If you're searching for fresh ideas for beginning of school activities for preschool, try this one. Some of the most memorable activities I have done are ones that span the school year. Parents and children love to see how they have grown through the year!

Parents are anxious about their children starting their first year in a setting other than home. They want to be reassured that the teacher and staff recognize and value their preschooler's unique qualities.

The preschool teacher also has the responsibility to teach the children to get along in a group and begin the process of respecting other's unique qualities as well. This is a year long goal, as well as a life long goal for all of us!

All About Us Preschool Activity

The project that I call All About Us is one that helps the students, teachers and parents have a visual display of how the class is changing throughout the year. This display is not left out continuously but rather brought out at different times during the school year to note new changes, abilities, differences of any kind.

This is one of those preschool activities you can use for teaching many skills such as color recognition, numbers, counting, comparisons, opposites, etc. You can also identify abilities such as letter recognition, name recognition, favorite books, toys--the range is up to the teacher to decide.

At the start of the preschool year, I make one chart per child on a piece of cardstock or heavy grade paper that will last the school year. On the left side of the chart I list: name, birthday, height, hair color, number of siblings, favorite food, colors I know, letters I know, favorite book, etc. (This is your own list to create so feel free to add other things if you wish.) Then across the top, put columns where you can record dates of entry. If you have access to a camera, take each child's picture and put add this to the chart.

I have a hallway or wall set aside for everyone to see. Another way to display this is to attach the papers to a long piece of ribbon to make a banner that can span the wall or a corner. I use this often the first month of the year at circle time to show how to measure height, ask children their eye color or hair color. We count how many siblings are in a person's family.

You can record the children's answers to the list on your sheet and then add these to the charts. I also think it is important to provide them the opportunity to decorate their sheets with stickers or crayons. Personalization of their own part of the banner.

After a few weeks, I take this down and then bring it out every couple of months to see how things have changed. As the year goes by, the children will have acquired so many skills and enjoy being able to "measure" height, count, put in the letters they have learned. Some like adding information next to their name such as "can cut with scissors", "can stand on one foot", "can hop", "made new friends". Listen to their ideas for inclusion here. This is an excellent way to hear from their own mouths how they think they have grown!

The self esteem that this promotes will be evident when you bring this out throughout the year.

Parents love to have this visual chart for them to see and at the end of the year--what a wonderful gift for your preschooler to take home. It is his/her validation of how much they have learned and grown throughout preschool.

These beginning of school activities for preschool will provide fun throughout the year and will be a welcome gift at the end of the year.

Mary Robinson has been teaching preschool for well over a decade. You can get instant access to her preschool activities, crafts, and lesson plans by visiting her website:

My Preschool Plan http://www.mypreschoolplan.com/

For a limited time, all visitors to Mary's site will also get a free copy of her special report: "The 7 Biggest Mistakes Preschool Teachers and Parents Make". Go get your free copy today!