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Preschool Transition Activities and free props!

8/28/2024

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Preschool Transition Activities and free printable props

​Routine and predictability are essential for a preschooler's development. By using transitions, parents and educators can ensure their preschoolers feel supported, capable, and empowered as they move through various activities and phases of their day. But what exactly is a transition? A preschool transition is a strategy and practice educators, and parents use to help young children smoothly move from one phase or setting to another within their day.
The goal of these activities is to make transitions easier and more comfortable for children, helping them adjust to changes and new environments while promoting their social, emotional, and cognitive development. Transitions play a crucial role in establishing predictability within their day while aiding in managing emotions, following routines, and their ability to adapt to new situations. 

By navigating transitions, such as moving from home to preschool or transitioning between activities, preschoolers develop essential life skills like emotional regulation, time management, and independence. These experiences also foster social interaction, language development, and cognitive growth, as children interact with peers, teachers, and caregivers during different activities. 
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Transitions lay the groundwork for handling more significant changes in the future, while also instilling resilience, flexibility, and a sense of accomplishment. Transitions are a vital part of a preschooler's journey, promoting not only their immediate well-being but also their long-term success in various aspects of life.

Download your free set of transition activity props at the end of this post!


Strategies to Make Transitions Smoother: 

Transitions can be a struggle for many preschoolers. Transitions often involve children having to leave an activity they enjoy, which can lead to a feeling of loss of control. This can cause resistance and emotional distress. Given the wide range of challenges that transitions may pose , it's important for educators and caregivers to employ strategies that help ease transitions, create a supportive environment, and provide emotional support to preschoolers as they navigate these changes.

Visual Cues:

Utilize visual schedules like this one from Prek Printable Fun that outlines what's expected throughout the day, picture cards, or charts to visually represent the sequence of activities throughout the day. This helps preschoolers anticipate transitions.
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This free Play Signal is another simple visual cue that can be set up in your program, to help transitions go more smoothly. By announcing when play is to begin, a reminder that only 5-minutes are left, and instructions when it is time to stop, young children begin to develop an awareness of time and learn to predict the sequence of events in their daily lives.
free play signal
Predictable Routine: Maintain a consistent daily routine so children know what to expect. Predictability reduces anxiety around transitions.

Buddy System: Pair children up as transition buddies. They can help each other during transitions, fostering a sense of cooperation and responsibility.

Choice Boards: Use a choice board for selecting centers/activities where preschoolers develop autonomy in choosing what they can do next.

Transition Corners: Designate specific areas where children can gather and receive instructions for the upcoming activity.

Songs + Chants 

Preschoolers love to learn new songs and chants which makes this approach perfect in the early learning classroom. Using music is a great strategy to engage and capture your preschooler’s attention. Especially during a transition from circle time to washing hands, or during clean-up! 
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Here are examples of songs and chants that you can try out to make transitions run a bit smoother:
Clean Up Song:
(To the tune of "This Old Man")
Clean up, clean up,
Everybody, everywhere.
Clean up, clean up,
Everybody do your share. 

This song can be used when transitioning from one activity to another, encouraging children to tidy up and put away their toys.
Washing Hands Song:
(To the tune of "Frère Jacques")

Wash your hands, wash your hands,
Soap and water, soap and water,
Scrub them well, scrub them well,
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Clean and fresh, clean and fresh.

A visual hand-washing poster is great for supporting children in remembering all the steps for hand washing as well!

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Pre-K Printables Club Member Exclusive: Potty Training and Hand-Washing Posters
Hello Song:
(To the tune of "Skip to My Lou")
Hello, friends, how are you?
Hello, friends, how are you?
Hello, friends, how are you?
We're so glad to see you.
​Walking Feet Song:
(To the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It")
If you're walking and you know it, take a step,
If you're walking and you know it, take a step,
If you're walking and you know it, then your feet will surely show it,
If you're walking and you know it, take a step.

Clap and Repeat Pattern
Clap in a pattern and children clap back with the same pattern
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Call and Response when wanting to get student’s attention:
Teacher: Hocus pocus
Students: Everybody focus!
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Call and Response for Sitting Down:
Call: Banana split….
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Response: I know how to sit!
Eyes on Me Chant:
Teacher: 1, 2. 3 - All Eyes on Me
Students: 1,2-Eyes on You

Download this free prop in our free set of transition activities at the end of this post.

All Eyes on Me Prop
Download this prop for free!

If You Hear Me...

Start out at a slightly above normal talking voice and say "If you hear me touch your head" then gradually give similar instructions each time talking softer until you have all children engaged and ready to transition.
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Creative Movement Activities for Transitions:

There is one thing preschoolers love to do…moving their bodies! Movement activities add an element of fun and engagement during transitions in the classroom. These recommendations work great when moving from one activity to another.
Rainbow Movement: Assign each color of the rainbow a specific movement (e.g., red = jump, blue = spin, yellow = tiptoe). During transitions, call out a color, and children perform the corresponding movement as they move.
Giant Steps and Baby Steps: Alternate between giant steps (big, exaggerated steps) and baby steps (tiny, careful steps) during transitions to add variety and movement exploration.
Dance Moves: Teach simple dance moves, like clapping, stomping, or swaying, and have children perform these moves while transitioning.
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Animal Parade: Have children move like different animals during transitions. For example, they can walk like elephants, hop like frogs, or flutter like butterflies as they transition from one activity to another.
Shape Movement: Call out different shapes (e.g., circle, triangle, square), and children move their bodies to form those shapes while transitioning.
Follow the Leader: Choose a child or teacher as the "leader" during transitions. The leader moves in a creative way (e.g., skipping, twirling) while the other children follow. This game keeps children engaged and moving during transitions.

Movement Cards

Movement cards are always a handy tool for transition times. Laminate and stick in your back pocket to have available as needed. Try out this technique with our Free Under the Sea Movement Cards

Auditory Sounds for Transitions:

Auditory cues, such as bells, chimes, or specific sounds, capture children's attention and signal the upcoming transition. By using the same auditory cue for specific transitions, children quickly learn to associate the sound with the upcoming change. This creates a consistent routine and familiarity for your students. 
Doorbell: You can find all different types of doorbells on Amazon that work great for transitions. You can use this as your sign to clean-up or wrap up an activity.
Tambourine Shake: Use a classroom tambourine and shake it a few times as an indicator that an activity is ending.
Train Whistle: The sound of a train whistle can be used to encourage children to line up and follow each other, mimicking a train formation.
Play a Song: Play your preschoolers favorite song to signal that it’s time for recess.
Whistle: A short whistle sound can be used to signal a transition between different areas of the classroom or when it's time to gather together. Using a whistle as a signal that recess is over is another great transition tool.

Quick Transition Activities:

During transitions some of your preschoolers might be finishing a task, or washing hands leaving some students with the need for a filler activity. These recommendations offer a quick solution to offer during that “down time”. These activities are usually short but engaging. 
Clean Up Inspector: At clean up time the "Clean Up Inspector" can look for anything left that needs to be put away. Students can work together to finish cleaning up their shared space. Assign this as a job, during your morning group meeting.  You can find this free prop in our free set below!
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Download this for free below!
Animal Imitation: Call out an animal, and children imitate the sounds and movements of that animal. For example, "Show me how a snake moves!" or "What sound does a lion make?"
Simon Says: Play a quick round of "Simon Says" to get children's attention and have them follow simple movement instructions, such as "Simon says touch your toes" or "Simon says clap your hands."
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Movement Charades: Act out a simple action (e.g., jumping, spinning, hopping) without speaking, and have children guess what you're doing. Then let a child take a turn acting out an action for the others to guess.
Color Hunt: Call out a color, and children find and point to an object in the room that matches that color. For example, "Find something red!"

Transitions in early learning classrooms are far more than just moving from one activity to another, they're moments that impact children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. An environment with well-planned, smooth transitions enhances the overall learning experience and sets children up for success in their educational journey.

Download these Free Props!

How do you help make transitions more smooth in your program?
Let us know in the comments!

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