Let's talk about how to make an amazing Circle Time in your early childhood classroom! An effective Circle Time at the beginning of the day sets the tone for the rest of the day. So make it great! Greet Your Students! There are many "hello" or "welcome" songs are out there and we have used many of them, but this one always resurfaces as a favorite. Count Classmates If your class is small, this is a great chance to practice counting. Have the students get out their "counting finger" (pointer finger) and count their classmates to see how many are here. Routines Routines are important to young children; they love the predictability of a routine and feel empowered when they know what to expect. Great routine activities include talking about the weather, reviewing the days of the week and months of the year, and talking about the seasons of the year and what season it is now. WEATHER Click here for the FREE weather song! Click here for the weather poster! DAYS OF THE WEEK Days of the Week Song (to the tune of Clementine) There are seven days, there are seven days, There are seven days in a week. There are seven days, there are seven days, There are seven days in a week. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Click here for the poster and bulletin board cards! MONTHS OF THE YEAR Click here for song, poster, and bulletin board cards! SEASONS OF THE YEAR Click here for full-page posters! Learning Activities Then, if attention permits, end with one or two learning activities. Here are a few ideas. And, remember, that it's OK - and actually a really good idea - to let the kiddos get up and move during these. Click here for letter elephants! Click here for letter cards! Click here for vowel cards! Click here for free rhyming cards! Transition If the students transition to free play or stations after Circle Time, this little rhyme can help with planning and verbal skills. Bibbidi bobbidi boo! What are you going to do? (Point a magic wand at each child and have him tell you where he is going to play!) Music Playing music is a great way to help students transition to a new activity. It serves as a cue of what is going to happen and of the behavior that is expected of them. Transition Songs Click here for this free song list with QR codes! And don't forget to have fun!