Squishy Balloons

Fill balloons with flour and tie them off. Let the children squish them and explore the texture.

Texture Journal Pages

Read a book about textures then hand out a journal sheet with this question on it: "What is something that feels funny to you?" or “Why does sand paper feel rough?” Record the children's responses and let them draw a picture to go along with their response.

Click on any of the above images to view and/or print.

Crunchy or Pureed?

Get a few common snacks (carrots, fruits, etc.) and their baby food equivalents. Let the kids try them and compare their texture and how that affects the taste.

Texture Field Trip Ideas

Ideas to learn about textures on a field trip:
Bakery- textures of the types of bread before and after baking;
Hair Salon-textures of hair (curly, straight, crispy, stiff, soft, wet, dry, etc.);
Fabric Store- fabric textures;
Zoo- talk about and feel different textures of animal coverings

Texture Opposites

You can create a texture board of opposites. Example: smooth fabric and rough sand paper, rock for hard & a cotton ball for soft, etc. Have the children help think of some other things that would be opposites of textures.

Texture Tracing

Provide different trays with salt, flour, cornmeal, etc. for kids to draw in with their fingers and experience the coarse textures.

Crystal Growing

Fill a jar half full with hot water. Stir in salt until no more will dissolve. Hang a thread above the solution, without letting it touch the bottom of the jar. Observe crystals each day with a magnifying glass as they grow. Gently explore the texture of the growing crystals.

Animal Coverings

Explore the textures of different animal coverings (fur, skin, scales, etc.)

Texture Lesson Plan

Click on the image to view and/or print.

License Plate Match Up

Make up cards with license plates to be used in a matching game. Have your children match the plates by number, state, color, etc.

Click on any of the above images to view and/or print.

Cinnamon Wheels (Rolls)

Make a bread dough or buy a tube of biscuits from the store to use. Let the children help roll them out flat and then into spirals/wheels and top with cinnamon and sugar. Bake and eat. Delicious!

Here is our favorite recipe to use:

Cinnamon Rolls

•2 cups milk
•1 cup butter
•3/4 cup sugar
•4 eggs
•2 Tbs of yeast
•1 tsp salt
•1 Tbs sugar
•2 Tbs vanilla
•1/2 cup warm water
•1 Tbs lemon extract
•Approximately 8 cups flour

Scald Milk. Combine yeast, water, sugar. Add butter, sugar, salt, eggs and milk (after milk has cooled). Add remaining ingredients. Makes a sticky dough, not stiff. Let rise until double, covered. Punch down. Roll out into a long rectangle. Spread with either a cinnamon mixture (brown sugar, softened butter and cinnamon stirred together) and top with raisins and chopped pecans, or spread it with and orange mixture (white sugar, butter and grated orange peel). Roll up into a spiral. Use string to cut into individual rolls. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover and let rise until double. Bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes.

Mechanic Shop

Visit a mechanic shop and see the cars lifted up high, maybe watch them rotate the tires or do some other repair.

Wheels Marks

Let the children play with playdough and various types of wheels.

Car Ramps

Make several ramps of different heights for your children to drive toy cars down (blocks and boards work well). Ask them which one makes the cars go faster. See if they can tell you why. If not tell them why.

Washing Cars

Let the children help wash a real car or toy cars. Talk about how we take care of our cars and keep them clean.

Car Tracks

Provide your children with paper and paint, and let them drive their cars in the paint and on the papers. Talk about the wheel tracks.

Car Trip Play

Set up the dramatic play area for the children to pretend they are going on a Car Trip using any of the following props: car (a box or small chairs), map, pretend snacks, guide books, pictures, car games to play, traffic & street signs, etc.

Cars Outside

Outside place bikes and wagons and gas pump (box & hoses) for the kids to drive "cars".

License Plates

Find a book about license plates or pictures of license plates from different countries and/or states. Using a map, show where each license plate is from. Discuss why we use license plates.

Cars Journal Page

Read a book about different types of cars then hand out a journal sheet with this question on it: "If you built a car, what kind of car would you build?" Record the children's responses and let them draw a picture to go along with their response.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Old MacDonald Had a Car

(A Variation from the song- Old MacDonald Had Farm)

Old MacDonald Had a Car
E-I-E-I-O
On his car there was a horn
E-I-E-I-O
With a beep, beep here
And a beep, beep there
Here a beep, There a beep
Everywhere a beep, beep
Old MacDonald Had a Car
E-I-E-I-O

Repeat with any of the following verse ideas:
Old MacDonald Had a Car.....on his car there were some tires... with a spin, spin...
Old MacDonald Had a Car.....on his car there was a steering wheel... with a turn, turn...
Old MacDonald Had a Car.....on his car there was a window... with a up, down...
Old MacDonald Had a Car.....on his car there was a motor... with a vroom, vroom...
Old MacDonald Had a Car.....on his car there were some wipers... with a swish, swish...
Old MacDonald Had a Car.....on his car there was a head light... with a flash, flash...
Old MacDonald Had a Car.....on his car there was a turning signal... with a blink, blink...