The Letter “D”

Useful links to “D”

• Desert
• Dinosaurs
• Dogs
• Ducks
• Dentist/Teeth
• Doctors
• shapes – Diamond
• Day/Night

Prop Box/Display Ideas

• daisy
• daffodil
• dandelion
• dinosaur
• dog
• duck
• drum
• doll
• deer
• dice
• dime
• dishpan
• domino
• donkey
• door
• doughnut
• dress
• dustpan
• dots
• dove
• diamond shapes
• pictures of doctors, dentists, daddy
• dream catcher
• driftwood
• dishes

Art Activities

“D” Stamps

Let the children use “D” stamps or sponges to create an art project.

“D” Collage

Have the children cut out the letter “D” from magazines and glue them onto a piece of paper.

“D” Collage

Make that letter “D” out of construction paper. Have the children cut the letter “D” out of magazines and glue them to the letter “D”.

Decorate a Letter

Cut the letter “D” out of construction paper. Have the children decorate letter “D” with glitter, paint, markers or other art materials.

Glue Letters

Place glue on a piece of paper in the shape of the letter “D”. Have the children place glitter, colored rice or koolaid on the glue.

Dot Art

Have the children make a picture using the holes (dots) from a hole punch.

Dream Catcher

Cut a circle from the inside of a sturdy paper plate. Have the children cut slits into the outer edge of the plate. Then they can wrap yarn around the plate to create a dream catcher.

Contact Paper Art

You will need a reverse picture of the letter “D”. Place the image on the table and place a piece of contact paper, sticky side up over the image. Supply the children with scraps of construction paper to tissue paper. Children use the scraps to create the image on the contact paper.

Letter Art

Place masking tape on a piece of finger painting paper to create the letter “D”. Allow the child to paint the picture. After the paint had dried remove the tape.

Cotton Letters

Place glue on a piece of paper in shape of the letter “D”. Have the children place cotton balls on the paper.

Letter Hands

Paint the child’s hands. Have the children make the letter “D” with their hands.

Letter Rubbings

Cut “D” shapes from paper doilys or sandpaper. Tape these letters to the table. Have the children place a piece of thin white paper over the letters and rub a crayon over the letter.

Shaving Cream Letters

Add a drop of food coloring to a baseball sized pile of shaving cream. Mix this with a paint brush. Have the children be very careful, and use smocks because the food coloring will stain their clothing and hands. Have the children paint the shaving cream on a white piece of paper. The children can finish by using their finger to draw the letter “D” in the shaving cream.
Variation, add glue to this mixture to create a puffy paint look.

Fingerprint Fun

Supply each child with a piece of paper non-toxic stamp pads. Show the child how to make fingerprints on the paper, using only one finger at a time. When finished, add details with a pen.
dog
dog1
duck
duck2

Paper Dolls

Supply each child with a paper doll shape. Have the child cut out clothing for the paper doll from various colors of construction paper. (Scrapbook paper scraps would be fund to use too.) Have the child add facial features with a pen.

Humpty Dumpty

View an image of this art project
The picture says it all.

Doll Wagon

Obtain a box that the doll will fit into. Have the child decorate as desired. When dry, poke a hole big enough to thread a piece of yarn through. Tie a piece of yarn, just long enough for the child to hold, while the box rests on the floor. Let the child pull the wagon around with their doll.

Drum

Create a drum from an empty clean coffee can with lid. Wrap the outside (not the lid) with construction paper and have the child decorate their drum with stickers, paint, markers, crayons or whatever you have available.

Create your “D” book

This one takes some work… but is really fun for your child and you. Cut out pictures from magazines of things that begin with the letter “D”. Paste or tape pictures to 8 by 11 pieces of construction paper.. and insert into sheet protectors. You can place these in a three ring binder, and leaf through the pages with your child. For older children… have the child pick a subject they like… such as dinosaurs… collect pictures from magazines… toy ads, and have the child help you write a story for the pictures.

Eye Dropper Art:

Set out three cups, half filled with water. Add food coloring to the water. Have your child use an eye dropped to drop the colored water onto a piece of paper towel. Notice how the water evaporates, leaving the color behind.

Daddy Puppets

Have the children cut out pictures of a Dad from parents magazines. Have the children glue them to a piece of heavy paper. When the glue is dry, cut out the pictures from the heavy paper and attach the pictures to a Popsicle stick or straw with tape to make a puppet.

Daddy Faces

Have the children draw facial features onto a paper plate to make a face. Supply the children with yarn or Easter grass for hair.

Daddy Faces 2

Have the children cut out facial features from a magazine and have them glue them onto a paper plate for a funny face.

Daddy Faces 3

Supply the children with different multicultural colors of paper. Have them tear the paper and glue them onto a paper plate to cover the paper plate. After the glue dries have the children draw on facial features with a marker or crayon, or they hay glue on facial features from a magazine.

Bingo Dabber Art

Supply the children with non-toxic bingo dabbers. Ask the child to dab a piece of paper with the dabber to create a picture.

Door Hang

click here to see an image of this project
Supply the children with a foam door hanger. Let the children decorate with foam decorations.

Dandelion seeds

Have your child paint glue onto a piece of paper… then have the child blow the seeds from a dandelion onto the paper.

Painting with dandelions

Obtain yellow dandelions, and allow the children to use them as paintbrushes.

Sponge Flowers – Daisies or Daffodils

Talk about flower parts with your child. Supply your child with different flower shaped sponges, paint and a piece of paper, with lines drawn vertically on the paper. Ask your child to add the flowers with the sponges, as if the lines were stems.

Flower Picture Collage- Daisies or Daffodils

Obtain a catalog for flowers… or an advertisement. You can either cut out the pictures of the flowers… or have your child cut them out. Tell your child the name of each flower in the pictures. (Optional) Ask your child to sort the pictures according to color. (Optional) Then, ask your child which is their favorite. Have your child glue the pictures on a piece of paper for a flower collage.

Flower Punch Collage – Daisies or Daffodils

We used a flower punch to make many different colored flowers for the children to glue to different colors of construction paper. We punched wall paper and construction paper.

Popsicle flowers – Daisies or Daffodils

Have your child draw pedal and leaves for a flower. They may color them or glitter them if they would like, and then cut them out. Have your child glue the flower parts onto a popsicle stick. For younger children, have the child color the pedals and leaves that you have drawn.

Art Supplies

-doilies
-dinosaur stickers
-duck stickers
-dog stickers
-diamond shapes
Learning Centers – Math, Science and Games

Letter Match

Write upper case letters on one set of index cards and lower case on another. Have the children find the matches.

Parts of a flower – Daisies or Daffodils

Show your child a flower. Ask him/her about the flower. Ask him/her if they know where the stem is, or the pedals. Explain that there are roots too. You could even go outside and show your child the roots of a weed, when you pull it out of your garden.

Plant a garden – Daisies or Daffodils

Let your child help you plant your flowers in the spring. Or let your child plant a seed for indoors. Make sure the plant receives the proper care so it will grow.

A Florist- Daisies or Daffodils

Supply your child with plastic flowers, or real ones, and a plastic vase. Have your child pretend to be a florist and have them arrange the flowers. You can pretend to go the flower shop and buy the flowers. Or they can pretend to deliver them to you.

Lacing Cards

Cut colored poster board into the letter “D” or something that begins with the letter “D” and punch holes around the edges. Then let your child lace yarn or a shoestring into the cards.

Will it dissolve?:

Fill five clear jars with water. Take five different substances, like sugar, cereal, salt, paper, things that will dissolve, and some that won’t. Ask your child which will dissolve, and which will not. Test each item in the water.

Celery Dye:

Place a stalk of celery in a cup with water and blue food coloring (about 10 drops in 1/4 cup water should do). Wait a day or two, and see what happens.

Eye dropper science:

Supply the children with a white egg carton. Fill half of the depressions in the containers with water. Then add a drop of red food coloring into one of the depressions, follow with yellow and blue. Then supply the child with a plastic eye dropper or pipette. Instruct them on how to move the water from one depression to another. Ask them what colors they can make? Ask them how would they make green? Have them try it.

Dump and Fill

Toddlers like to dump and fill just about anything. Be sure to supply the children with plenty of opportunities to dump and fill. Coffee cans and boxes make great items to be filled. You can have the children fill with toys, tops from baby food jars, and other toddler safe items.

Dance Prop Box

Mexican Hat, tutu, cane, top hat, baton, wand, broom, dresses, scarves,
ribbons, shoes (tap, ballet), slippers, gloves, play rose, music, hat,
boas, ties, and belts.

Dish pan measuring

Place something to be measured in a dish pan, ie beads, rice, water, sand etc. and supply the children with measuring cups and various sized containers to experiment with.

Play with dominoes

Examine dirt with a microscope or magnifying lens.

My Favorite Play Dough

Combine and boil until dissolved:
2 cups water
1/2 cup salt
Food coloring or tempera paint
Mix in while hot- in this order:
2 tbs cooking oil
2 tbs alum
2 cups flour
Knead for 5 minutes until smooth
This is a great recipe… store in air tight container.

Peanut Butter Play Dough

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup corn syrup
1 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
Mix then knead the ingredients. Let your child mold and play with the dough… and when they are done.. They can eat it.

Sand letters

Place a thin layer on sand in the bottom of a jelly roll pan. Have the children make a letter in the bottom of the pan, or draw a picture.

Counting flower petals – Daisies or Daffodils

Draw four or five flowers with different numbers of petals, and different colors. Make a match for each one. Now you can play two games with these. First you can have your child count the petals on each flower. And the second game, you could have your child find each flowers match.

Daddy Dress Up

Provide blazers, clip on ties, bows, men’s shoes, hats and other men’s items so the children can dress up like a daddy.

Group Time Games

Doggie Doggie Where’s your Bone?

Doggie, Doggie,
Where’s your bone?
Somebody took it from it’s home,
Upstairs, downstairs, by the telephone,
Wake up doggie, Find your bone.
The Doggie picks up to three people that he/she believes has the bone. One at a time, as picked, the children show their hands. If they pick the right child they “win”. Regardless the child with the “bone” become the next Doggie, and the old Doggie pick who will get the bone next.

Daddy says:

Played like Simon Says.

Daddy May I?

The old game, mother may I take three little steps forward?

Talk about directions

north, south, east and west. Post these labels on the walls in your class and play “Simon Says” using the directions.. Ie. “Simon Says face North”

Dance

Play some music and dance with your child.

Duck, Duck, Goose!!!

The children sit in a circle. One child taps each child on the head and says “duck” when the child taps a child on the head and says “goose”, that child becomes the goose and chases the first child around the circle. The first child runs around the circle and sits in the second child’s spot. If the second child catches the first one before he/she sits down, the first child had to sit in he middle of the circle (the “pot”) for one turn. The second child then repeats the game by tapping children on the head sayings “duck”.

Bean Bag Toss

Obtain a large piece of cardboard. A large, unfolded box works well. Cut the letter “D” shape out of the cardboard. Paint the cardboard. When dry let the children throw bean bags through the “D” hole.

Letter Hop

Cut out large “D” shapes from colored paper (shelf liner works REALLY well). Laminate them and cut them out. Place them on the floor and ask the children to hop from one letter to another. These may also be used at seat markers for group time.

Dandelion Hunt

Go on a dandelion hunt. See if you can find yellow dandelions, ones that have seeded. Ones which are closed, big, and small.

Field Trip Ideas

-visit a doctor’s office
-ask a doctor or nurse to visit your center
-ask a dentist to visit your center
-visit a dentists office
-visit a veterinarian (see the dogs) or have one come to the center
– visit a farm
– Go to the dollar movies
– go to Dairy Queen or Dairy Mart
– go to the park to see the ducks

Sand and Water Table Ideas:

– dishes with sponges and soapy water
– plastics ducks and water
– plastic dinosaurs and sand
– dirt with shovels, pails, gardening tools
– plastics dogs with sand
– plastic dolls (soapy water, sponges, wash cloths and dry towels)

SongsSpecial Song

by chicky-ma-ma
sung to “Where is Thumbkin?”
Daddy is special,
Daddy is special,
Yes he is,
Yes he is,
Daddy is special,
Daddy is special,
Yes he is,
Yes he is.

Beat a Drum

From The Best of Totline Book, Pg 218
Sung to: Clementine
Beat a drum, march along,
Give a cheer, Hip, hip, hooray!
Wave a flag, sing a song.
Happy Independence Day!
See the fireworks in the sky,
Give a sheer, Hip, hip, hooray!
Happy Birthday to America.
How we love the USA.

Dolly, Dolly

sung to “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”Author: Unknown
Dolly, dolly
Turn around.
Dolly, dolly
Touch the ground.
Dolly, dolly
Shine your shoes.
Dolly, dolly Skidoo.

Dolly, dolly
Go upstairs.
Dolly, dolly
Say your prayers.
Dolly, dolly
Turn out the light.
Dolly, dolly
Say good night.

Snacks

“D” Pretzels

Make your own pretzels and shape them like letters of the “D”.

“D” rolls

Shape roll or biscuits into letter shapes before baking.

“D” Cookies

Use your favorite sugar cookie recipe to make the dough. Use letter shaped cookie cutter, bake. When cool decorate as desired.

Book Based Ideas

Song and Dance Man

Synopsis from amazon.com
Presenting the 1988 Caldecott Medal winner in a long-awaited quality paperback edition. Bridging the generations, this picture book shows the warm relationship between three children and their grandpa, a former vaudeville song and dance man who proves he hasn’t lost his touch. Gammell’s vibrant, whimsical pictures dance across the page in full color.

Activity Ideas

Song and Dance:

Have the children sing and dance like the Grandfather in the story. Play Vaudeville music.

Dress up:

Provide the children with vests, bowler hats, white gloves, etc for the children to dress up with.

Song and Dance II:

Have a couple children put on a show for the other children. They can tell jokes, sing and dance.

Song and Dance Man Art:

Have the children try to guess what the artist used to draw the pictures in this book. Have the children draw a picture using colored pencils.