While this activity might be too challenging for beginning preschoolers, some will be able to recognize the words. If that is the case, then this activity can be done near the end of the year, once the skills have been taught. This activity builds on sentence sequencing, where students put words in a particular order. To make the flashcards, print outlines of the words that you are teaching and let the students color them in. Glue them onto construction paper, and glue a wooden craft stick to the back of the construction paper to create a sign. Have the students seat themselves around you while you read a story. Whenever they hear a sequence word, they hold up the corresponding card. This becomes a kinetic activity to learn word association. You can then ask the preschoolers to put the events of the story in order, using their own cards.
One of the most important keys to successful sequencing is building a strong visual memory. A fun sequencing activity that you might remember from your childhood is the game Memory. There are several incarnations of that game, but a memorable and personal way to make it stick is to have each child bring in a picture of herself. Copy each picture and have the children glue them onto card stock, then cut the pieces into small blocks. Let the preschoolers practice with pictures of themselves (or members of their family, if homeschooling) to build the visual memory needed for sequencing skills.
An extremely easy craft for teaching sequencing by numbers and to build on the sequencing already in holiday calendars is to take pictures like flags for the Fourth of July, hearts for Valentine's Day or a leprechaun for St. Patrick's Day and glue kindergarten lined paper to the back. Put the holiday pictures in order for the kids and have them write the numbers on the back, putting them in sequential order throughout the year. For example, the heart would come before the flag. Then you can work with the kids on not only sequencing, but writing and recognizing their numbers, holidays and even colors, depending on the needs of the students.
This is a tasty and colorful craft to teach patterns. You just need fruit-flavored ring shaped cereal, string and tape. Be sure to check the policy on food in the classroom if doing this at a school. Clean the surface of a table thoroughly. Tape the string to the table. Have the students sort the cereal into color piles. Then write a color pattern on a board or sheet of paper, and have the children follow the pattern as they string pieces of cereal onto the string. Tie off the string as a bracelet or necklace.