Circle Time Hints

WHAT ARE THE KEY INGREDIENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CIRCLE TIME?

KEEP IT SHORT. As important as Circle Time is, we get the best results when it is brief. Likewise, we don’t necessarily have to start the day with Circle Time. In fact, there can be several group meetings throughout the day.

START WITH THE CHILDREN. Take cues from careful observation of the children. When we see children losing interest in our planned activities, it’s time for us to do something different. When we discover a new interest, Circle Time is a great place to begin a project that builds on it.

BE READY TO GO. Circle Time stays dynamic when we are prepared and have the materials ready. If we are going to dance, we can have streamers on hand for everyone and all the songs cued. Reducing the amount of time that children have to wait for activities or materials contributes to our success.

STAY CALM DURING CHANGE. Transitioning in and out of circle time can sometimes be chaotic. To get children’s attention, we can whisper or talk quietly. If we want to help children calm down before a story, we can sing a song that starts off energetically and then ends more slowly or quietly.

BE PROACTIVE WHEN A CHILD HAS A HARD TIME. If a child has trouble adjusting to circle time, we can ask an assistant to sit nearby. A gentle touch or encouraging smile may be all that is needed. We might involve the child in passing out materials or singing a song. It’s okay if some children don’t want to participate in some activities. By offering that child a choice to join in or to read a book quietly, we help him feel in control within our limits.

BE FLEXIBLE. By aiming for a balance between repeated and novel activities, we can maintain a dynamic learning experience. While we can always make room for the children’s favorite songs and stories, we can make it a goal to introduce new topics to expand the children’s world.

Above all, we can make Circle Time a safe place to be, a place where children feel safe to say something and know that no one will tease them, a place where children can explore, learn and grow in a caring community.

HOW CAN CIRCLE TIME BE USED EFFECTIVELY WITH CHILDREN OF DIFFERENT AGES?

Circle Time will be different across age groups in both the amount of time spent in the group and the complexity of activities. It is important that we know where children are in their development, for each age group has its definite patterns:

Infants can be brought together for a short period, a song or short game. The best activity with infants is a more individualized experience with an emphasis on repetition, such as Peek-a-Boo.

Toddlers can be engaged in Circle Time for a few minutes, sharing participatory activities such as a song or story.

Preschoolers might spend fifteen minutes in Circle Time, especially if there is a mix of listening to a story and then responding to some open-ended questions. Engage preschoolers in a music or movement activity or become the scribe as the group invents a story.

Kindergarten children may spend 25 minutes playing language games, singing, creating a graph, anticipating in a shared reading or writing activity, or planning a project or a study. All children can participate in activities such as taking apart toys to learn something about the science of wheels and motion.

School-age children are able to attend to tasks a little bit longer, as their thinking moves from the concrete to the abstract. These older children can begin to assume more responsibility by reading stories to the rest of the group, or leading a song. Topics that were introduced in earlier years can be explored more in-depth. For instance, pumpkins that were art projects for preschoolers can become horticulture experiments for school-age children.

The size of our group tells us a lot about what we can do in Circle Time. When we have a group of five instead of twenty, we can customize experiences to challenge children individually. If Circle Time is going to be with a larger group, we can make it our goal to have total participation. For example, if we are learning about rocks, there should be enough rocks for everyone to explore. Being prepared and having the materials at hand for this larger group will make Circle Time an active experience for everyone.

It gets even more interesting when we have multi-age groups all together for Circle Time. Then we have a great opportunity for leadership to develop. For instance, older children can help younger children with activities, or they can partner with younger children, who often look up to them.

Concepts At Circle Time:
The activities should be about introducing young children to colors, numbers, shapes, opposites, positions and classification. Each concept can be presented in at least four different ways allowing for reinforcement through meaningful repetition. Activities should be designed to last from five to eight minutes.

All activities are designed for a group of children sitting on the floor with their provider. The children need to be able to see you and any props you use.

Because pre-schoolers like to be actively involved, these activities engage them in many ways. Often times you begin by displaying an intriguing prop of some kind – a suitcase, a gift box, and so on. Inside are learning props for the children to observe, hold, handle, or explore. Many activities use a flannel board with colorful props for children to observe and manipulate.

Language is very much a part of all the activities. It is by talking about concepts and sharing ideas that children turn their observations into new vocabulary and learn to communicate their knowledge to others.

In some activities you will be encouraged to pass an item around the circle for children to explore. To cut down on waiting time, I suggest that you pass out several identical or similar items at once. You can do this by staring the items with different children who are sitting at various parts of the circle.

Matching Colors:
Give each of your children a small bag containing short strips of construction paper in the colors they have been learning. Have the children sit down and arrange their paper strips nearby. Then invite one child to come to the front of the circle and reach into a bag containing longer strips of the same colors. Have the child remove a strip from the rainbow bag and show it to the group. Have the other children pick up their matching strips and hold them in the air while all sing the following song.

Can You Find?
(Sung to “The Mulberry Bush”)
Can you find the color red,
The color red, the color red?
Can you find the color red,
And hold it up in the air?

Substitute the names of other colors for red.

Light Up The Colors:
Provide a flashlight for each child in your group. Dim the lights in the room. Have each child, in turn, name a color. For younger children, hold up an object and name the color. When your children hear a color name, have them shine their flashlights at anything in the room that is that color.

Hint: Encourage the children to shine their lights on something that no one else has found. This discourages “copying” the person who first found something of the named color.

Teddy Bear Race:
Make a game board by drawing three lengthwise lines on a piece of poster board to form four lanes. Select four teddy bear counters (each a different color). Stick eight circle stickers in colors to match the bear counters in each lane. Write “Start” at the bottom of the board and “Finish” at the top. Put each bear on the starting circle of it’s lane. Select four more bears that match those on the game board. Put these bears in a drawstring bag. Have your children take turns selecting a bear from the bag, showing it to the group, and naming its color. The child then moves the corresponding bear on the game board ahead by one space and returns the other bear to the bag. Play continues until one bear “wins” the race.

Color Pokey:
Select four colors of crepe-paper streamers and cut them into 12-inch strips. Cut four streamers (out of each color) for each of your children. Sort the streamers by color and put the four groups on the floor. Let each of your children select two streamers of any color and hold one in each hand. Invite the children to stand in a circle and sing the following song.. Remind them to listen carefully for the color words, and explain that they will not have a matching streamer to “put in and out” for every verse.

Color Pokey
Sung to “The Hokey Pokey”
You put blue in,
You take blue out.
You put blue in
And you shake it all about.
You do the hokey-pokey and you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
(Repeat, naming a different color each time.)

Hunting For Colors:
Have parents and friends help you collect labels from food cans. Sort the labels and put those that feature colors the children have learned into a grocery bag. You will neat at least one label for each child. Save for later any labels featuring unfamiliar colors. Make a chart listing several colors that your group has studied. Use a corresponding colored marker to write each color name. Show your children the tally chart. Tell them that they will be looking for colors on the chart. Have each child reach into the grocery bag and remove one label. Let the children study their labels and then in turn show the colors he or she has found. Record the colors on the tally chart and compare the results. Which color was found most often? Which color was found least? Can the children think of colors that were not found at all?

I Spy:
Have your children glance around the room as you call attention to different colored objects. Then play a guessing game. Call out, “I Spy with my little eye something purple.” Let the children guess what the object is. When a child guesses correctly, let him or her think of an object for the group to guess.

Colored Circles:
Cut circles from several colors of construction paper. Make several circles of each color, and make more circles than there are children. Put the paper circles in a brightly colored gift bag. In turn, have each of your children pull a circle from the bag and name its color. Invite all the children to sing about the color in the following song:

Found A Color:
(Sung to “Mary Had A Little Lamb”)
Rudy found a color, color, color.
Rudy found a color
On a shape that is round.
Rudy found a color, color, color.
Rudy found a color,
And red is what he found.
(Repeat substituting the name of one of your children for Rudy and the name of the color selected for red.)

Rainbow House:
Cut a large shape from felt to put on the flannel board. Also cut short strips from felt in a variety of colors. Tell your children a story about a large family who wanted to paint their house and couldn’t choose a color because they liked all the colors. Explain that each family member painted a part of the house their own favorite color. As you mention each color, invite a child to place a felt strip of that color on the house. End the story by explaining that the family called their home the “Rainbow House” because it was so many beautiful colors.

HOW CAN WE GET PARENTS INVOLVED IN CIRCLE TIME?

End each day with a closing Circle Time. This helps the children to remember all the exciting things they did in the program, and sends them out the door with lots to tell their parents.

We can incorporate Circle Time songs and stories into program newsletters, or teach them to our children’s families during workshops or parent night programs. Parents will be happy to be able to sing along with the children or to read their favorite book. One of the best ways that we can bring diversity into Circle Time is to invite the families of our children to share stories, traditions, talent, and hobbies. Children will learn both how people are different and the many ways that they are the same.

WHAT ARE SOME HINTS FOR SPICING UP CIRCLE TIME?

When we follow the children's interest, we make Circle Time active, meaningful, and participatory. Flexibility is key: If children are not engaged, then we should change the plan. Create a stimulating mix of active and quiet activities by alternating songs, stories, finger plays, movement, and exercises with quieter activities such as books, flannel board stories and experience charts.

So much of the child’s day revolves around time. Time to get up, morning snack, etc. Yet time itself has very immediate meanings for children. We can bring the concept of time to life by transforming our calendars from a rote memorization task into journals of our daily activities. Encourage children to record a special occasion of the day in the square of a large, blank calendar, which becomes a diary of the children’s activities and a preview of upcoming events.

WE CAN ADDRESS ALL KINDS OF TOPICS DURING CIRCLE TIME.
Circle Time is sometimes perceived as book time. How can we bring other learning areas into Circle Time? Although the classic image is of a teacher reading a book to a group of children, we can make math, science, social studies, and art just as much a part of Circle Time activities.

We can pose math questions to help children learn about numbers concepts. For example, how many children are here today? How many are boys? How many are girls? Are there more boys than girls? Turn a discussion about favorite flavors of ice cream into a math activity by creating a graph to display the results. When children clap along to different rhythms, not only are they learning about music and coordination, but they are also learning
mathematical patterns.

We incorporate science into Circle Time when we talk about weather, plants, and animals following a nature walk. When we make the words "I wonder" a part of our vocabulary, we help children develop scientific thinking.

Children also begin to understand about democracy in Circle Time as they learn how to take turns, respect the rights of others, and understand the need for rules, all important lessons in social studies.

Language and literacy are still very vital parts of a thriving Circle Time, and we can make reading a story to children every day a part of our daily routine. Re-reading favorite stories provides an excellent opportunity to develop a love of good books, learn new words, explore the sounds and rhythms of language, and develop comprehension skills. Plus, children can learn the important skill of listening, as each child is given the opportunity to speak. They learn how to take turns in conversations as they discuss their favorite characters or most feared villains.

Circle Time Games

Here's a Ball
Here's a ball (use fingers to make ball)
And here's a ball (use hands to make a ball)
A great big ball I see (Use arms to make ball)
Shall we count them?
Are you ready?
One!
Two!
Three!

I'm Bouncing
Have children pair up and hold hands as they say this rhyme. Each pair bounces around like a ball.

I'm bouncing, bouncing everywhere.
I bounce and bounce into the air.
I'm bouncing, bouncing like a ball.
I bounce and bounce, and I fall.

Bouncing Balls
Have the children form a giant bouncing ball. Give directions to the "ball"
Bouncing ball, bounce up high (stop)
Bouncing ball, bounce fast (stop)
Bouncing ball, bounce very slowly (stop)
Bouncing ball, bounce into the middle (stop. walk backwards)
bouncing ball, stand up straight and bounce (stop)

Last command "bouncing ball, bounce slower, slower, slower. Lie quietly on the floor."

Welcome Songs
Circle, circle yeah yeah yeah
Circle, circle oh, oh, oh.
Circle, circle yeah yeah yeah
We love circle.

Then I do the day of the week.
(Frere Jacques)
Stand up (child's name)
Stand up (child's name)
Turn around,
Touch the ground
Reach up to the sky now
Jump up very high
Now sit down,
Now sit down.

It's Time to Come to Circle
(tune: Did you Ever See a Lassie)
It's time to come to circle, to circle, to circle.
It's time to come to circle and share, sing and play.
Here's Cindy, and Cameron, and Judy, and Justine
It's time to come to circle and share, sing and play.
(Continue until all the chidlren are seated at the Circle.)

Good Morning Boogie
Hello Neighbor, what do you say?
(Children bow to each other)
It's going to be a happy day.
(Children clap hands together)
So greet your neighbor,
(Children give each other high fives)
And boogie on down.
(Children wiggle their hips)
Give 'em a bump,
(Children bump their hips together)
and turn around.
(Children turn around)

Months Songs
January:
It is January
It is January
Happy New Year
Happy New Year
Snowman and snowflakes
Snowman and snowflakes
Winter’s here
Winter’s here!

February:
It is February
It is February
Ground Hog Day
Ground Hog Day
Washington and Lincoln
Washington and Lincoln
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day!

March:
It is March
It is March
Windy days
Kites at play
Leprechauns and shamrocks
Leprechauns and shamrocks
Spring is here
Spring is here!

April:
It is April
It is April
Rainy Days
Rainy Days
Open your umbrella
Open your umbrella
Splash in the rain
Splash in the rain!

April 2:
It is April
It is April
Rainy Days
Rainy Days
Playing tricks so funny,
Eggs and Easter Bunny
It's Easter time,
It's Easter time!

May:
It is May
It is May
Flowers grow
Flowers grow
Time to say
“I love you!”
Time to say
“I love you!”
Mother dear
Mother dear!

June:
It is June
It is June
Father’s Day
Flag Day too
School will soon be ending
School will soon be ending
Summer’s near
Summer’s near

July:
It is July
It is July
Year-round school
Year-round school
Fireworks and homework
Fireworks and homework
We are friends
We are friends!

August:
It is August,
It is August
Sunny days
Time to play
picnic in the park
BBq's and beaches
Summer's here
Summer's here!

September:
It’s September
It’s September
School is here
School is here
We are making new friends
We are making new friends
Here comes fall
Here comes fall!

October:
It’s October
It’s October
Trick or treat
Trick or treat
Jack-o’-lanterns glowing
Jack-o’-lanterns glowing
Halloween!
Halloween!
BOO!!

November:
It’s November
It’s November
Let’s give thanks
Let’s give thanks
Pilgrims set the table
Pilgrims set the table
Indians brought food
Indians brought food!

December:
It’s December
It’s December
Trim the tree
Trim the tree
Mistletoe & holly
Santa Claus so jolly
Ring the bells
Christmas bells!

Songs for Circle

Sung to: "Are you sleeping"
Today is _______.
Today is _______.
All day long, all day long.
Yesterday was ______.
Tomorrow will be _______.
Oh what fun!
Oh what fun!

Sung to: "I Found a Peanut"
There are 7 days, there are 7 days,
there are 7 days in a week (CLAP on "week")
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (put up 1 finger at a time when saying each day)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Months of the Year
Sung to: "Ten Little Indians"
January, February, March, and April,
May and June and July and August
September, October, November, December.
These are the month of the year

Hands up high Fingerplay
Hands up high
Hands down low
Hide those hand now where did they go?
One hand up the other one too
Clap them, fold them, now we're through.

Right Hand, Left Hand
This is my right hand (raise up)
I raise it up high
This is my left hand (up overhead)
I touch the sky
Right hand, left hand (put out right palm first then the left)
Roll them round and round (Roll in front of you)
Left hand, right hand
Let's all sit down !!
(or last line could be "pound, pound, pound" while pounding fists together.

Cutting
(Sung to: "Are you Sleeping")
Keep your thumbs up,
Keep your thumbs up
when you cut
when you cut.
Snip snip with scissors
snip snip with scissors
I can cut
I can cut

Greeting Song
(Sung to: "The farmer in the dell")
Teacher:
I'm glad you came today,
I'm glad you came today.
Hello to everyone, (wave hello)
I'm glad you came today.

Children:
We're glad we came today,
We're glad we came today.
Hello, hello to everyone, (wave hello)
We're glad we came today.
All:
We'll work and play today,
We'll work and play today.
Hello, hello to everyone, (wave hello)
We'll work and play today.

Out of Place
Putting things in the right place in the centers if often a challenge. I made up this little song to encourage the children to put things in the right place.
(Sung to: "Where is thumbkin")
I see something
I see something
Out of place
Out of place
It does not belong there
It does not belong there
Please show me where, show me where.

As I sing this song, my students usually rush to find the item that I am singing about. When someone spots and item that is out of place I usually say something like "very good, so and so found what was out of place.

Tidy Up
(Sung to: "Mary had a little lamb")
Now it's time to tidy up
tidy up, tidy up
Now it's time to tidy up
And put our toys away

Song to Aid Transitions
(Sung to: "London Bridge)
Time to put our work away, work away, work away,
Time to put our work away, so we can play outside.

Now it's time to come inside, come inside, come inside,
Now it's time to come inside, so we can have some snack.

Let's all go wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands,
Let's all go wash our hands, so we can have some lunch.

Now it's time to say good-bye, say good-bye, say good-bye,
Now it's time to say good-bye until another day.

Now it's time to stomp our feet, stomp our feet, stomp our feet,
Now it's time to stomp our feet, so we can go inside

Quiet Down Song
(Sung to: "If You're Happy and You Know It")
Put your finger over your lip like this,
Put your finger over your lip like this
Close your mouth with a zip,
Put your finger over your lip,
Put your finger over your lip like this.
Shhhhhhhhhhhh

I like to do hand motions with this song.

Morning Song
(Child's Name Twice) Jump up and down
Turn all around
Act like a clown (Child's Name Twice)
Jump up and down
Now sit Right Back Down!

Ring around the Rosy
Ring around the Rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down
Mommy’s in the teapot, Daddy’s in the cup, 1, 2, 3 and we all jump up!
Ring around the Rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

Pre-k children begin to learn the days of the week through these 2 songs by Jami.
Description: These days of the week songs are sung to old tv show favorites. The children don't know the show, but when they share it with their parents the familiar song creates a fun connection for both.

(Tune: "The Addams Family theme")
There's Sunday and there's Monday,
There's Tuesday and there's Wednesday,
There's Thursday and there's Friday,
And Saturday ends the week.
Days of the Week (Clap, Clap)
Days of the Week (Clap, Clap)

The next song is to tune of the show "Happy Days"
Sunday, Monday, Happy days
Tuesday, Wednesday Happy days
Thursday, Friday Happy Days
And Saturday ends the week
Leaving 7 days for you.
There's 7 da-ays in a week,
Yours and mine
Happy Days!

Comments: the kids come back to school and tell us that their parents know that tune! It makes them excited.

Positive Guidance Song

Remind young children, in a positive way, to use their words with this preschool song
Tune: Are You Sleeping?
Use your words, use your words.
All day long, all day long.
Keep your hands and your feet,
Keep your hands and your feet
To yourself, to yourself.
Comments: I often hear the children singing it amongst themselves. It really works!

Counting Fingerplay
Description: Have children in your circle on their feet, get a beat going with a clap and a stomp & say "Get your potatoes up! And let's count!" Hold up fists (potatoes) to count with fingers up as indicated:

One potato, two potato, three potato, four!
Well, I made a pot tatoes (bend forward and stir as in a big pot)
But I dropped 'em on the floor!! (look shocked, and put hands on face in surprise)
Five potato, six potato, seven potato, eight!
So I stomped 'em into mashed potatoes (stomp feet while walking forward a few steps and then back)
And plopped 'em on a plate (one palm flat while "plopping" with the other palm)
Nine potato, ten potato, can't believe my eyes! (cover and uncover eyes in surprise)
The children ate 'em up and now they want some fries!!!
(Say to children "how many?" and march with swinging arms and stomping feet while counting...) 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 fries! (jump up and reach over head to sky on 10)
"Again??"
Do the count again, faster and a third time even faster then plop back down to sitting after the last 10.

This is SO aerobic and the children love the notion of making mashed potatoes by stomping. Also intriguing to them is the faster and faster counting to ten.

Comments: Great for rainy days and to reinforce rote counting in very young children. Preschool children also respond to the familiarity and then novelty of the chant.