Hands-On Learning!

More Than 1000 Activities for Young Children Using Everyday Objects
Gwendolyn S. Kaltman - Educational Trainer
Hands-On Learning!
April 2009 | 152 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781452273464
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781412970952
Available from January 0001

Description

"The book is a wonderful brainstorm of activities, making this an extremely useful and user-friendly resource for early childhood professionals."
—Michelle Barnea, Early Childhood Consultant

"This text will quickly become a favorite for busy teachers wanting to provide engaging learning activities in their classrooms."
—Roxie Ahlbrecht, Second-Grade Teacher
Robert Frost Elementary School, Sioux Falls, SD

"An excellent supplement to any curriculum and to an early childhood teacher's bag of tricks. The activities are bound to engage young children's curiosity as they explore everyday objects with a new perspective."
—Judy Zimmerman, Executive Director
Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies, Nova Southeastern University

Plan lessons from a child-centered perspective!

Teachers of young children are always looking for fresh, hands-on activities to engage their students and build their knowledge of the world through firsthand experiences with objects. This innovative resource guides teachers in developing tactile lessons utilizing inexpensive, readily available objects.

Ideal as a supplement to a primary curriculum as well as for learning centers, this volume includes more than 1,000 sample activities using materials such as cotton balls, paper, and wheels. The activities are organized into 16 themes and grouped into the areas of literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, physical development, and creativity. Reflected throughout the book is a unique approach that:

  • Presents a new and simple way to design themes and activities that guarantees hands-on learning experiences
  • Complements any curriculum
  • Offers suggestions on how to modify activities to respond to children's developmental levels
  • Includes an additional list of over 60 generic tactile activities that can be adapted for a variety of content areas

Hands-On Learning! is an ideal resource for early childhood educators seeking to provide positive experiential learning opportunities for young students.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

Introduction

Introduction

Part I. How to Create Hands-On Learning Opportunities

  • 1. A New Way to Design Themes and Activities for Young Children
  • 2. Suggestions for Developing Hands-On Activities: Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Physical Development, and Creativity
  • 3. Boxes as a Theme: Highlighting Some of the Specific Learning That Can Occur With Each Activity

Part II. Themes and Activities for Hands-On Learning

  • 4. Balls
  • 5. Cotton Balls
  • 6. Hats
  • 7. Index Cards
  • 8. Mail
  • 9. Mittens and Gloves
  • 10. Paint and Paintings
  • 11. Paper
  • 12. Ribbons
  • 13. Shoes and Footwear
  • 14. Spoons
  • 15. Toilet Paper and Other Cardboard Rolls
  • 16. Water
  • 17. Wheels
  • 18. Wood
  • Afterword

Appendix: A Letter to Families Explaining the Importance of Hands-On Learning

Appendix: A Letter to Families Explaining the Importance of Hands-On Learning

Description

"The book is a wonderful brainstorm of activities, making this an extremely useful and user-friendly resource for early childhood professionals."
—Michelle Barnea, Early Childhood Consultant

"This text will quickly become a favorite for busy teachers wanting to provide engaging learning activities in their classrooms."
—Roxie Ahlbrecht, Second-Grade Teacher
Robert Frost Elementary School, Sioux Falls, SD

"An excellent supplement to any curriculum and to an early childhood teacher's bag of tricks. The activities are bound to engage young children's curiosity as they explore everyday objects with a new perspective."
—Judy Zimmerman, Executive Director
Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies, Nova Southeastern University

Plan lessons from a child-centered perspective!

Teachers of young children are always looking for fresh, hands-on activities to engage their students and build their knowledge of the world through firsthand experiences with objects. This innovative resource guides teachers in developing tactile lessons utilizing inexpensive, readily available objects.

Ideal as a supplement to a primary curriculum as well as for learning centers, this volume includes more than 1,000 sample activities using materials such as cotton balls, paper, and wheels. The activities are organized into 16 themes and grouped into the areas of literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, physical development, and creativity. Reflected throughout the book is a unique approach that:

  • Presents a new and simple way to design themes and activities that guarantees hands-on learning experiences
  • Complements any curriculum
  • Offers suggestions on how to modify activities to respond to children's developmental levels
  • Includes an additional list of over 60 generic tactile activities that can be adapted for a variety of content areas

Hands-On Learning! is an ideal resource for early childhood educators seeking to provide positive experiential learning opportunities for young students.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

Introduction

Introduction

Part I. How to Create Hands-On Learning Opportunities

  • 1. A New Way to Design Themes and Activities for Young Children
  • 2. Suggestions for Developing Hands-On Activities: Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Physical Development, and Creativity
  • 3. Boxes as a Theme: Highlighting Some of the Specific Learning That Can Occur With Each Activity

Part II. Themes and Activities for Hands-On Learning

  • 4. Balls
  • 5. Cotton Balls
  • 6. Hats
  • 7. Index Cards
  • 8. Mail
  • 9. Mittens and Gloves
  • 10. Paint and Paintings
  • 11. Paper
  • 12. Ribbons
  • 13. Shoes and Footwear
  • 14. Spoons
  • 15. Toilet Paper and Other Cardboard Rolls
  • 16. Water
  • 17. Wheels
  • 18. Wood
  • Afterword

Appendix: A Letter to Families Explaining the Importance of Hands-On Learning

Appendix: A Letter to Families Explaining the Importance of Hands-On Learning

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Hands-On Learning!

More Than 1000 Activities for Young Children Using Everyday Objects


April 2009 | 152 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781412970952 $37.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781452273464 $35.00

"The book is a wonderful brainstorm of activities, making this an extremely useful and user-friendly resource for early childhood professionals."
—Michelle Barnea, Early Childhood Consultant

"This text will quickly become a favorite for busy teachers wanting to provide engaging learning activities in their classrooms."
—Roxie Ahlbrecht, Second-Grade Teacher
Robert Frost Elementary School, Sioux Falls, SD

"An excellent supplement to any curriculum and to an early childhood teacher's bag of tricks. The activities are bound to engage young children's curiosity as they explore everyday objects with a new perspective."
—Judy Zimmerman, Executive Director
Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies, Nova Southeastern University

Plan lessons from a child-centered perspective!

Teachers of young children are always looking for fresh, hands-on activities to engage their students and build their knowledge of the world through firsthand experiences with objects. This innovative resource guides teachers in developing tactile lessons utilizing inexpensive, readily available objects.

Ideal as a supplement to a primary curriculum as well as for learning centers, this volume includes more than 1,000 sample activities using materials such as cotton balls, paper, and wheels. The activities are organized into 16 themes and grouped into the areas of literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, physical development, and creativity. Reflected throughout the book is a unique approach that:

  • Presents a new and simple way to design themes and activities that guarantees hands-on learning experiences
  • Complements any curriculum
  • Offers suggestions on how to modify activities to respond to children's developmental levels
  • Includes an additional list of over 60 generic tactile activities that can be adapted for a variety of content areas

Hands-On Learning! is an ideal resource for early childhood educators seeking to provide positive experiential learning opportunities for young students.


Table Of Contents:

  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • Introduction
  • Part I. How to Create Hands-On Learning Opportunities
  • 1. A New Way to Design Themes and Activities for Young Children
  • 2. Suggestions for Developing Hands-On Activities: Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Physical Development, and Creativity
  • 3. Boxes as a Theme: Highlighting Some of the Specific Learning That Can Occur With Each Activity
  • Part II. Themes and Activities for Hands-On Learning
  • 4. Balls
  • 5. Cotton Balls
  • 6. Hats
  • 7. Index Cards
  • 8. Mail
  • 9. Mittens and Gloves
  • 10. Paint and Paintings
  • 11. Paper
  • 12. Ribbons
  • 13. Shoes and Footwear
  • 14. Spoons
  • 15. Toilet Paper and Other Cardboard Rolls
  • 16. Water
  • 17. Wheels
  • 18. Wood
  • Afterword
  • Appendix: A Letter to Families Explaining the Importance of Hands-On Learning

Recent Product Reviews:

"An excellent supplement to any curriculum and to an early childhood teacher’s bag of tricks. The activities are bound to engage young children’s curiosity as they explore everyday objects with a new perspective.”
Judy Zimmerman, Executive Director, Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies, Nova Southeastern University
“The book is a wonderful brainstorm of activities. The author provides a list and explanation for each activity, making this an extremely useful and user-friendly resource for early childhood professionals."
Michelle Barnea, Early Childhood Consultant
“This text will quickly become a favorite for busy teachers wanting to provide engaging learning activities in their classrooms.”
Roxie Ahlbrecht, Second-Grade Teacher, Robert Frost Elementary School, Sioux Falls, SD
“The wealth of suggestions and materials that are readily available to teachers make this a worthwhile resource for educators, who can pick and choose the activities to incorporate into their curriculum.”
Susan Schipper, First-Grade Teacher, Charles Street School, Palmyra, NJ
“There cannot be enough resources for teachers who desire to encourage play-based, hands-on learning—and they all should! Gwen Kaltman’s book is practical and puts common household materials in the service of learning.”
James Clay, Director, School for Friends, Washington, DC

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