Tempest's Name & Color Discovery Party
Materials Needed:
- Large paper or poster board
- Colorful markers or crayons
- Construction paper in various colors (e.g., red, blue, yellow, green)
- Safety scissors (adult use)
- Glue stick
- A few of Tempest's favorite toys (e.g., a doll, a toy car, a block)
- A family photo or pictures of familiar people (e.g., Mommy, Daddy, Grandma)
- Optional: Playdough in different colors
- Optional: Colorful scarves or ribbons
Lesson Activities:
1. Welcome to the Party! (Invitation & Setup)
Set up an inviting play area with all the materials laid out. Make it look festive and fun!
Say to Tempest: \"Hello Tempest! Welcome to your very own Name & Color Discovery Party! Look at all these fun things we get to play with today!\"
2. My Amazing Name! (Focus: First and Last Name)
On the large paper or poster board, write \"TEMPEST [Last Name]\" in big, clear, bubble letters.
Say to Tempest: \"Look, Tempest! This says TEMPEST [Your Last Name]! That's your special and wonderful name! Can you say TEMPEST? Can you say [Your Last Name]?\"
Invite Tempest to decorate her name art using the colorful markers or crayons. As she colors, you can point to letters, talk about the sounds they make, or simply celebrate her name. \"Wow, Tempest is making her name so beautiful!\"
Adult tip: Casually repeat her full name a few times during this activity.
3. Colorful Toy Parade! (Focus: Naming Familiar Objects & Colors)
Cut out simple shapes (like circles or squares) from the colored construction paper. Lay out a few different colored shapes (e.g., a red one, a blue one, a yellow one).
Say to Tempest: \"Tempest, look at these pretty colors! This is a RED circle. This is a BLUE square. This is a YELLOW circle.\" (Point to each as you name it).
Bring out a few of Tempest's favorite toys.
Play Idea 1: Toy Color Match. \"Tempest, this is your [name of toy, e.g., 'Blue Bear']. What color is Blue Bear? Yes, BLUE! Can Blue Bear go sit on the BLUE paper?\" Encourage her to match the toy to the color or place any toy on a named color.
Play Idea 2: Object Naming. Hold up a toy. \"Tempest, what is this? Yes, it's your [name of toy, e.g., 'red car']! What color is your car? RED!\"
Optional Playdough Fun: If using playdough, say: \"Let's make something BLUE with the playdough for Tempest! Or maybe Tempest wants to make a YELLOW ball?\" Name the colors of the playdough as you play.
4. Wonderful People I Know! (Focus: Naming Familiar People)
Bring out the family photo or pictures of familiar people.
Say to Tempest: \"Tempest, look at this picture! Who is this? This is [Familiar Person 1's Name/Title]. And who is this? This is [Familiar Person 2's Name/Title].\" (Adapt based on who is in the photo and their names).
Point to Tempest in the photo (if applicable) or to Tempest herself. \"And who is this amazing girl? It's TEMPEST! Yes, TEMPEST [Your Last Name]!\"
You can make it interactive: \"Can Tempest give [Familiar Person's Name/Title from photo] in the picture a little wave?\"
5. Name & Color Free Play Adventure! (Application & Exploration)
Allow Tempest to freely explore all the materials. She might want to draw more, play with the toys on the colored papers, or look at the photos.
During her play, gently reinforce the learning goals:
- \"Tempest is building with a GREEN block!\"
- \"What's your name, my love? Yes, TEMPEST [Your Last Name]!\"
- \"Oh, [Toy's Name] is having fun at Tempest's party!\"
Optional Scarf Play: If using colorful scarves, wave them around. \"Whee, Tempest has a RED scarf! I have a BLUE scarf!\"
6. Party Wrap-Up! (Closure)
When Tempest seems ready to transition, gather her attention for a quick wrap-up.
Say to Tempest: \"Tempest, you had such a wonderful Name & Color Discovery Party today! We talked about your special name, TEMPEST [Your Last Name]. We played with RED, BLUE, and YELLOW colors. And we saw [name one of her toys] and [name one person from photo]!\"
\"You did such a great job playing and learning, Tempest! High five!\"
Remember to praise her efforts and participation throughout the lesson. The goal is fun and exposure!