Take your preschool classroom outside on a sunny day with a hose to show them how light reflected through water creates a rainbow. Once you are inside again, shine light through a prism to show another example of white light turning into a rainbow of colors. Let preschoolers list all the colors they see in the rainbow as they draw or paint rainbows. Be sure to write or let the preschoolers copy the word "Rainbow" at the bottom of their drawings to reinforce the letter R.
Invite each preschooler to bring in a rock from home for show and tell and then show your own examples of rocks. Choose shiny rocks such as quartz or volcanic rock to really grab their attention. Put rocks into an empty shoe box and cut a small hole in the side. Let students reach into the box one by one to feel the rocks and describe their texture, size and weight without looking. Label your box "The Rock Box," coloring the R a different color to emphasize the letter, and add the box to your classroom for children to enjoy during free play or learning centers.
Help preschoolers become budding environmentalists by starting a recycling center in your classroom. Collect aluminum cans from their homes or just provide a box to collect used worksheets or drawing paper to recycle. Let students decorate the box or bin and label it clearly with the word "Recycling." Discuss the benefits of recycling instead of sending materials to the landfill and let students imagine what their used papers might become.
Teach preschoolers a little bit about the weather, starting with rain for the letter R. Let each student make a cloud puppet by tracing and cutting a cloud shape out of blue paper. Glue cotton balls all over the cloud cut out and then attach to a craft stick. Explain that clouds are made up of moisture that sometimes overflows into rain. Sing "It's Raining, It's Pouring" or "Rain, Rain, Go Away" as you wave the cloud puppets in the air. Discuss how rain is necessary for plants and animals, as well as to feed other bodies of water.
Help preschoolers understand how a rain forest works with this simple terrarium as they explore science and the letter R. Give each child two 8 oz. clear plastic cups and fill one three-quarters of the way with potting soil. Press small plants or grass seed gently into the soil and add a small amount of water. Place the second cup on top of the first so that the mouths of the cups line up and seal your terrarium. Tape together firmly and let preschoolers watch as the water rises from the soils and condenses at the top of the terrarium only to rain back down on the plant, just like a mini rain forest.