A bell can be utilized to indicate that you expect all eyes on you. A cowbell, a string of jingle bells or a triangle bell can be used for this. If you want to give a 5-minute warning that it’s time to clean up, or you have an announcement, simply ring the bell for a couple of seconds. To make it even more appealing, tell the kids that the bells send out musical bubbles. When you ring the bell, they should grab one of these bubbles, put it in their mouth and if they start to talk, the bubble is released.
A whistle can be utilized when you want to get the kids’ attention quickly. As soon as the whistle is blown, the preschoolers should freeze and only turn their head and eyes toward you. Tell them that they should freeze wherever they are -- you may get some funny body positions, and they may find this quite amusing. When done properly, and with student cooperation, the room should quiet down immediately.
Clapping can get the preschoolers’ attention without having to use your voice. Explain to the kids that once they hear you clap, that they should stop what they are doing and respond with a certain clap. You can do a repeat clap, where the kids do the same clap sequence, or you can start a sequence that they must finish. For example, you can do three claps, and they repeat the three, or you can create a rhythm: "clap, clap-clap, clap," with a response of "clap-clap."
Kid-friendly hand gestures can also be used. For instance, you can hold up your arm with five fingers spread out. When the kids see you doing this, they should quiet their voices and do the same hand gesture. It’s a rolling effect and as soon as one sees you, the others will follow suit. You can make it a race and call it “Fast Five.” The first to notice and do this gesture gets to be line leader and the last one to notice can be the last person when lining up for recess, or something along those lines.