Who Experience
A Monthly Gathering of “Whos”
Planned Activities for a Preschool
Playdate with Friends
Based on Phase One, Month One
WHO: “You” are the “who” that is stepping up to help a
preschooler prepare for kindergarten. The WHO
EXPERIENCE includes the child and of course, YOU the
WHO. Guests of the WHO EXPERIENCE may be family
members, relatives, friends, preschool classmates or day
care participants. The children involved are between the
ages of 2 and 6 and we recommend inviting the same
number of guests as the child’s age. If the child is 3
years old, the idea is to invite 3 friends. However, if you
have many “helping hands”, adjust the group number as
appropriate. Even just one child and a parent, sibling, or
grandparent, can share the experience.
WHAT: INYW? website offers an optional WHO EXPERIENCE activity that can be done after you
have finished the monthly activities. The WHO EXPERIENCE uses selected activities, new activities,
or variations of activities from the month. If one or more children have been following the “If
Not You, Who?” program, this event reinforces the fun of learning together.
WHERE: At someone’s home, a park or other safe, central area where the activity can be
completed.
WHEN: Begin the WHO EXPERIENCE by choosing a date and marking it on the calendar with a
star, drawing a big smiley face, etc. Ask each child to come either wearing a stated color or a
selected item to bring. Involve the hosting WHO child in the planning and the set-up as part of
the learning experience. They may call, email, ask in person or make an invitation to invite guests
to the WHO EXPERIENCE.
HOW: The gathering should last from 45 minutes to an hour and include a snack time to aid
children with socialization skills. Adjust the schedule to fit your group’s unique needs and
personality.
1
WHO EXPERIENCE
SCHEDULE - Month 1
When inviting the participants, ask them to come wearing something yellow. As the children
arrive, play “Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K448 II. Andante” by Alicia de Larrocha from
the album “Mozart: Concerto & Sonata for 2 pianos” as background music.
Welcoming Activities
5 minutes – Have the children at a table with yellow pudding and fingerpaint paper.
• Let them scoop a tablespoon of pudding on the paper
• Encourage children to draw with their fingers
• You can mist the paper first with water by letting the child use a small spray bottle of water.
(using spray bottles builds hand strength for better control of crayons and pencils)
5 minutes
Give each child a raw egg,
and together mark the shell
with a permanent marker the
first letter of their name.
**Be careful with children
around a hot stove
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Place eggs in a
saucepan and fill with
water until the eggs
are covered. Put a lid
on the saucepan.
Place on the stove, turn
on the stove, and listen/
watch until the water is
boiling
Turn off the heat but
keep the saucepan
covered and on the
burner
Set a timer with
children for 20 minutes.
Leave on the stove with
burner turned off until
the timer rings.
(proceed below with
additional activities while
waiting for timer to ring)
Listening Activities
5 minutes – Have children sit
on the floor with their legs
spread apart and touching
each others feet to make an
enclosed circle. Using a yellow
tennis ball/foam ball, roll the
ball back and forth to each
child. While rolling you can
use any of these ideas:
*say the name of the child to
whom you are rolling the ball
*say one of the sounds that
“A” (A - apple; A - ape) makes
2
when rolling the ball to
another child or a word that
begins with the “A” sound
*say one of the sounds that
“E” (E - egg; E elephant)
makes when rolling the ball
to another child or a word
that begins with the “E”
sound
*say the number “1” and ask
child to clap one time; say
the number “1” and ask a
child to jump one time; say
the number “1” and ask a
child to blink one time, etc.
5 minutes – Play “I Spy” as
you find yellow objects in the
room. If your guests wore
something yellow this should
go smoothly. For example: I
spy with my little eyes
something yellow that has
buttons. (children discover
someone wearing a yellow
shirt with buttons)
5 minutes –
• Remove saucepan from the
stove and carefully pour out
the hot water
• Cover the eggs with ice and
cold water or just cold
water. Set the timer for 10
minutes. When the timer
rings it is time to take out
the eggs.
to a larger bowl and add
some mayonnaise/salad
dressing/mustard and any
other favorite ingredients to
make an egg salad spread.
Socializing Activities
5 minutes – Wash hands to
begin getting ready for a
snack. Each child gets to sing
“My Name Song” when
washing their hands from
Activity Y
My NAME Song
(Activity 25 - Sung to tune of
BINGO)
Physical Activities
5 minutes – Have the
children stand behind each
other at a start line (use a
yardstick, broom handle, piece
of rope, etc.) as you stand
about 20 feet away. The first
child puts a yellow tennis ball
into a one cup measuring
container and walks toward
you, around you and back to
the beginning giving the cup
to the next child to walk in a
similar manner. The first child
then goes to the end of line
and sits down. Using the
measuring cup helps in
keeping the ball in place. If
this is too easy for your
group, use a large spoon. If
the tennis ball drops, have
the child pick it up and
continue walking. Continue
until all players have had one
or two turns.
There was a family had a
child
and Carly (insert child's name)
was her name.
C-A-R-L-Y
C-AR-L-Y
C-A-R-L-Y
(spell child's name)
And Carly (insert child's name)
was her name
5 minutes – Allow each child
to peel their own egg.
5 minutes – During snack
time have the song “ABC (The
Alphabet Song)” from album
“Dora the Explorer” ABC (The
Alphabet Song) playing. Pass
a plate of square crackers
such as Triscuits or saltines
and have each child select 1
square cracker. Cover each
cracker with egg salad
spread. Slice a yellow banana
into small pieces to share.
Have small unbreakable cups
filled with water as a drink.
Snack Table Chat - Listen to
the children as they chat or
ask them questions about the
color yellow - Does anyone
have a yellow car, house, shoe,
etc.; if they can spy
something in the area that is
a square shape; what is a
favorite item they like to
touch; etc.
5 to 10 minutes – Following
snack time, have children
gather for a story. Recite the
fingerplay, “Kind to Others”
and select one of the month's
books to read aloud. (The
Rinse off the egg and let
each child crumble it with a
fork in a small unbreakable
cup. Add each crumbled egg
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Mitten by Jan Brett; Little
Blue and Little Yellow by Leo
Lionni; How Kind by Mary
Murphy)
Kind To Others
(Activity 13 - Fingerplay)
5 little children
Standing in a row ( hold up 5
fingers)
They are kind to others
Everywhere they go. (walk
hand in front of body)
I am one of the children
(point to self)
BONUS Activity – “Hokey
Pokey”
Listen and join in the actions
of “The Hokey Pokey “ by
Music for Little People Choir
from album “Toddlers Sing
Playtime”
Material List:
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Standing in a row (hold up 5
fingers)
I'll be kind to others (point to
self)
Wherever I go. (walk hand in
front of body)
Saying Goodby
Keeping an orderly structure
for playtime helps to teach
preschoolers how to stay on
task. Hand out the pudding
papers to take home. When it
is time to leave, quickly thank
each person for coming to the
WHO EXPERIENCE and
encourage an efficient
dismissal. Play the song The
Hokey Pokey by Music for
Little People Choir from album
“Toddlers Sing Playtime” in
the background.
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Encourage participants to
wear a yellow article of
clothing
Song: “Sonata for Two
Pianos in D major,
K448II. Andante” by Alicia
de Larrocha from the
album “Mozart: Concerto
& Sonata for 2 pianos”
Song: “ABC (The Alphabet
Song)” from album “Dora
the Explorer”
Optional Song: “Hokey
Pokey” by Music for Little
People Choir from album
“Toddlers Sing Playtime”
Yellow Pudding (vanilla,
banana, etc.)
Fingerpaint Paper
Spray bottle filled with
water
Raw Egg for each child
Permanent Marker
Saucepan
Stove
Tennis ball
1 cup measuring cup
broomstick, rope or
something that can be
used as a “Start Line”
Large bowl for snack
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Spoons and forks for
serving snack and pudding
Mayonnaise/salad
dressing/mustardingredients to make egg
salad
Square crackers- Triscuits,
saltines etc..
Banana
Drink for snack- water
non breakable cups