey
- Children Hold Up Turkey Sticks
Song: Five Little Turkeys
Activity: Count the Turkeys
- Using Our Free Numbered Turkeys Printable
Book: Llama Llama Gives Thanks
Song: Gray Squirrel
Activity: What colors are the turkey’s feathers?
- Using our FREE Turkey and Feathers Printable
Song: The Owl Song
Song: Goodbye
What my readers are saying after watching the distance learning videos:
“Thank you so much for what you do. I am a Itinerant special education teacher … our district has started school remotely. I came across your YouTube channel and was glued ! I was feeling very anxious but was able to find hope in your videos. I love the way you explain what your doing and why. I’m beginning to use more props in my videos because of you , I’m feeling a bit more confidant . Thank you , please continue to do what you do, you are helping many of us , please know that. I’m looking forward to following you.”
Toddler and Preschool Lesson Plans
I am so excited to be one of the talented creators of these toddler and preschool lesson plans!
Each themed packet contains easy-to-prep activities that cover a variety of skills.
We’ve done the work for you!
For more information, click on the graphics below:
