Free Pre-K 3 lesson plan · Unit 1: Me and my family
Pre-K 3, week 3: feelings words and counting to 3
This week your learner will name four feelings, count to 3 with dots and show what their body can do. Each activity takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 3 of 36 · See the Pre-K 3 year map · Not sure of the level? Take the 3-question Pre-K 3 or Pre-K 4 picker
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5-minute parent prep
- Practice making a happy, sad, mad and scared face in a mirror.
- Gather 3 blocks or 3 small toys too big to fit in the mouth.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, a mirror, 3 blocks or toys. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Talk and listen | How do they feel? page, Feelings faces card |
| Tuesday | Math | Dots to 3 page, Block count card |
| Wednesday | Explore | What I can do page, Can you do it? card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Wavy road page, Tear and stick card |
| Friday | Story and review | Song of the week, Parent notes page |
| Every day | Read, sing, play | Read a picture book together, sing the song of the week, play outside and check in on feelings with the free feelings cards. |
Printable pages
How do they feel?
Say: "This face is happy. Can you make a happy face?" Your learner points to each face, copies it and says the feeling word with you.
Dots to 3
Say: "Count the dots. One, two, three." Your learner counts the dots in each frame with you and colors one frame.
What I can do
Say: "Can you jump? Show me." Your learner points to each picture and does the move.
Wavy road
Say: "Drive the car on the wavy road. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces each wavy line from left to right with a finger, then a crayon.
Activity cards
Feelings faces
- Make a happy face and say "happy".
- Your learner copies it.
- Do sad, mad and scared the same way.
Easier: Use happy and sad only.
Next step: Ask "When do you feel happy?"
Say this: "I feel happy when we play. How do you feel?"
No supplies: Use your hands to show a big smile and a frown.
Social-emotional: feelings words
Block count
- Put out 1 block, then 2, then 3.
- Count each group together, touching each block.
- Ask "How many?" after each group.
Easier: Count to 2.
Next step: Hide one block and ask "How many now?"
Say this: "One, two, three. Three blocks."
No supplies: Count fingers on one hand up to 3.
Math: counting and cardinality
Can you do it?
- Say "Can you jump?" and jump together.
- Try stomp, spin slowly and tiptoe.
- Your learner picks the next move.
Easier: Do the moves holding hands.
Next step: Do a move 3 times and count.
Say this: "Your body can do so much."
No supplies: Needs nothing but space.
Physical: gross motor
Tear and stick
- Show how to tear a strip with two hands.
- Your learner tears paper into pieces.
- Stick the pieces on the sheet to make a picture.
Easier: You start each tear.
Next step: Tear a long strip, then a short one.
Say this: "Pinch and pull. Rip."
No supplies: Tear an old envelope or a paper bag, no glue needed.
Physical: fine motor
Song of the week: Feelings
Happy face, happy face,
Smile so wide.
Sad face, sad face,
That's okay inside.
Actions: Make each face as you sing it. Try next: Add a verse for mad and scared: "Take a breath, take a breath."
Parent notes for Friday
Not a test. Notice what your learner does this week, and practice the rest later. Nothing here is sent to UpOnly Learning.
- Copies a happy and a sad face
- Counts 3 dots, touching each one
- Jumps with both feet
- Tears paper with two hands
Want the bigger picture? See developmental milestones by age and the child development guide for ages 3 to 5.
Safety for this week
- Use objects too big to fit in your learner's mouth, and stay close during any counting or sorting with real objects.
- Water play only with an adult within arm's reach the whole time, even in a small tub.
- An adult handles anything hot or sharp, knives, and rocks or heavy objects.
- Dry beans and seeds only with an adult watching closely, and not with a learner who still puts things in their mouth.
- No scissors needed: tear paper instead. If you do use scissors, use child safety scissors with an adult right there.
- Choose crayons, markers and paint labeled for young learners (look for the AP seal).
Questions parents ask
Name feelings as they happen: "You are sad because the tower fell." Make faces in the mirror together and use simple words like happy, sad, mad and scared. Free feelings cards on UpOnly Learning help with a calm-down corner.
At 3, students feel strong emotions but are still learning the words and ways to calm down. Naming the feeling, staying close and taking a slow breath together all help. Practice when everyone is calm.
Stop, name the feeling ("You are frustrated"), and take a calm break together. Try the easier step on the card next time. Short, happy tries teach more than long ones.
A few, kept short and paired with play. Each Pre-K 3 printable is one simple page your learner points at, colors or traces, and each has a hands-on version, so the page is never the only way to practice.
Related pages
Recommended for your student
Pre-K 3 Full Year
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The whole Pre-K 3 year in one print-ready book: 36 weeks of parent plans, printable pages, activity cards and songs for ages 3 to 4, with a clickable table of contents, page numbers and parent answer notes. 309 pages.
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UpOnly Learning Pre-K is general education, not medical advice. If you have concerns about your learner's development, talk with your pediatrician. In an emergency, call 911.
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