Here is the Lapbook I made for the preschool balloon unit.  I glued 2 file folders together.

This is a picture of the inside of the first.  There are 2 puzzles that are 4 pieces.  I also made a game using a balloon trail.  The index cards simple have the number on them, when we do the unit he'll attach sticker balloons to each one according to the number written on it.

This picture shows one of the puzzles.  It was simply a coloring page from the lesson I colored, laminated, and cut up.  You'll also see the game pieces.  I made those by putting a sticker on a piece of card stock and cutting it out.

This is the inside of the second half.  It has a letter b tracer paper and a letter b maze.  I left a space to attach his letter b book after we make it.  On the one side we'll attach things that begin with the letter b.

On the front we'll attach the B is for balloon coloring page after he colors it.  Then on the back we will put his things that are blue.

Here are the exact links I used to make this folder.

Letter B maze

Letter B tracer paper

B is for balloon coloring page

Letter B mini book

Clown coloring page for puzzle

Balloon coloring page for puzzle

Books:

The Blue Balloon by Mick Inkpen

Balloons, Balloons, Balloons by Dee Lillegard

Emily’s Balloon by Komako Sakai

Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm by Jerdine Nolen

Beaten by a Balloon by Margaret Mahy

This week we will study balloons, the color blue, the letter B, the circle shape, and counting.  We will do some activities from each section everyday and read a book or two.

Letter Bb Activities

I will write the Letter B on a construction paper.  Then we will look through magazines and look for pictures that begin with the letter b and glue them to the paper.

B is for butterfly coloring page

http://geocities.com/bbdc_1995/coloring/bisfor.jpg

b tracing paper worksheet

http://www.underfives.co.uk/bbb.pdf

Letter B coloring page with animal

Letter B maze

http://www.schoolexpress.com/fws/get_image.php?id=54779

Letter Bb tracing paper

http://www.schoolexpress.com/fws/get_image.php?id=54470

Letter B mini book

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/alphabetp2.htm#b

Letter B poem

http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/b-poem.htm

Hidden letter worksheet

http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/b-color1.htm

Paper punch a ton of blue dots for them to fill in this letter B shape.

http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cpblockb.shtml

B is for balloon coloring page

Counting Activities

Make a matching game using the following images. You can also have them count the balloons on each page.

http://www.familyshoppingbag.com/bday_double_clown.jpg

http://www.familyshoppingbag.com/bday_balloon_color_1r.jpg

http://www.familyshoppingbag.com/bday_balloon_color_1x.jpg

http://www.familyshoppingbag.com/bday_balloons_color_1y.jpg

http://www.familyshoppingbag.com/bday_baby_diaper_balloon.jpg

http://www.familyshoppingbag.com/bday_clowing_balloons.jpg

Buy a variety bag of balloons.  You can use these to graph the different colors or shapes, counting, simple addition or subtraction problems.

Make a file folder game – sky race – I thought I would print the spaces out on blue and red construction paper to go with the colors we’ve learned so far

http://www.angelfire.com/wi2/GamesForLearning/skyrace.html

Write the numbers 1-10 on index cards.  Then have the kids put that number of balloons on the item. You could use cut outs, real balloons, or stickers of balloons.

Have the kids blow up a variety of balloons to different sizes.  They can then arrange them smallest to largest.  You could also have them measure the circumference of the balloon by wrapping yarn around it and cutting it.  They can then measure the yarn or arrange them by length.

Color Blue Activities

Use this picture of a balloon and let them paint it blue

Bonnie Bluebell color buddy

http://www.dltk-teach.com/colors/mblue.htm

Color blue recognition worksheet

http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/colors/colors-blue1.htm

Color blue itsy-bitsy book

http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/colors/ib-book-blue.htm

Make sugar cookies in the shape of balloons and frost with blue icing.

Put a variety of colored objects in a bag and ask the child to pull out all the blue items.

Snacks – blue berries, blueberry muffins, blue Kool-Aid

What can be blue worksheet?

http://www.kidsparkz.citymax.com/f/Color_blue_theme_2.pdf

Blue cut and paste worksheet

http://www.kidsparkz.citymax.com/f/Color_blue_theme_3.pdf

Make a blue book.  They can either cut out pictures of blue things from magazines or draw or paint their own pictures.

Circle Activities

You need: construction paper, old magazines, glue, and scissors

Have the child flip through the magazines cutting out things that are the shape of a circle.  Have them glue them onto the construction paper to make a circle collage.

Fruit loop necklace:

String fruit loops on a string and tie the 2 ends together.

Make a paper chain.

Make their own balloon picture.  Cut out circles from construction paper.  Have them draw a picture of a child.  Glue pieces of yarn to the paper for the strings of balloons and then glue the circle balloons to the ends of the yarn.

Make a 3D picture

You’ll need: pom-poms, yarn, glue, and a sheet of construction paper.

Using the pom-poms, and yarn make a picture of kids holding a bunch of balloons.  Make the children’s legs and arms with sections of yarn and use pom-poms to make the bodies. 

Snacks this week:  sliced bananas, English muffin pizzas, bagels,

Circle collage – Have a variety of things that are circle shape for them to glue onto a piece of construction paper.  Ex. Buttons, pom-poms, wheel shape pasta, stickers, hole reinforcement stickers, hole punched paper, scrapes of cloth or felt in circle shape, squiggly eyes, beads, fruit loops, cheerios,

Balloon coloring page

Science and Art Activities

Creative fun with balloons

http://www.kinderart.com/littles/little3.shtml

Strongman weights

http://www.kinderart.com/littles/strongman.shtml

Paper Mache balloon – blow up balloons and let them put paper mache around them.  After it dries pop the balloon and let the kids decorate it with paint, tissue paper, or whatever.  They could make faces on them add yarn for hair and wiggly eyes.

Make a balloon rocket – you’ll need a long piece of string, a balloon, and some tape.  String the string across the room in a straight tight line.  Attach the balloon carefully with the tape.  Then blow up the balloon and let go. 

Static electricity – rub a blown up balloon against your hair and then place it on the wall.  You could also let them see if other objects would stick to the balloon like tissue paper, bits of yarn, and other small objects.

Demonstrate the power of air – blow up the balloon and attach a party favor to the end.  Blow up the balloon and pull the end tight so it makes that high pitched sound.  Blow up the balloon and let it go.  You could let them use the balloon to try and blow objects across the table like a feather, cotton ball, tissue paper.

Poems and Songs Notebook

Here are songs and poems to add to the notebook.  I’ll write them on a paper and have the kids either color or decorate the page.  We’ll either sing or read the poems from the book during the week.

Balloon songs

Blue color poems

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems20.html

Color blue song

http://www.songs4teachers.com/colorpoems.htm

Balloon Fun

Balloon volley – let the kids hit the balloon into the air and see how long they can keep it up in the air.  They have to keep hitting they can’t hold it.

Hang balloons from the ceiling just in reach if they were to jump a little and let them bop them.

Let them try to hop with a balloon between their knees for a marked distance.

How about using balloons to make funny “heads”.  You could use yarn for hair and draw funny faces on them with marker.

You could place treats inside the balloon and let them sit on them to pop them.

If it’s warm you could outside and have a water balloon fight.

Make a balloon garden.  Blow up small balloons of various colors and shapes.  Then attach them to pipe cleaners or straws.  Stick them into a piece of Styrofoam that has dried moss glued to it.  Attach construction paper leaves to the “stems”.