A sock hop can be a fun way to engage preschoolers.
If you want to treat your preschool class to a fun day of learning and playing, throw a sock hop. Since the era was so iconic---poodle skirts, rock and roll, jukeboxes and milkshakes---you can easily transport the kids back to the 1950s using costumes, music, decorations and food.
Decorations
Turn your classroom into a soda shop by painting a jukebox on a large piece of paper and affixing it to the wall. Create or rent a black and white checkered dance floor, and cut music notes out of black construction paper to hang from the ceiling. You can also find paper plates and napkins with a 1950s theme at a party supply store or online. The kids will be transfixed by the transformation of their classroom.
Costumes
As you well know, preschoolers love to play dress-up! Have the girls come to class dressed in big skirts and bobby socks with ponytails while the boys wear jeans and white T-shirts and slick back their hair. As the teacher, you can dress up too, in a sweater set if you're female or a cardigan sweater if you're male.
Toys
The first Mr. Potato Head came out in the 1950s with only the face pieces, which were meant to be placed on an actual potato. So bring in a bunch of potatoes and let your kids decorate them. Hula hoops were hugely popular back then, so hold a hula hoop contest! Other toys from the 1950s that you might already have in the classroom: Silly Putty and Play-Doh.
Music
Introduce kids to the original rock and roll: Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino and Muddy Waters. To keep everyone active and participating, teach them popular dances of the 1950s, such as the Twist, the Bunny Hop and the Stroll.
Snacks
Indulge in milkshakes, ice cream floats, French fries, onion rings or small hamburgers. You could also serve popcorn, put on a movie and have the kids pretend they're at a drive-in theater.
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