Ducks 'n a Row

first day of school

Little Ducks On A Pond Preschool Bulletin Board – A First Day Of School Activity

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Little ducks preschool bulletin board for preschool
Hey, it’s the first day of preschool! The first day of school at any age has its moments. Preschoolers, of course, are rank beginners. Many may never have been away from mom or dad for any length of time and they might be a little bit afraid. It is important that you make your students feel right at home. Getting-to-know-you games are great ice-breakers to help your little kiddos gain confidence on the first day of preschool.

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laminating pouches
This little “ducks on the pond” name activity helps young students to learn names while having fun doing it. It works for preschool or kindergarten in a traditional school setting. It can also work well in Sunday school or even summer camp.
I created this “duck pond” poster myself. All parts are laminated, except for the blue water -which is bright blue colored copy paper– and a foam board. I printed clouds and the sun onto white cardstock using free clipart online. The “welcome” was sign was created using word art (part of the Microsoft Word program.) 
Ducks on the Pond getting to know you preschool activity

You can tell that the clouds, sun and “welcome” are laminated from the reflection on the picture! Try as I could to not have it shine, it still did! LOL
The little ducks were also created from free clipart. I added the names of each student, our assistants and myself, in text boxes – printed them on cardstock, laminated the pages and then cut out each duck.

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Preschool getting to know you activity with ducks & imaginary cars #kids
Using velcro, I put the soft side of a velcro piece on the back of each duck. The rough sides went on the poster. Each child had to “find” the missing ducky and “drive” it in their car to the pond. (Imaginary car – paper plate steering wheel – more about the game below.)

Place the foam board on a table, “landscape style.”
Glue together 2-3 sheets of blue copier paper. They will go across the bottom of your foam board as the water of the pond.
Cut a wavy line at the top to simulate the waves on a pond.
Using white school glue, glue the blue paper to the bottom of the poster.
Draw some waves on the blue paper, using a black marker.
Accent the marker waves with glue along on the wavy lines.
Add rays coming from the sun with glue, as well.
Sprinkle glitter on the glue.

 

Open up theFREE printable template with pictures of ducks on it.

Add the names of your students – one on each duck – in the invisible text boxes.
Now print the pages of ducks on white card stock paper.
Laminate the pages and cut out the ducks.
Print some clouds, a sun and the words “welcome” on white card stock.
Laminate them and cut them out, as well.
The clouds, sun and sign should be glued onto the foam board.
Make the little ducks with the student names on them attachable by using velcro (Get velcro dots here)

Velcro Tip: Put the scratchy side of the dots on the foam board in various places where you want the ducks to be placed. Put the soft side of the velcro dots on the backs of the ducks – it is gentler on little hands. 

 

Little Ducks Name Free Printable Template here

 

How to play “Find The Missing Duckies” name game:

Our opening activity on the first day of school was to make headbands. They were very simple. The band was a strip of colored paper. The students were given a coloring page with a cartoony picture of a car and the first letter of their name in a box. They colored them with crayons, cut them out and glued them onto the head band.
After each child put on their headband, we gave each student a paper plate which was the “steering wheel” of their imaginary car.

The point of the game?
To find the missing duckies!
We described a dilemma that mama duck could not find her duckies and she needed them to come back safely to the pond.

Our little drivers drove around the classroom (I was the leader) and pulled up their pretend cars at the spot where Miss Zara, my assistant, was standing. She had the duckies. She gave each driver the little duck with their name and they “drove” to the pond to put it on the pond. It was silly fun that everyone enjoyed!

Another important “first day of school activity” for preschool and kindergarten is learning “the rules!” Here are 6 Classroom Rules with colorful flip cards to help you get your year started right!

Enjoy!