Zoo Week for Preschoolers - Part 3

Well it is not in my habits to post on a Saturday as I usually use this time to work on curriculum development but I really wanted to get this last Zoo Part out before next week...So here it is!

Zoo Animal Cracker Patterns

Who doesn't like animal crackers? I don't tend to keep them around the house that much but I bought a bag for this week to the delight of my kids (We used Leibniz's zoo crackers). I quickly explained that before eating them, Adrian would need them for school. :) Needless to say, this activity HAD to be done on Monday. :) Using animal zoo animal crackers, I started a pattern and asked Adrian "What comes next?"  A fun and yummy activity.

Making a  Zoo Cage thru - Fine Motor Skills

Well this one can be both an art piece and a fine motor activity I guess. I really wanted to focus on the fine motor aspect of the activity so I personally prepared the "scene" for the zebra. I printed, cut and glued the zebra, cut and glued the green construction paper mountain behind it and made the indents on the cardboard (a cereal box). "All" Adrian had to do was to insert the flax yarn into each indent (not easy at all to him since it was as tight as floss and teeth) and wrap around the box with the yarn before inserting into the next indent. It took a while but it turned out to be a beautiful cage. I guess looking back I could have spaced the indents more...a lot more  Also, the indents could be done by a child if you draw them on the box prior to the cuts being made so they can align well. I know "A" still has trouble with scissor work so I decided to do the indents myself. Idea and zebra: DLTK Kids.

How Many Spots on this Giraffe?

Eights giraffes, eight markers colors and a different amount of spots of each of these mammals.  Adrian's work? To count the spot on each of these giraffe and then tally that number on the main sheet with number cards. This idea came from Mrs. Lee's Kindergarten. There were so many more good ideas for a zoo unit there. Wish my kid could attend sometimes! :) Anyhow, I made my own giraffe cards and sheets by using Corvus Tristis's pattern. You can always e-mail me to get the tallying sheet if you wish.

Zoo Animal Cards and Beginning Sounds

As mentioned in a prior post on our Zoo Unit, I made these beautiful zoo cards myself by using pictures provided by National Geographic. For this activity, I set them out with a tray of LeapFrog magnetic letters. Adrian then had to match pictures with beginning letters. Easy peasy literacy to him. We've progressed to the moveable alphabet but we're still waiting on it. KidAdvance seems to have lost our package... :(

Zoo Schedule of Events and Their Daily Times

Adrian has been telling time for a while now. I never really had to "teach" him. He kind of just absorbed it here and there by asking questions. Certain times are important to him and that's how he learned. He would stare at our clock and tell me the time. He especially loves the "o'clock". Now, digital time is easy to him so I grabbed an old fashioned clock to show him how the arms and hands work and all. He got it pretty quickly. The activity was to look at the zoo schedule I prepared and to indicate the time written on the schedule on that Roman clock. 

Close-Up of my Zoo Schedule 

Zoo schedules are so cool nowadays. When I was little, going to the zoo was it. There was very little else to do but to see the animals and believe me, that was plenty. Now, there are chats, shows, feeding times and so much more. When creating this schedule, I looked at several zoos around the world to get a pulse of what they have to offer. This schedule was based on my findings. That's right. These things happen for real, not in an imaginary world. Thus, if you want to feed the penguins, head to ZSL London Zoo in London, England, if you would rather see how a bear is trained, fly to Louisville, KY, U.S.A. In the mood for orangutan crossing? The Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC, U.S.A. has it! Sea Lion show? Well now, that's pretty pretty much anywhere with sea lions, right? How about seeing an elephant take a bath? Could be funny, right? Then you'll need to go to Houston, TX, U.S.A. Finally, as you may have guessed, to hold a cuddly koala and get a picture taken with it, you'll need to arrange a trip to Taronga Zoo, in Sydney, Australia! There, you have it!

Zoo Feeding Stations - Feeding an Elephant and Giraffe - Fine Motor

Before we had kids, I was the kid. I was the one asking to feed the animals. Yep. I did the giraffe feeding, the dolphin feeding and all. :) For this activity, Adrian, who never got to feed any zoo animals yet (goats don't really count now, do they?), got to finally feed an elephant some peanuts with a nutcracker and a giraffe some lettuce with some tongs. 

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Today, I'm happily linking up to:

I can Teach my Child, Sugar Aunts, Teach Beside Me, Golden Grasses, No Time for Flashcards, True Aim Education, Hey Mommy Chocolate Milk, Chicken Babies, Life with Moore Babies, Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas, Here Comes the Girls, Inspiration Laboratories, The Iowa Farmer's Wife, Artsy Play Wednesday , Discover and Explore, and Train Up a Child.   

If you would like me to link up with you, please don't hesitate to ask, it might take me a week or two, but I generally do!