Kindergarten Learning Project to Create a House
Preschool Daycare Teaching Ideas to Make & Decorate a Play House
Oct 22, 2009
All children play at building houses or decorating areas to represent a home. This project helps to stir imagination and learn about the home and everyday living. Even very young kindergarten kids have skills to participate.
Learning via Projects Develops Children’s Cognitive Skills
When children work in groups, their teachers become all the others in the class who use their skills to carry out an assignment. As young people build things together, examples given by peers sometimes show a clearer method of completing a task. Children emulate their friends and learn from them.
Building a House Together – A Project Designed for Kindergarten or Pre-School Kids
This project is divided into tasks. Each activity can be part of a separate lesson, or the assignment can be done in one session.
Task 1: Discussion circle: Ask the children what things are in a house. What kind of houses do they have? Each participant can talk about his or her own house and the rooms they like the best. Encourage discussion about the different functions and activities done in each room of a house.
Task 2: Pre-Activity Explanation: Tell the group that they are going to build a wonderful house together. Ask the children what kind of house they would like to have one day. Decide together on the style of house they want to build in this lesson. The teacher can bring magazine pictures of furnished, decorated rooms to give examples..
Task 3: Construction of the house: Place several stable chairs (plastic garden chairs are best as they have no sharp corners) in a circle. Cover the chairs with a large bed sheet, tying the fabric to the chairs for stabilization. In a large class, several “houses” can be built, with caregivers to watch over each. An alternative to the sheet is using a large sun umbrella or parasol as the roof, with large pieces of fabric hanging down from the sides of the umbrella to form walls. This activity can be done inside or outside.
Task 4: Furnishing the House: Sit in a play circle. Place magazines in the center of the circle. Tell the children they can look through the magazines and choose any picture item they think suits the decoration of their house, (furniture, food items, flowers).The pictures are placed in different parts of the “room” and they represent the real item.
Children who can already cut out with scissors may use them for this task. However, younger children can tear out the picture and/or get some help from the teacher/s in the task of cutting out.
Children’s Creations Should Always be Respected
The “cut-out” should be as the child wants it; don’t comment on the accuracy of the shape or the choice of object. Children should feel that their pictures are interesting, lovely, and original. Use positive words to encourage their ideas and as long as they can rationalize their choice of objects. The kids can now stick, paste or hang their own items in the house.
Task 5: Decorating the House: Children are given pre-cut pieces of adhesive tape to put on their picture. Children then place the pictures inside the “playhouse” where they feel it would make the house beautiful.
At this point, the young builders can now play inside and enjoy their creation. This would be a good time to hand out suitable snacks to eat or drink inside the house.
Task 6: Discussion circle: After the activity, ask the children how they liked their new house, why the place is so special, and what they enjoyed most about the project.
Task 7: Taking down the house: Whenever the teacher chooses to take down the house, be it at the end of the lesson or the next day, it is important to do it as a group. The teachers and children should be part of the clearing up process. The children should take down their pictures first. They should be able to take them home if they wish.
The chore of cleaning a workspace is very educational not only as a group activity that involves sharing, but for instilling the habit of tidying up. Children enjoy this organization too if it is presented in a positive way. Creating a play house is very inclusive. The tasks enable kids to express themselves and be creative in a setting that is familiar to them – their home.
Working together on this project teaches cooperation, illustrates that anyone can decorate a space, and encourages children to tidy and clean up after themselves. Cooperation builds responsibility and enhances confidence.
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