National Safe Boating Week is the seven days ending the last Friday before Memorial Day. Take your toddlers outside to have fun with water. Bring your class' water table out on a nice day. Put food coloring in the water for added fun. Put small objects in the water that children can feel. A wooden block, a pine cone, a dried-out marker with no lid, or other similar objects with different textures will be fun to explore, especially under water. Another option is to put toy boats made of wood and plastic in a water table or children's swimming pool to let children discover their different textures. The weather should be warm enough for this outdoor activity, and it may be a good idea to have children dressed in bathing suits or clothes that can get wet.
Birds are singing away in May, and Bird Day is May 4. Put different bird-related objects out for children to enjoy. Craft feathers, pictures of birds, stuffed toy birds and plastic bird toys are all ways for your children to explore birds. Feeling the feathers and the stuffed animals can help your children understand the softness and smoothness of birds' bodies. Talk about different words used to describe the texture of birds' feathers and their beaks.
A fun way to enjoy being outdoors in May is to play outside in the grass. If your class' playground has a flat, grassy area, change your children into play clothes and let them roll around in it, and jump and run through it. Let them run barefoot through the grass if it is a safe area to do so.
Bring in real flowers from your garden, the side of the road, or from a bouquet at the grocery store. Show them to children, discussing the different parts of the flowers. Talk about how the stem is long and smooth and the petals are soft. Let children touch the flowers, encouraging them to be gentle as they do so. Then put the flowers in a vase in water in the room to enjoy visually.
The first full week in May is Pet Week. Make a dog paper bag puppet from the template available on First School's website (see Resources). Help children glue pieces of craft "fur" onto the dog as you discuss caring for a pet and how to pet one. "Pets are soft, and it is important that you pet them gently," you might tell your children.