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Ice Cream Theme for PreschoolI Scream, You Scream, We ALL Scream for Ice Cream! This frosty ice cream preschool theme page includes preschool lesson plans, activities and Interest Learning Center ideas for your Preschool Classroom!
You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page.
Let the Theme Planning Begin!You can either scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities for your theme or click the link below to go to specific preschool activity types you are looking for.
Theme Art IdeasTriple Decker!
Materials needed: a cone shape and 3 scoop or circle shapes for each child; crayons
The children color the scoops their favorite "flavored" color and glue on top of their cone.
VARIATION: Marble paint the scoops by placing them in a shallow lid, drop a few drops of their favorite colors of paint and roll a marble back and forth by moving the lid!
Scoop It Up!
IN advance, draw bowls that are about 4 inches tall.
Provide different colors of scrap construction paper or tissue paper.
Provide scissors, glue sticks and an 8 1/2 X 11 inch plain paper.
The children cut out and glue the paper bowl onto the plain paper.
They cut or tear the paper and add to make their own ice cream sundae!
Theme Block Center IdeasThank you, Tamara, for these ideas!
Since ice cream comes from cows, we made a corral out of blocks and created a dairy farm using the cows from our farm animal set.
You could also build and ice cream store or stand with the blocks.
Theme Circle Time IdeasCircle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your theme!
Where Does It Come From?
Most children will be surprised that ice-cream comes from......cows!
5 Ice Cream Cones
Finger play (could also be made into a flannel board story!)
Five little ice-cream cones at the ice cream shop
But no one wanted to buy them with vanilla on top
One little cone took some time to think
It mixed in some bubblegum and turned itself pink!
Four little ice-cream cones at the ice cream shop
But no one wanted to buy them with vanilla on top
Then one little cone knew what it should do
It mixed in some blueberries and turned itself blue.
Three little ice-cream cones at the ice cream shop
But no one wanted to buy them with vanilla on top
One little ice cream was a smart little fellow
It mixed in some lemonade and turned itself yellow.
Two Little ice-cream cones at the ice-cream shop
But no one wanted to buy them with vanilla on top.
One little ice-cream got an idea in its head
It mixed in some strawberries and turned itself red.
One little ice-cream cone at the ice-cream shop
But no one wanted to buy it with vanilla on top
Alone and sad, it really wanted to go,
So it mixed in all the colors and made itself a rainbow!
Snack Recipe Ideas to Cook Up for Your Theme!Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation! Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific themed questions while making these fun snacks!
Banana Sherbet Pops!
Materials needed:
3 ripe bananas
16 ounces crushed unsweetened pineapple
3 ounces unsweetened orange-juice concentrate
1/2 cup powdered milk
Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend on Puree until smooth.
Pour into paper cups and freeze.
Once it is somewhat slushy, insert large craft sticks.
Freeze completely!
Frozen Fruit
Slice up fruit. Place on a foil covered dish or cookie sheet and freeze.
Serve!
We've used red and green grapes (remember to slice them first so they are not a choking hazard), watermelon and banana.
Themed Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area!The Everything Frozen Shop!
Set up your dramatic play area into a restaurant. But, the only thing you will serve are frozen treats! Use play food, make up menus using pictures of different types of frozen treats, bowls, spoons, aprons, bowls, etc.
Themed Ideas for your Easel--
More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom)!My Favorite or Favorites!
Provide different colors of paint. Provide paper with bowls or cones already glued or drawn on them. The children paint their favorite frozen treats on them!
Themed Large Group Games
that help build the children's muscles while they have fun together!Toss the Scoops
Materials needed: different colored socks and large bins.
Toss the flavors for fun into bins. OR, if you want to color match, choose bins or large bowls to match the colored socks!
VARIATION: Place a large, thick foam board (thick poster board) against the wall.
Cover it with strips of Velcro (hook side).
Wrap the balled up socks in the loop side of the Velcro.
Toss!
Frozen Delivery!
Provide the socks used above and let the children ride their bikes or ride on toys to deliver frozen treats to their friends.
Themed Ideas for your Library
Book Suggestions for the Library
The following books may be available at your local library or you can purchase them through Amazon. Click on the title links to check out what Amazon has!
(I LOVE Amazon, and some of the links below will take you to the Amazon website. If you do choose to purchase yours through Amazon, they do send me a few cents--which supports my coffee habit! )
Curious George Goes to an Ice Cream Shop by H. A. Rey and Margaret Rey
From Cow to Ice Cream (Changes) by Bertram Knight
Ice Cream: The Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons
The Ice Cream King by Steve Metzger
Themed Activities to Help Your Preschoolers develop math skills and those small muscles in their hands!Programmed Cones
In advance, make and cut out cone shapes. Laminate.
Make and cut out scoop shapes. Laminate.
With a dry erase marker, program the cones and scoops based on what you are working on with the children:
Print different numbers on the cones and the same numbers on the scoops to match.
Print different numbers on the cones and the corresponding number of dots on the scoops to count and match.
Color Matching Scoops
Make different scoop shapes of different colors. Laminate.
Cut each in half.
Glue one half in a manila folder.
The children match by placing the other half next to it.
Themed Music and Movement Activities and Ideas to Get Your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin!Act It Out!
Have you made the Ice-Cream in a Can or a bag (listed under the Gross motor activities above)? If so, have the children act it out!
Pour in the milk. (Run in place) Now just a drop (squat down and up quickly) of vanilla. Now fit yourself into a bigger can or bag. Brrr...now lots of ice is around us! Now we are shaking! Or Now we are rolling! You get the idea!
Themed Activities for Your Sand and Water Table!The REAL Thing!
No, really! Either you or a parent has that freezer burned ice cream in the freezer! Don't throw it away! Scoop it in your sensory table for some gooey texture!
Ice Cream Castles
Provide white flour and sand castle molds or other molds to use in the table. Add red pom poms or cherries! Sure it's messy, but where else can you explore the texture of this but at preschool??!!!
Suggestion from experience: Provide shirts or aprons....this is a great outdoor activity...if indoors, do this on a carpeted area or tarp--the floor will be too slippery with flour on it!
Scoop 'Em Up! Thank you Kristen T. for this idea!
Put lots of colorful pom poms in your table along with colorful scoopers and fun bowls! Our kids LOVE it!
Themed Science Activities for Your Preschool Scientists in Training!It Doesn't Take All Day...or DOES It?
Place 2 bowls out. Place ice cubes in one and ice cream in another.
Discuss what they are, how they are made etc.
Ask what they think will happen if we leave these bowls out all day?
Write down their answers.
Check on the bowl throughout the morning or day and write down their comments!
EXTENSION: Make a journal for each child so they can document what happens throughout the day (they may draw, or scribble or ask you to write what they say).
Writing Activity Ideas for Your Preschool Theme!Once Upon A Time
Provide Ice Cream stickers and crayons. The children make a picture and tell a story (which you write down) about their ice cream's adventure!
Miscellaneous Activities for Your Ice Cream Theme!Visit a Dairy Farm
Visit an Ice Cream Shop
Invite the owner of an Ice Cream truck to come talk to the children and give a tour of their truck...and of course a treat!
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Hey there! Welcome to Preschool Plan It! I’m Cheryl, a preschool teacher of over 20 years.
I KNOW, I know, you spend hours of time developing your preschool themes, activities and preschool lesson plans each week. You are commited to planning preschool themes and activities that are engaging hands-on, interactive, fun AND meet the goal of supporting each child’s level of growth and development.
I am commited to providing you, the preschool teacher, with everything you need to develop preschool lesson plans and preschool activities for your classroom all in one place!
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