3 Great Activities for Preschool Students: It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw

It Looked Like Spilt Milk is an uncomplicated book about how our imaginations can take a simple cloud formation and turn it into

something else. Your little ones will quickly want to join in with the repetitive text.

This is a stand-alone book or can be used with five senses activities or a unit on clouds or weather.

After you have read the book, share stories about sprawling in the grass or on a picnic blanket and watching the clouds. Encourage the children to take time to do this and suggest that they ask a family member to join them. Use the following activities to help you.

Activity 1

Materials

• Dark paper: blue, black or grey
• White non-toxic paint

Ask students to lie on the floor and close their eyes. Imagine seeing clouds in the sky. Some of the clouds seem to form shapes of other things. What have their clouds become? See if they can keep it a secret. Then ask them to paint the item that they are imagining. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone! When paintings are dry, have each student come to the front (beside the teacher) and ask, “What does this look like?” Students should raise hands to guess. Allow three guesses. With each guess, the student should answer, “ It looks like a ______. But it isn’t a _____.” (Just like the text of the book) Of course, if guessed correctly they should say, “ It looks like a ______ and it is a _____!”

Activity 2

Materials/Preparation

• Use a pre-made “feely box” or make one yourself
• Find three or four unusual objects to use in the box (broccoli, cold cooked noodles, something squishy, etc.)
• A chalkboard, white board or flip chart

Put an item in the box and have several students feel it and guess what it is. Write the guess on the board.

Then follow the same format as the book with everyone joining in the chant: “Sometimes it feels like a ________(insert each guess that is written on the board) but it isn’t a _______.” If one of the answers is correct, “Sometimes it feels like a ________ and it is a ____!” At the end, show the item to the class.

Proceed the same way with the next item and repeat the activity until each student has an opportunity to feel and guess at least one item.

Activity 3

Materials/Preparation

• Home-made recording of individual sounds such as a car door closing, alarm clock, cat meowing, lamp switching on, etc.

Play the recording, one sound at a time. Call on students to guess the sound and write the guesses on the board. Follow the same format as in activity #2.

You may want to begin this activity with the book Sounds Around Town by Maria Carluccio, especially if you are doing Five Senses activities.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk activities are such a fun way to review the five senses. The activities also give the students a chance to stand in front of the class and lead the repetitive text of the book. As homework, encourage the students to look at the clouds and tell a family member what they see.