Guest Author - Diane Claus

This is a large project divided into three smaller projects that can be done over a period of days or weeks depending on the interests the children involved. The second part is learning about and creating buildings that the children see everyday.

You will need:
-Cardboard boxes
-Tissue
-Shoe
-Cereal boxes
-Oatmeal
-Construction paper
-Glue
-Crayons

A couple of days before take pictures of local buildings that are in the community that the child would be familiar with.

A few examples: Grocery stores, The school building, Post office, Police station, Fire house, Restaurants, Pet stores.

Turn the boxes inside out and re-tape them together if that if not possible cover the boxes with brown wrapping paper and glue down. Cut out squares and rectangles of blue or white construction paper. The day before ask parents to send in pictures of the children’s house or apartment building.

Ask the child what kinds of buildings and stores they visit the most. Go for a walk and look at the different building around the school. Talk about what happens at each place and why people go there. Explain about the importance of what happens at each building.

Set out the boxes and materials ask the children to make a building or a house that they like to visit or would want to visit. Have them glue on the windows and doors and color the buildings the same color as the ones they see. To create a roof fold a piece of construction paper in half and glue onto the top of the building.

Ask the children to make an extra one that will stay in the block area for everybody to play with. You’d be surprised at how eager preschoolers will be about making something that will become a part of the preschool.

*TIP* Cover the buildings in clear contact paper before putting them in the block area to help extend the life of the builds.

Next: Creating the City! Done that? Try: Road Signs!