Pets

What a fun week we've had talking about pets!  We talked about the letter "P" and used stamps, paint, glue, sidewalk chalk, markers, stickers, and even tried out some new table top centers this week too.  For some dramatic play, we also had a veterinarian station set up for the kiddos who wanted to pretend to give their animals a check-up in the classroom.  So much fun inside and outside this week with yet another week of beautiful weather.  We also got to listen to some fun books as well as an "I Have a Pet" song.  I've included the link below in case your kiddos want to see it again. :)

"I Have a Pet" song:  https://youtu.be/pWepfJ-8XU0

Table Top Centers

 We got the chance to use some different table top centers during our morning work at the very beginning of the day this week.  So many cool fine motor, shape, letter, and number activities to do.  I also had the kiddos find their names on little laminated dog bones at the tables this week to show them which center to do and also to help them work on name recognition.  You'll see us doing a lot of activities that focus on name recognition this year.  My assistant, Mrs. Karen, was out with a family commitment on Friday, so Mrs. Susan from one of our Kinder-Prep classes was nice enough to fill in for her.  Thank you so much Mrs. Susan! :)

Minds in Motion and Measurement

 We did spend some time in the MIM room this week, but I didn't take nearly as many pictures as usual this time.  During part of their play time in this room, I measured each kiddo in dog bones on the wall.  I taped the bones to the wall, and then they counted to see how many bones tall they were.  A great counting activity for these little ones!

Class Work Fun

We worked on the letter "P" by using different kind of animal/pet stamps.  Gripping and pushing down with stamps work these hand muscles and preps them for future handwriting.

 

 Watercolor Painting

We painted the pictures of dogs and cats and gave each animal a name.  Some names were the actual names of the pets at home, and some of them not so much.  Don't be surprised with random names that you may see.  We wrote what they said! :)

Q-Tip Painting

We painted the shape of a circle using dots of paint from a Q-tip.  Then, we traced the word "circle" with our Q-tip as well.  This was a fun way to incorporate our shape and color of the week.

 Paw Patrol Markers!

I underestimated how many kids in our class love Paw Patrol, so I decided to bring in my son's Paw Patrol markers for our number activity this week.  We traced the number 2's on the paper and colored the 2 frogs.  Who would've thought markers could be that exciting?!

Tangram Animal Patterns

Another item that I brought from home was a set of cute animal patterns.  They get to use different tangram shapes to create the animal design the way they want.  Great fine motor activity and an opportunity for creativity for these little guys!

It's Time for a Story

We read a book called, "Pets: Who Am I?" which gave a clue about each pet, and then the kids tried to guess what the pet was.  It was a fun slide flap book that was a great way to interact with the kiddos during story time. 

The kids also loved one of the other books I read called, "Pete the Cat and My Four Groovy Buttons."  So cute and such a fun rhythm to the book.  It's hard to resist loving any books with Pete the Cat as the character, so we decided to make the letter "P" using the character Pete the Cat.  They turned out super cute, and you'll see them hanging in the hallway!

 

 Bible Story

Our Bible story this week focused on how "God made the world and everything in it" from Psalms 89:11.  Very basic concept, and a great way to tie in how God made all things including pets!  We used our shape of the week, the circle, to create an "earth" with sticker animals stuck to it to show all the things God made.  Peeling off the back of these stickers was a great fine motor activity too!

Playground Fun

We had a lot of fun outside this week.  Not only did the kiddos get to play on the equipment, but we also go to use sidewalk chalk.  Though it was a little messy, they loved getting to draw pictures on the pavement.  I also drew some paw prints on the blacktop and they hopped from one to the other.  So cute!

Last, but not least, Katelyn was so sweet to be a great helper and hold the gate for us as we went in.  So exciting to see kids who voluntarily show good friendship! :)

Hope all of you have a great long weekend!!