Preschool Weekly Activities (20) – Birds

January 13th, 2012 by Dionna | Comments Off
Posted in Carnival and Special Series, Children, Eclectic Learning, Learning Activity Series, Preschoolers, Toddlers

The Preschool Weekly Activity Schedule is designed to help parents and caretakers of preschoolers do one easy but enriching activity with their children each weekday. The activities can also be adapted to fit the needs of toddlers and older children.

Each theme features fun and educational activities; book and music suggestions; and other ideas to help adults and children connect through learning and fun. Please check out the archives for other themes and activities.
___________________________

This week we’re going to talk about birds.

Monday – Fun with Numbers

Collecting and Graphing Data: Take a walk outside to do some bird watching and counting. Count how many types of birds you see and graph your results. Draw a simple bar graph on notebook paper or create a graph online at Kids’ Zone.

Tuesday – Motor Skills

Moving and Learning– A Sign of Spring¹: Ask what birds do in the spring. They catch worms and build nests. Invite children to stand up and begin spreading their wings for a springtime flight.

You can say: Stand up and stretch your arms. Imagine that your arms are wings covered with feathers. It’s time to fly! Flap your wings and fly around the room. Watch out for the other birds! Now look down to the ground. What do you see? It’s a nice juicy worm! Fly down to the ground and pull that worm out of the soft ground with your beak. Now let’s imagine it’s spring. Birds need a new home – perhaps for starting a family. Gather twigs and grasses and build yourself a nest.

Wednesday – Science Adventures

How Do Birds Fly:
Explain to your little one why birds can fly:

*Birds have a lightweight skeleton.
*Birds have strong muscles to control their flight .
*Birds have body parts designed for flying. They have air sacs, light beaks, small lungs, and wings.

These sites might be helpful:
How do birds fly?
Birds

Talk about birds that don’t fly:
Flightless birds

Thursday – Language and Pre-reading

Baking Bread with The Little Red Hen: Read The Little Red Hen and bake your own loaf of bread. This recipe is a very easy, forgiving, no-knead recipe that will make delicious bread. Check out Teacher Tom for some very interesting thoughts from preschoolers on The Little Red Hen.

Friday – Music and Art

Quill Art: Talk about how people used to use feathers as pens. Find some feathers at your local craft store and use them to create art by dipping them in paint. What kind of marks can you make with the tip? With the feather?

Book and Music Suggestions

• Grumpy Bird
• How Do Birds Find Their Way?
• Little Bird
• Two Little Black Birds
  Two little black birds
  Sitting on the wall,
  One named Peter,
  The other named Paul.
  Fly away Peter!
  Fly away, Paul!
  Come back, Peter!
  Come back, Paul!
• Five Little Ducks
  5 little ducks went out one day
  Over the hills and far away,
  Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
  But only 4 little ducks came back.
  4 little ducks went out one day
  Over the hills and far away,
  Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
  But only 3 little ducks came back.
  3 little ducks went out one day
  Over the hills and far away,
  Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
  But only 2 little ducks came back.
  2 little ducks went out one day
  Over the hills and far away,
  Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
  But only 1 little duck came back.
  1 little duck went out one day
  Over the hills and far away,
  Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
  But no little ducks came wondering back.
  No little ducks went out one day
  Over the hills and far away,
  Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
  And 5 little ducks came wandering back.

My Book Is Now Available!

For My Children: A Mother's Journal of Memories, Wishes and Wisdom

Click the cover to order now!

Check out the raves and reviews!

• Recent
• Best Of
• Giveaways
• Guest Posts