Free Pre-K 3 lesson plan · Unit 2: Friends and feelings
Pre-K 3, week 5: playing together, red and blue
This week your learner will practice asking to play, match red and blue, and look closely at small things. Each activity takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 5 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
- Find 3 red things and 3 blue things too big to fit in the mouth (socks, cups, blocks).
- Get a red and a blue crayon.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, red and blue crayons, 3 red and 3 blue household things. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Talk and listen | Let's play page, Can I play? card |
| Tuesday | Math | Red and blue page, Red or blue? card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Look closely page, Little detective card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Paths to the toy page, Ball roll 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
Let's play
Say: "What can we play with? A ball? A book?" Your learner points to each toy and says "Can I play?" with you.
Red and blue
Say: "This one is red. Find red. Now find blue." Your learner points to red, then blue, and finds a crayon that matches each spot. On the black-and-white page, your learner colors the spots in.
Look closely
Say: "Let's look very closely. What do you see?" Your learner points to each picture and tells you one thing about it.
Paths to the toy
Say: "Take the ball to your friend. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces each path with a finger, then with a crayon.
Activity cards
Can I play?
- You hold a toy.
- Your learner asks "Can I play?"
- Play together for a minute, then swap.
Easier: Say it together.
Next step: Practice "Can I have a turn, please?"
Say this: "You asked so nicely. Let's play."
No supplies: Practice with a stuffed animal as the friend.
Social-emotional: asking to play
Red or blue?
- Put all the things in a pile.
- Hold up one and say its color.
- Your learner puts it in the red pile or the blue pile.
Easier: Use 2 of each.
Next step: Your learner names the color first.
Say this: "Red goes here. Blue goes there."
No supplies: Find one red and one blue thing in the room.
Math: sorting by color
Little detective
- Look at one object up close.
- Ask "Is it smooth or bumpy?"
- Look at the next one.
Easier: Look and touch only.
Next step: Use a magnifier if you have one.
Say this: "I see little lines. What do you see?"
No supplies: Look closely at your hands and fingernails.
Science: observing
Ball roll
- Sit on the floor facing each other.
- Roll the ball to your learner.
- Your learner rolls it back.
Easier: Sit closer.
Next step: Stand up and toss it gently.
Say this: "My turn, your turn. Roll."
No supplies: Roll a pair of socks.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: Red and blue
Red, red, I see red,
Red like a strawberry, I said.
Blue, blue, I see blue,
Blue like the sky, and you.
Actions: Point to something red, then something blue. Try next: Sing it with yellow and green.
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.
- Asks "Can I play?" with help
- Matches red and blue things
- Tells you one thing they see up close
- Rolls a ball back to you
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
Start with two colors and matching: "Find one like this." Sort red and blue socks, name colors during the day and color with just those two crayons. Add a new color only when the first two are easy.
Practice at home first: asking "Can I play?", waiting for a turn and offering a toy. Short playdates with one friend are easier than big groups. Stay close and help with the words.
Many students name a few colors by age 4. At 3, start by matching: "find one like this". Naming comes after lots of matching and talking about colors during the day.
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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