Theme based programs

[ceECE]

How many centres offer weekly themes as a part of their program?
If you offer themes, where do you get your resources from?
If it's the internet, which sites?
I look forward to your responses

[ceECE]

The reason that I'm asking is because I spend too much time printing, laminating, researching, and cutting felt stories. This is all during my private time that takes away from family time. I would love to purchase a full theme! But can't find anything
The only thing that I can find is the felt stories.
Anyone have any leads for me??

[playfelt]

I make my own curriculum and most of my teaching resources just as you are. The one thing to remember is once you have done them they are good for many years. One thing is to limit how elaborate you get with the themes and then add to them each year so it means making fewer items for each theme. Also remember that children love repetition so again you can get away with less the first year and then the second year add new items.

Even with most prepackaged curricululms you still need to do prep work. The difference is the ideas are all there but there are so many sites on the internet for printing directly from for free that it works well too.

[Tot-Time]

I don't always have a theme but if I do, it is a monthly theme. So for example January I will work on Snowmen, February Valentine's Day, March St Patrick's Day, April Spring, May etc ...

I agree with Playfelt in having repetition and adding to a theme each year. I only have 9 themes per year because I don't do any programming in July and August.

I have a purchased toddler theme from http://adaycare.com/ and I find I still resort back to my own materials and planning because even with a purchased theme I still made adaptations and still had prep work.

[mlc1982]

So, do the majority of theme based programs run monthly??

I am looking into starting some themes but am not sure how to run them. Daily, weekly, monthly?? What has worked best for everybody?

[fruitloop]

I have themed months as well. I use my own resourses and find it really doesn't take that long. Things don't need to be elaborate for the kids to enjoy it. My Feb theme was Letters P,Q, R ...shape Heart, Colour red, number 7, things with wings, Valentine's Day, Bears.

[giraffe]

I am doing a transportation theme for the next few weeks it will blend into a community helpers theme

[Cadillac]

When you do a theme, how long do you spend on it per day? I was thinking about themes, but I just can't justify spending an entire month on the shape of a heart. Repitition is very important but I tend to do the core shapes a few times per week and then add a more complex shape in per week to 'study' We all have children at different levels. If a few children have learned the 'heart' and others haven't, what do you do with the children that are more advanced for the rest of the month?

[playfelt]

i use the basics to teach other concepts such as coloured circles with seasonal pictures on them. I might name a colour and the child chooses the red circle and then tells what is on it. So we are reviewing colours as we name animals. Same works for shapes. I include the ones we know and add more as the group warrants. If I have older kids I just make a point to ask the younger kids a question that has them choosing a circle or square and ask the older kids a question that has them naming a pentagon or octagon.

[ceECE]

Thank you for all of your thoughts!
If there was a site that offered a mini theme:
Ex. Story book, felt story, booklet with songs,art ideas, and science etc, magnetic story, and small toys for visuals at circle????? (All in one mini kit) for $50??
Would you buy them??