Toddler Activity Schedule 5 (Dinosaurs)

February 11th, 2010 by Dionna | 6 Comments
Posted in Carnival and Special Series, Children, Eclectic Learning, Learning Activity Series, Preschoolers, Toddlers

Kieran has been fascinated with dinosaurs lately. The only exposure he’s had is a silly plastic dinosaur he plays with (usually with trains – the dinosaur blocks areas of the track) and a couple of library books. I thought it would be nice to expand his knowledge this week.

Monday

Morning
Monday Fun-day with Jax & Sarah
*I am hosting this week. I will either buy plastic dinosaurs and let the boys dig for them (in beans or rice), or we will do the matching game found here.

Afternoon
Pretend play
*We Are the Dinosaurs: we will pretend to be dinosaurs with two songs.
1)  Laurie Berkner has a great song called “We Are the Dinosaurs”
2)  I’m a Hungry Dinosaur (sung to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a hungry dinosaur (walk around like a dinosaur)
Big and tall (gesture hands big and tall)
Here is my tail, here is my claw. (gesture hands behind your back for tail and make claw hands)
When I get all hungry (rub your tummy)
I just growl (exaggerated growls)
Look out kids I’m on the prowl. (continue walking around like dinosaurs)

3:00-4:00 – outside
4:00-5:00 – Music & Movement (We will check out a good CD from the library and dance together.)

Tuesday

Morning

Fun with numbers
*Dinosaur Rhyme

Five enormous dinosaurs
Letting out a roar -
One went away, and
Then there were four.

Four enormous dinosaurs
Crashing down a tree -
One went away, and
Then there were three

Three enormous dinosaurs
Eating tiger stew -
One went away, and
Then there were two.

Two enormous dinosaurs
Trying to run -
One ran away, and
Then there was one.

One enormous dinosaur,
Afraid to be a hero -
He went away, and
Then there was zero.

Afternoon
Language/pre-reading
*Patterns: we will practice patterns with a dinosaur (click for printable design; we just drew a dinosaur on construction paper)

3:00-4:00 – outside
4:00-5:00 – Music & Movement

Wednesday

Morning
Wacky Wednesdays with Molly & Jenny
*Jenny is hosting this week.

Afternoon
Exploring our World
*The Dinosaurs (to be spoken out loud)
The dinosaurs lived long ago, when life on earth began. (gesture palm up wave over your shoulder)
Some were tall (gesture high)
Some were small (gesture low)
Some liked water (gesture swimming)
Some liked land (gesture walking by alternating palms on your knees)
Pteranadons had leathery wings (gesture flying)
Brontosaurus, long necks (gesture to neck)
But the meanest dinosaur of all (gesture mean face)
Was Tyrannosaurus Rex (gesture heavy stomping by alternating palms on your knees)

3:00-4:00 – outside
4:00-5:00 – Music & Movement

Thursday

Morning
Science Adventures
*We will look at a picture book (written for toddlers) about dinosaurs. (Dinosaurs by Hannah Wilson) We will discuss dinosaurs’ size (compare to whales, elephants), what they ate (grass, leaves, fruit, meat), their nests and eggs, etc.

Afternoon
Library & grocery store
*I have a hold on “Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones“: Here, a spare, rhythmic text (“Bones. Bones. We look for bones.”) and vibrant, childlike pictures focus on six young paleontologists at work. They diligently dig up the dinosaur bones, wrap and pack them, load them on trucks and bring them to the natural history museum. There the bones are dusted off, and the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex is reassembled, bone by bone. Finally, the painstaking job is completed, and the six workers set out in search of more bones. Barton makes a complex procedure easily comprehensible to the very youngest readers–and listeners. Children who have looked at dinosaur skeletons in museums and asked “How did it get here?” now have a concise, entertaining answer. Ages 3-6. (review from Amazon)

3:00-4:00 – outside
4:00-5:00 – Music & Movement

Friday

Morning
Kid Swapping with Melody

Afternoon
Messy Play
*If it is warm enough, we will go on a “fossil dig” in our sandbox.

3:00-4:00 – outside
4:00-5:00 – Music & Movement

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