Monday, January 28, 2013

preschool Penguins- part 2


I reworked penguin day it a little for the younger class this year. Here's penguin day from last year, which was for my pre-K class. I actually did it for the prek class too, but it was one of those weird days when we had other things going on and my poor plans got cast by the wayside. I don't think I have an opportunity to revisit them until spring and by then, it's pretty much silly to talk about penguins.  This penguin day however, did go.  And it was one of those days when the kids are into it and I'm into it and I'm rather impressed with us.


So, I started out showing them these 5 picture cards, which showed the things I wanted to learn about penguins -what they look like and that there are different kinds of penguins -how they move -how they take care of their eggs -what they eat and -how they live and together. 

First, I showed some pictures of penguins that I've hoarded out of old calendars and magazines.  A big thanks to my mom who enables me. They were surprised to see the underwater swimming picture.



We read Penguins 123 by Kevin Schafer.


I do not know how the order went now (it's been two weeks now that I am finally typing), but here are the activities we did in order that they loaded from my camera.  That doesn't always mean much.



I told them how in some penguin groups, the mom lays the egg and gives it to the dad.  She goes off to fish and bring back food to the baby.  The dad keeps the egg on his feet for up to 2 months.  We practiced being daddy penguins by balancing plastic Easter eggs on our feet. It was harder to balance than I thought. Next time, I will fill the eggs for a little added weight.



We listened to some music while balancing.  I instructed the kiddos to moved into a tight cluster on the carpet while balancing and talked about how the daddy penguins huddle together to stay warm when the winds blow the cold air.



We talked about what those mama penguins were off hunting.  Fish. I put some little fish under a sheet and we pretended it was ice.  One at a time, the kids dove under the ice and caught a fish. 



They announced what shape their fish had on it and brought it up to my penguin (who is actually a puffin- but no matter) and he fried it up for dinner.  We talked about how penguins aren't cooking their fish, I just thought it would be fun. Last year, I did something similar with the older class but they had to choose the bigger number out of a few numbered fish.



We did a little ice skating to some gentle music with wax paper on the carpet and then slid our bodies across the table like it was ice.  We clearer the chairs from one table and my co-teacher and I helped a friend onto the table on their belly.  Then, holding onto their arms, we gently dragged them across the table like the they were a penguin sliding on ice.




I sang this little rhyme using the penguin number cards I made last year for a missing number activity. I've had this in my files a really long time and don't know the original source.  

5 little penguins standing on the shore.
1 dove in and then there were 4.
4 little penguins sliding down some ice, Whee.
1 went too far and then there were 3.
3 little penguins don't know what to do.
1 waddled off and then there were 2.
2 little penguins having lots of fun.
1 went home and then there was 1.
1 little penguin sitting in the sun.
He went to sleep and now our song is done.l


I added up the next five numbers and we sang this little song which I sort of just came up with.  We sing similar versions to count to 10 often.  (tune of 10 little Indians)

1 little, 2 little, 3 little penguins, 4 little, 5 little, 6 little penguins, 7 little, 8 little, 9 little penguins, 10 little penguins sliding on the ice.  


We sang it a few times changing up the last line to -diving for some fish -waddling along -holding up their eggs, etc.  In addition to counting, it sort of reviews the concepts we have discussed.


Here's our craft.  The pieces were cut, the kids assembled and glued and added the skis (tongue depressors) and sticker eyes (binder hole reinforcers).  This was for our 3 and young 4's class. Out older kids would have done some cutting.


  
 
Again, here are Last years penguin plans for the little bit older class.


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

preschool mitten- part 2


Mitten day was my co-teachers day.  Here's my last years plans.

She used the same song that I've used in the past, but added a fun twist to it.  We used a 


The kids were given an animal face card. 



During the song, when their animal came along, they crawled into a mitten (under a sheet).  When the bear sneezed, they all crawled out.  We played several times so all the friends could get a turn.  even our parent helper took a turn!

Here's the song:

The Mitten in the Snow Song
 

 Tune: The Farmer in the Dell

(This is the order of the animals in Jan Brett's version of the book:
A mole is the first to discover the mitten and crawls inside, followed by
a snowshoe rabbit, a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, a fox, a bear and, finally a mouse.
The mouse causes the bear to sneeze; the mitten and all its occupants go flying.)

The mitten in the snow
The mitten in the snow
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A mole squeezes in
A mole squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A rabbit squeezes in
A rabbit squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A hedgehog squeezes in
A hedgehog squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

An owl squeezes in
An owl squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A badger squeezes in
A badger squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A fox squeezes in
A fox squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A bear squeezes in
A bear squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A mouse squeezes in
A mouse squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

"A-choo"
The bear says, "A-choo!"
The bear says, "A-choo!"
All the animals fly out of
The mitten in the snow!

Monday, January 21, 2013

the lost Christmas games


I found these pictures when I uploaded my real camera.  They are back from the kid's Christmas parties before break.  There were two games that I wanted to write about.  


Here's the present game from Lou's kindergarten class.  They played it like hot potato.  The kids passed around a present that was wrapped in paper.  When the music stopped, that child unwrapped the next layer of wrapping paper.  Then the music started and the present was sent around the circle again.


It was wrapped about 10 times. The final unwrapping revealed a book that the class was going to read during the party.  Lou's class didn't seem to mind if not everyone got a turn.  Lou got his turn though.


That wouldn't fly in preschool, but I could wrap something 18 times I guess.


Here's another wrapping game from Bee's class.  It's opposite of the first game.  There were two lines.  The kids all lined up in partners.  Each partner group took turns relay race style wrapping the box and returning to the line. 


Then the next partner set ran up and wrapped another layer of wrapping paper around the box.


This continued until all the kids got a turn to wrap the box and the last set added a bow on top. 


Bee and her partner took their turn.   

I'm gong to file these two fun games away for next year.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Ll ladybug day part 2 (songs mostly)


We had our ladybug day at preschool.  I used last years materials, but added two songs that I wanted to share. 



We sang this one after I passed out the ladybug pieces for the rhyming activity.  You'll have to click here to see more about that. 




I'm a Little Ladybug
Sung to: "I'm a little Teapot"

 
I'm a little ladybug on the go,
Landing on an arm, now an elbow.
See me fly around and around your hand,
Now watch as on your thumb I land.
I'm a little ladybug searching for some toes,
But watch me quickly land on your nose.
Now I look around and head for your hair,
I muss it up a bit, then pat it down with care.
I'm a little ladybug looking for a knee,
I'm just so happy you're not bugged by me.
Now you see me heading for your chest,
This little ladybug needs some rest.

Then we sang this one with a few of the ladybug pieces on the felt board.  I didn't make anything new this year, which is really great sometimes. most of the time.

Five Little Ladybugs
Five little ladybugs climbing up a door
One flew away then there were four
Four little ladybugs sitting on a tree
One flew away then there were three
Three Little ladybugs landed on a shoe
One flew away then there were two
Two little ladybugs looking for some fun
One flew away and then there was one
One little ladybug sitting in the sun
She flew away and then there were none

Saturday, January 19, 2013

preschool journals

I got behind on sharing our journal pages to go with each letter.  Then our internet with out for a week and a half and I got behind on everything.  You can click on the tag name "Journals" on the side (or click here to see the beginning of the year and the A-F journal pages).  Here's a post about the journals and how we're using them.

Sorry these aren't printable as some of the past ones are... I can't seem to get it all figured out.

Here's G:  Watch me grow.   I'll measure them again at the end of the year.


H:  draw hat and hair  (this person outline is from: Inchmark)

   -crazy hair


      -sweet piggy tails



   -egg head?


   -Indian hat? 


I:  My insect
  



J: What gift would you bring baby Jesus:   (Lalaloopsy dolls were popular for Jesus)


k:  What is in the kangaroo's pouch?   (Here's our kangaroo day Part 1 Part 2)



 L:   I love _____

M:  My mom...

  -This poor mom isn't 38!  I'm not sure she'd want us thinking she is.


  -But neither is this mom 14.  


A lot of the kids like to free draw in their journals too.  Here on of my little friends practiced her number 8s.


This poor little friend has a house fire on Christmas Eve and drew about it almost everyday for two weeks. 


If they tell me something to write by the picture, I do.  They all seem to want this narration now. 





If you knew this friend, you'd understand! 


Sunday, January 13, 2013

The magazine page that's mine- mostly anyway

 

I can finally share the full info about the exciting published thing I hinted at a week or so ago. Some readers guessed I had an idea published in a book, they were thinking really grand. This is equally exciting since I am such a fan of Family Fun magazine.  


 
If you've been around here for awhile, you've heard me talk about how I've been getting that magazine since I was in the dorms in college (much to the amusement of my roommates) you also may remember this snowman shirt we made a few years back.


Someone from Family Fun contacted me back in November and asked about publishing the idea. There was a contract and everything. So, here's the shirt idea now published in print.  I was told they were reshooting all the photos.  Their model is cute, but I much prefer my own. 

 I first wrote about this shirt in January of 2010 and then wrote up a full tutorial from my blog posted February 2010.



Overall, working with Family Fun was a really positive experience.  It was exciting to correspond with editors and get an advanced copy of the magazine (the extra spending cash at Christmas was a pus too).  I was under the impression there would be a mention of my blog, the original source of the tutorial, but if you look closely, in the crease, there's my name.  No worry, I had a reader comment this morning that they saw the family fun page and found me through a google search.  Cool.



I mentioned in my original post that a dear friend sent us the first shirt and explained how to make it.  I sent her a surprise check in the mail with her half of the sale.  She was pleasantly surprised.  Back to the cutest snowman shirt models.


Man, how they change in three years!  Excuse me while I get a tissue.






click here for my full tutorial.