Open/Close

  • Stock the play areas/centers with things like: toy houses, barns, vehicles, etc. with movable doors and/or windows; various boxes and containers with lids that little ones can open; small suit cases; toy "safe" or cash register; "jack-in-the-box" type toys; etc. (As the kids play, you can briefly talk about open/close, and probably can get them pointing out open/close to each other.)
  • You can do a group game where you call out "OPEN" and the kids go around the room opening things until you call out "CLOSE", and then they close things. 
  • You can play a game around your Circle where you ask each child to identify open or closed. If some kids get the concept right away, but others need more time, you can adjust the game to have each child close his/her eyes while you position something as open or closed, and then have the child GUESS ("open" or "closed") before opening his/her eyes to see if they were correct. All other kids can watch and have fun responding with 2 finger applause after correct guesses and a cheerful "Oh, man!" for wrong guesses. Play the game again another day.
  • Another Circle Time activity is to give each child a book and talk about what's on the cover ("everyone close your book") and the pages/words/pictures (for which you have to open the book).
  • Lift-the-flap books are also great for open/close concepts, 1-on-1 with an adult or in a small group.
  • Emphasize the concepts throughout the day:
    • - going potty? want the door open or closed?
    • - hungry? is your applesauce closed? what should we do?
    • - blocks are all back in the cabinet? should we close the door or leave it open?
    • -putting a CD on? announce or show how you OPEN the CD player to put in the CD and then again when you CLOSE it so it can play
  • If you have a more advanced child in the group:  
    • -Let him/her experiment with what happens to a piece of bread, bit of playdough, or similar items when their container is left open or closed
    • -Provide containers and objects that open and close in many different ways, some more complicated than others (flip-up and twist off lids, locking doors, boxes with attached or lift off lids, envelopes, bandaids, etc.-maybe even a combination lock) Kids who are engaged by the concepts of open/close will gravitate toward the ones that open and shut more easily so they can do it over and over, while kids who are beyond that will enjoy the challenges of figuring out how to open (or keep closed) the more complicated ones. Just don't provide anything that is supposed to be child-proof!



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