Free Pre-K 3 lesson plan · Unit 8: Water, sand and moving things
Pre-K 3, week 31: things that move and patterns
This week your learner will name things that move, make patterns with vehicles and roll things down a ramp. Each activity takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 31 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
- Lean a large book or a board on a pillow to make a ramp.
- Gather a ball, a toy car and a block.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, a book or board, a pillow, a ball, a toy car, a block. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Talk and listen | Things that go page, Vehicle talk card |
| Tuesday | Math | Car, bus, car, bus page, Toy pattern card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Ramp roll page, Ramp race card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Draw a road page, Red light, green light 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
Things that go
Say: "Which one flies? Which one goes on the road?" Your learner points to each vehicle and says its name.
Car, bus, car, bus
Say: "Car, bus, car, bus. Say it with me." Your learner says the pattern and colors the cars one color and the buses another.
Ramp roll
Say: "Will it roll? Will it slide?" Your learner points to each thing and guesses roll or slide.
Draw a road
Say: "Draw a road for the car." Your learner draws a road any way they like: long, wavy or round.
Activity cards
Vehicle talk
- Hold up a vehicle.
- Your learner names it and makes its sound.
- Ask "Where does it go?"
Easier: Name 2 vehicles.
Next step: Ask "Which is fast? Which is slow?"
Say this: "A bus. Beep beep. It goes on the road."
No supplies: Name vehicles you see outside.
Language: vocabulary
Toy pattern
- Make car, block, car, block.
- Say it together.
- Your learner adds the next one.
Easier: Copy the pattern.
Next step: Your learner makes the pattern.
Say this: "Car, block, car, block. Next?"
No supplies: Clap, pat, clap, pat.
Math: patterns
Ramp race
- Put each thing at the top.
- Your learner lets it go.
- Talk about roll and slide.
Easier: Use the ball only.
Next step: Make the ramp higher and see what changes.
Say this: "The ball rolls fast."
No supplies: Roll a ball on the floor.
Science: ramps
Red light, green light
- Say "green light" and walk.
- Say "red light" and stop.
- Swap and let your learner call it.
Easier: Hold hands.
Next step: Add "yellow light: slow".
Say this: "Red light, stop. Green light, go."
No supplies: Do it seated with arm moves.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: Things that go
The car goes beep, the train goes choo,
The plane goes zoom up in the blue.
The boat goes float, the bus goes round,
Things that go all over town.
Actions: Make each sound. Try next: Add a bike: ring, ring.
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.
- Names 3 vehicles
- Adds the next piece to a pattern
- Lets a ball roll down a ramp
- Stops and goes on cue
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
Things roll or slide, and a higher ramp makes them go faster. Let your learner guess first, then try. It is early science and lots of fun words.
Yes. Cars, buses and trains are great for talking, sorting, patterns and counting. Use what your learner loves to practice everything else.
Usually around age 4, when your learner names a few colors and talks in sentences of 4 or more words. The 3-question picker on the Pre-K page helps you choose. There is no test, and you can switch any time.
Yes. The plans, printables and cards are free to use at home or in a classroom, with no caps, no card and no ads. A free adult account is needed only to download the PDFs. Each card has an easier step for younger students.
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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