Your "Bright" Transition Ideas

If you have tried a great transition idea that has worked well for you and your children, please share it with others!  Click on info@transitionmagician.com  Type Bright Idea in the subject line; then include in the email the name and description of the idea. List props if needed and your name and city.  We will post it on this web-page. 

The great ideas that you find on this page were shared by Mary Henthorne's Child Care and Development students at Western Technical College in

La Crosse, WI.    For more ideas go to:   Bright Ideas 3

Puppy Coin Purse

Routine Changes:  Turn it into a necklace and use it for helpers who help set the table, sweep, clean-up, etc.

Settlers:  Use the coin purse to introduce your theme/topic.

Attention Grabber:  Hide a small object in the coin purse and have the children guess what it is.  Or, hide the coin purse somewhere in the room and have the children find it.

Extender:  Put pretend money inside and let the children say what they would buy when they go "grocery shopping."

Magical Moments:  Let the children take turns taking it home.  Ask that child to hide something in the purse when they bring it back to class.  Have the other children guess what it is.

You're Excused:  Use it as a pupplet to transitions children from one activity to another.  ~ Misty Donnellan

 

  

Worm Puppet

Routine Changes: Worm comes out when it is time to do a different activity.  He sings the clean up song.

Settlers: Mr. Quiet comes out only when children are quiet and ready to hear what we are going to do next.

Attention Grabbers: Mr. Worm's Mystery: Mr. Worm thinks of an object that is in the classroom and the children ask yes or no questions to try and guess.

Stretchers: Every child has a worm puppet and we do stretchers with Mr. Worm. E.g. Worm says to move your hips.

Extenders: Mr. Blue comes out and sings a song about the topic in blues music.

Magic Carpet Activities: Worm hides and the child who finds him can use him at the lunch table.

Magical Moments: Detective Wormy plays "I Spy" when some children are done faster than others. E.g. Lunch, Departure, Bathroom, etc.

You're Excused: Mr. Tickle comes out and excuses children who are sitting quiet and still.  ~Pam Schabacker

 

 

Trolls

Routine Changes: Place trolls along a "route" that would lead the children to the next activity.  When they are excused have them use their eyes and find the trolls along the route.

Settlers:  Pass a troll from child to child as everyone sings the "Name Song."

You're Excused: Give the troll to the first child to be excused.  That child chooses the next child to be excused, etc.

~Kami Putz

 

Egg Shaker - Large plastic Easter egg filled with popcorn and sealed with tape

  • Routine Changes – When the teacher has the egg the children will know it’s time to start something new.  You could use it to get the children’s attention and draw different pictures on it of the different routines so they know where to go next.
  • Settler – Shake the egg during a settling song that ends with the children’s hands in their lap.
  • Attention Grabber – When the children hear the shaker egg it’s time to come to the circle.
  • Stretcher – I would let each child have an egg and we could do exercises with them.
  • Extender – Have different colored eggs and have the children do movements or actions if they have that color on. - & - Have different items inside the eggs so they make different sounds.  Then have the children pair up with the egg that sounds the same.
  • Magical Moment – Put small items inside an egg that children can manipulate while they are waiting.
  • You’re Excused – You could excuse the children by the color of eggs.  ~ ~ ~Jennifer Weber

Sponge Ball --Directions for making the sponge ball are found in Transition Magician 2

  • Routine Changes – Go around the room with the ball and brush children’s shoulders with it letting them know it is clean-up time.  Then hang up sponge ball for children to see as a reminder.
  • Settler – Have a variety of these balls in different colors.  Hide one ball in a box and have children try to guess which color it is that day.
  • Attention Grabbers – Hang or set the ball on a body part, such as nose, ear or head.
  • Stretcher – Have children sit in a circle and pass the ball around while playing music.  Randomly stop the music and when you do children need to switch direction of the ball.
  • Extenders – Hide the ball somewhere in the room while children are closing their eyes.  Then have the children try to look for it.  The child that finds it can then take a turn hiding it.
  • Magic Carpet Activity – Partner activity.  Using the ball and three large cups or bowls have one child hide the ball under one of the bowls, mix them up and another child try to guess where the ball is.
  • Magical Moment – Using colors in ball tell children if they are wearing _____ color do 5 jumping jacks.
  • You’re Excused – Tell children when you toss the ball to them, while saying their name, they need to stand up, do 5 hops on one foot, toss the ball back, then they are excused.  ~ Amy Haworth
     
   

 

 

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Variations for Magic Pick-up Lotion

Settlers:

Put some on the back of the children's hand and tell them once they have it on they need to remain quiet.

Settlers:

As children go to their cots for nap, apply "resting" lotion to the back of their hand. This will help them fall asleep or rest quietly.

Stretchers:

Put lotion on the back of their hand and tell them that it is magic exercise lotion.  Then do exercises with them.

Extenders:

Use the lotion for magic singing lotion.  Put a little on the back of their hand and sing some beautiful songs.

You're Excused:

Call the children up individually by name and apply a little lotion on the back of their hand. Once they have the lotion on their hand, excuse them to the next activity.

~Melinda Kasten

Tip:

When the novelty of the lotion wears off, put it away for a time.  It can always be reintroduced later.

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Peek-a-Boo Blanket, Hippo and Frog

Routine Changes:  Tell them that when the frog is in the air, it is time to change to the next activity.

Settler:  Hide the frog and hippo, tell them to gather by me when they find one of them.

Attention Grabber: Ask them if they can guess what is under the blanket.

Stretcher:  Play Simon Says but instead it's called Hippo Says.

Extenders:  Hide the frog or hippo behind your back.  Have the children guess which hand it's in.

Magic Carpet Activities: Have them find things in the room that are green or pink (the colors of the plastic hippo and frog).

Magical Moments:  Hide the frog somewhere in the room, having the children look for it, but when they find it, leave it in that spot, walk away and say "found it."  Child can then go to the next activity and sit until everyone has found it.  The first one who found it then gets it from the spot it is hidden.

You're Excused:

Call out colors that are on the little blanket.  If they are wearing that color they can be excused.

~Amber Strong

 

 
   

 

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