This activity addresses the following:

SKILLS, COMPETENCIES AND UNDERSTANDINGS ADDRESSED:

Reading Readiness:
Identifies part of the body

Position and Direction:
Understands up and down
Understands in and out
Understands front and back
Understands over (on) and under
Understands top, bottom, middle

Listening and sequencing:
Follows simple directions

Motor Skills:
Is able to stand on one foot for 5-10 seconds


A is for Air

Balloons float up into the air.
Come back down, bouncing everywhere.

Bounce them up. One! Two! Three!
Bounce them down upon your knee.
My balloon likes to hide in back of me.

Sit a balloon on top of your nose,
Between your legs and on your toes!

Balloons go in a bag and out again.
They're fun to share with a friend.

Balloons go lots of places you see.
Just don't put a balloon under me!
Pop!


DIRECTIONS:

Have two fully inflated, tied balloons, one each for you and your child. You'll also need two paper bags large enough to hold a balloon. Have these bags open and ready as you begin the activity. Activity area required is minimal floor space.

A is for Air
Balloons float up into the air.

Throw balloon up in the air.

Come back down, bouncing everywhere.
Allow balloon to drop to the floor and bounce around the room. Then, retrieve.

Bounce them up
With palm up, using fingertips, tap balloon up into the air.

One! Two! Three!
Count in correspondence to tapping of balloon, "One! Two! Three!"

Bounce them down upon your knee.
Stand on one leg, other bent with knee held in air. Bounce balloons on bent knee.

My balloon likes to hide in back of me.
Hide balloon behind back.

Sit a balloon on top of your nose.
Hold or balance balloon on nose.

Between your legs and on your toes!
Hold balloon between legs momentarily, then place balloon on toes.

Balloons go in a bag and out again.
Put balloon in paper bag and take out again.

They're fun to share with a friend.
Exchange balloons, handing your balloon to your child and accepting balloon from your child.

Balloons go lots of places you see.
Just don't put a balloon under me!

Sit on balloon and pop it.

Pop!

When you complete the activity, go online to the webscene:

www.busypreschoolers.com/a

Click on either the English or Español button.

Ask the questions in the drop down.

Next, click on ABC-TRACE to do the letter-writing activity.