Preschoolers begin Balls Study in Creative Curriculum

Dear Families,

We have noticed that the children are very interested in balls. They’re curious about different kinds of balls, how people use balls, what they are made of, what is inside them, and how high they can bounce. We think balls will make an interesting study.

If you can, we would like your help in gathering a collection of balls to investigate. We’ll need many different types of balls. Here’s a list of suggestions, but you may also send in balls that are not on the list. We’ll take good care of them so we can return them to you at the end of the study:

baseball, basketball, beach ball, bowling ball, cotton ball, crystal ball, doggie ball, football, golf ball, kickball, Koosh^® ball, marble, table tennis ball, pool (billiard) ball, racquetball, soccer ball, tennis ball, volleyball, WIFFLE^® ball

As we study balls, we will learn concepts and skills in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology. We’ll also be using thinking skills to investigate, ask questions, solve problems, make predictions, and test our ideas.

What You Can Do at Home

Spend time with your child, playing with balls of all shapes, types, and sizes, such as playground balls, tennis balls, table tennis balls, Koosh^® balls, volleyballs, baseballs, footballs, and marbles. Talk about what the balls are made of, whether they are heavy or light, and whether they are big or little.

Wonder aloud with your child to encourage his or her thinking about balls. For example, you might ask, “I wonder what’s inside a tennis ball. I wonder how far you can throw a foil ball, a beach ball, or a tennis ball. How can we find out?”

Help your child use all of his or her senses when playing with balls. You might ask, “What does it look like? Feel like? Sound like? Smell like?”

See how many types of balls you can find around the house and in your neighborhood.

Play a game while riding in the car, bus, or train. Think of all the words that contain the word ball in them. Look for examples of balls around you.

At the end of our study, we’ll have a special event to show you what we’ve learned. Thank you for playing an important role in our learning.