Monday, April 9, 2012

What's on the Tray? Car Theme

There is nothing in the world that Super Tot loves more than cars.  Not only does he love them, but he is more knowledgeable about them than most adults (even those that are really into cars).  He knows and without thought can recognize almost every make and model, and he loves to point out his favorites anytime he sees them.  It is fun to see him so passionate about it.  I have no idea how, but I do know that God is going to use this passion and gift for His glory someday. 

After parking by a Ferrari & a Lamborghini at lunch on Saturday, Super Tot asked me if we could do a car theme in school this week.  I threw together a few things and hope he enjoys them!  

Here are some of our activities for the week.  We will also be doing several of our past activities that I have included in previous posts.


Sorting Cars
Sort the car photos by type, and then by color.  I have printed and laminated 35 photos for this activity (5 of his favorite models, each in 7 colors).  We have done this before with just 2 models, but I added 3 more for this week.  This is one of his favorite activities, for obvious reasons.
~sorting, color recognition~



Counting Cars
Count the number of cars on each card and place the clothes pin on the appropriate number.
~counting, number recognition, fine motor~



Building a Model Car
Using the pieces in the bowl, complete the model of the McLaren MP4 12C.  This is Super Tot's favorite car, and he was so excited when we found this Mega Blocks model right after Christmas.  He will need my assistance with this one for the order and placement, but he can put it together himself.
~fine motor, critical thinking & logic~



Race Car Matching
Place each sticker on the matching race car on the track.
~matching, fine motor~



Peg Play
Free play using the pegs & transportation theme peg boards.
~fine motor, matching, counting, patterning, etc. - all depends on how he plays!~

 Cars Puzzle
Complete the puzzle using the pieces in the pail.
~critical thinking, fine motor~

Foam Rims
Complete each "rim" by placing the correct foam pieces into each puzzle.  I know this one is a stretch, but at least I'm being creative!!
~fine motor, color & shape recognition and matching~

 Color Match Car Parking
Park each car in a spot that is the same color as the car.  This is an activity we did last year, but I thought I would bring it out again for this week.
~color recognition & matching~


Counting Links
Attach the correct number and color of links to each ticket.  I can't really tie this one in to the car theme, but we are working on number recognition and this is one of my favorite previous activities for that skill.
~counting & number recognition, color matching, fine motor~

17 comments:

  1. Your car trays are awesome! My son would have LOVED them when he was little. He always enjoyed anything related to vehicles ... and at 27 still goes to car shows whenever he can! Thanks so much for linking up with Montessori Monday. I featured your post at the Living Montessori Now Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LivingMontessoriNow

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    1. Thank you Deb! I wonder how his fascination (obsession) will evolve over time!

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  2. I love the foam "rims". We have those out on our trays this week. I'll have to remember then for our upcoming car unit. :)

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    1. Thanks Allison! I knew that one was a stretch, but Super Tot loved the idea of them being rims.

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  3. What a great idea! I am going to try this in my classroom.

    Thank you!
    Anniebelle
    New Zealand

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  4. where can I find the counting cars clothespin activity?
    Thanks
    amy

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  5. I love this car theme!! My little man will love this. I'm stopping by to let you know that I featured one of your activities on my blog today. Thank you so much for sharing your great ideas.

    Jen
    http://raisingcreativeandcuriouskids.blogspot.com/2012/04/toilet-paper-roll-color-match.html

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    1. Thank you for letting me know! I am humbled and honored. The toilet paper roll color match is one of my favorite tools I've made, and we use it in some capacity almost every week.

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  6. I love these ideas. Where did you get the little colored links at for the counting links activity?

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    1. Thanks so much!! Here's a link to the links (no pun intended)! http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Learn-Links-LER0257/dp/B000QDTWF0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346183217&sr=8-1&keywords=counting+links

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  7. Hi, I love the tickets and the links. Where did you get the template for the tickets?

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  8. I love the tickets and the links. Where did you get the template for the tickets?

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  9. Valet tickets! Teach some new vocabulary. The Valet Attendant needs to attach the correct number of key rings to the ticket so he can find the owner's car and return it for his tip. Later you could add in the money counting skills.

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  10. Where did you get the cars count and clip cards (with clothespins)?

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    Replies
    1. I made them years ago. I was hoping I still had the file on my computer to send to you, but I can't seem to locate it.

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