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. 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:
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!
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.
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.
Call and Response when wanting to get student’s attention:
Teacher: Hocus pocus Students: Everybody focus! Call and Response for Sitting Down: Call: Banana split…. Response: I know how to sit!
If You Hear Me...
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.
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.
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?"
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?
|
What can I help you find?
Become a Member
Get Free
|
RSS Feed
|
Learning Centers
Preschool Learning Centers are commonly referred to as Preschool Centers, or Learning Spaces. These are activity areas dedicated to a specific type of of play and exploring a variety of topics and activities. Download our Free set of Center Signs!
|
Site
|
|