Stop Sign Preschool Ideas

A child can learn a lot from the humble stop sign. Use the theme of the stop sign in preschool to teach spelling, direction, safety, shapes and colors. Incorporating items that a child sees everyday into lesson plans helps him understand and comprehend what is being taught. Children see stop signs every day on their way to and from preschool or the grocery store. Teach children valuable life lessons by incorporating the stop sign crafts and activities.

Help students learn about the function and physical structure of stop signs through a craft. Use cardboard wrapping paper rolls as sign posts and help children create a stop sign out of red construction paper. If they are having a hard time constructing an octagon shaped sign, allow them to create a red circle sign. Use white chalk or crayon to write the word "STOP" on the sign. You can create a smaller version of a sign by using a craft stick and construction paper.

Teach children about stop signs and their purpose through activities. Create a road on the floor out of large roll of black craft paper. Cut yellow construction paper lines to serve as the lines on the road. Make a stop sign out of construction paper and a paper towel or wrapping paper roll. Add a green "GO" sign to the backside of the red "STOP" sign. Have children stand on one side of the road while the teacher or leader stands on the other with the "STOP" side facing the children. The children should take turns crossing the road. But before a child can cross the road, she must first look both ways to look for traffic. If she does this, then the teacher can turn the sign to the "go" side and allow her to cross. Cut out car shapes and pin them to adult volunteers who can be down the road and represent cars. Discourage children from being cars as they may "crash" into the "pedestrians" who are trying to cross the road.

Teach children lessons on color and shape through the use of a stop sign. Hold up a photo of a stop sign for children to see. Ask the class what color the sign is and what shape it is. Many students will guess a circle. Introduce the concept of the octagon shape. Explain that it has eight sides. Have children try to draw an octagon shape on paper and then color it red like a stop sign. To reinforce the lesson red, ask the class to point out other red things in the classroom.

The word "STOP" is something children see on a daily basis. Utilize this and introduce letter sound concepts. Teach children that the word "stop" starts with the "S" sound and ask them to think of other words that also start with the same sound. They can even practice spelling the word "stop" out loud in the class. Create a stop and go sign to use in a game to reinforce direction following. Write "Stop" in red on one side of a paper plate and "Go" on the other and staple the sign to a paper towel roll. Play a game of "Stop and Go" where children must dance and move when the "Go" sign is showing, and then must freeze in place when the teacher turns the sign to reveal the "Stop" side.