Zoo Animals: Week 1

This week began our two week study of zoo animals! We started out the week reading "Zoo Looking" and discussed the many different animals found in a zoo. I then read "Monkey and Me", which is about a little girl and her stuff monkey who pretend to be different zoo animals. I had the kids guess what animal they were being and then we all acted out the animal together. During centers this week I brought a puppet theater for the kids to play in with some zoo animal puppets! 

They loved this! Another center we had was an animal dig.

In our block center I had the kids build a zoo for the beanie babies. 

On Tuesday we read the book "Who's New at the Zoo?". After we read it we named some animals that had been mentioned in the book. The animal I highlighted from the book was the zebra. I showed the students some pictures of real zebras and their babies. We talked about how when the babies were born they had brown stripes instead of black to help them hide in the tall brown grass. This fact was new to me too! During centers we made a Z zebra to go along with our learning of the letter Z this week!

Every morning we sang our Z song and I had the students come up and find/circle a Z in the song. 

On Wednesday we read the book "Hello, Mommy ZooBorns!" which is about mommies and their babies at the zoo. After reading it we discussed what all the animals had in common and what we had in common with them, we all have mommies! It was cool to see them realize that animals have moms to take care of them just like we do. During centers we continued with our Z theme. I had the kids use a toothpick to trace a printed Z by poking holes along the lines. They loved this and were super focused! It was great fine motor practice. 

  I also had them do a dauber Z sheet. 

Thursday we read the book "Elephants Upclose". I love these books because they have excellent large pictures of the animal they are highlighting. After reading it we discussed some new vocabulary words: tusk, trunk, and herd. During centers we made elephants out of a paper plate. 

Our herd of elephants! Another center we had was magnetic letters. I made a few sheets with traced letters on them that spelled various simple words such as hat, cat, bat, mop, dog, frog, and sun. 

Friday we practices writing the letter Z using salt trays! 

Then I let them have free time to write letters or their name! 

We read the book "Big Cats Upclose" which was by the same author as the elephant book we read the previous day. After reading we discussed more vocabulary words: canines, predator, and prey.

During centers we made a lion face! 

Another center we had, that the kids loved, was an animal toss. They had to toss the zoo animals into their zoo cages! 

They got all of their animals! We had a fun week of learning. Stay tuned for our second week learning about zoo animals! 

Valentines Week

Valentines week was full of fun crafts and a lot of love! The first day we started out discussing what valentines day is all about, love! We read the book "I Love You So..." and then made a list of all of the people we loved! 

During centers we made a heart out of tissue paper. Then I traced the kids hands and made it into the I love you sign. 

During another center this week we had a missing number heart game. The students had to find the number that was missing in the number sequence.

Tuesday was 80s day in our themed week! Here are a few of the 80s kids! 

The next day we read "Franklin's Valentines". During centers we made our valentines mail boxes! 

They turned out great! 

We did some more Pom Pom sorting this week. 

Wednesday we read the book "Valentine Mice!", which is about little mice who deliver Valentines. One of our centers went along with our book. I had mice with the numbers 1-10 printed on them which they had to put in to the envelope with the same number. 

They had so much fun putting the mice in the envelopes! During another center I had them do some candy heart patterning. 

During the craft center the students got to make a beaded heart. 

Thursday was our crazy day theme! 

Thought this was cute, she was reading him the book.

We read the book "Froggy's First Kiss". During centers we made a love bug out of hearts. 

Friday was Valentines Day and we had some very handsome boys and beautiful girls at school! 

Our book for our lesson was "Pete the Cat Valentines Day is Cool". The kids were so excited to have a new Pete the Cat book! For centers we did some special whole group centers. First was sugar cookie decorating, which is always a hit! 

What a handsome boy! 

Next we made valentine heart necklaces! 

Here are some of the students sporting their new necklaces! 

I then had them "show some love!". 

Our final center was Valentines Day Bingo! 

If they won, they got to pick a prise from the Bingo bag! After we finished playing I let them pass out their valentines, which was insane! But they had fun! It was a fun week celebrating how much love we have for our family and our friends!