Most preschoolers are well-versed in common nursery rhymes and songs. Choose some favorites, for instance "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "I'm a Little Teapot" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," and change up the lyrics. Change the words according to the season or an upcoming special event, or make it silly and let the kids act like animals while singing about them. Instruments allow the children to explore music for themselves. Turn buckets upside to create a makeshift drum for each child, or bring in a variety of instruments and have the preschoolers move in a circle to let them try each one.
Finger painting might be messy, but preschoolers love to get hands-on whenever possible. Mix edible finger paint by combining plain yogurt or vanilla pudding with food coloring to create a range of colors. Other ideas include cutting different farm animals out of construction paper and decorating them. Decorate a sheep or a lamb by gluing popcorn all over it for a woolly effect. Glue lengths of string to a horse for its mane and tail. Glue cotton balls onto a bunny for an Easter craft.
Bring in a selection of clothes and encourage the kids to role play according to what costumes they are wearing. To get the preschoolers up and moving around, spread out a large brown tarp or blanket and have the kids act like pigs playing in the mud. "Duck Duck Goose" is a classic game for preschoolers, as is musical chairs. Animal charades is another fun way to keep preschoolers active and interested. Divide the class into two groups and make picture cards of the animals that will be acted out.
Provide each child with a clear plastic water bottle and let each kid create a space bottle. Add a miniature space figure (they can be found in packages at a discount store), glitter, stars, moons, alien creatures and moon rocks. Fill the bottle with water, seal the cap and let the preschoolers have fun shaking the bottle and watching it settle. Garden projects are an appealing idea for preschoolers. Have each child plant seeds, water them and watch them grow. A classroom pet is another idea you can use to teach children about the world around them.