Lions, Tigers, Bears and More! Week 3 September 20-26

This Week Will Be About Wild Animals At The Zoo!

 Don't Forget To Go The Zoo!!!

                  
                                    

                      

Crafts:

Bottle cap Scenes:

Supplies Needed: Bottle Caps, Paint, Glue, White Piece of Construction Paper, Marker

1. Have your child glue Bottle caps onto a piece of white paper.  For example for a Bear use :2 Large Ones (milk carton lids) for the body and head, 6 small pop bottle ones for the ears, arms, and feet.
2. When the glues dries, have your child paint their animal(bear).
3. When the paint dries on the bottle caps,draw a face on the animal then, let your child paint a scene for the animal.  Clouds, Grass, Tree, Birds, Sun and so on.

Egg Carton Lion:

Supplies Needed: Egg Carton, Brown Paint, Gogglie Eyes, Dark Brown or Yellow Yarn, Marker, Glue

1. Cut a Peak Divider from an egg carton for the body.
2. Also cut out ears, feet, and nose and glue in place
3. Paint the body tan and the nose brown
4. Glue on Eyes
5. Draw a mouth with a marker
6. Glue a ruff of yellow yarn around the head and face.
7. Add a yarn tail, tied and fringed at the end.

This Craft can be found in the book "127 Anytime Crafts Kids Can Make" by Highlights

Meat Container Caged Animals

Supplies Needed: Meat Container (From Butcher), Picture of an Animal, Yarn, Hole Puncher

1. 
   
   Let the child color the Animal picture.  Make sure animal can fit inside the meat container.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Cut 3 small slits on top of container and 3 on bottom that line up with the top ones.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Punch a hole in the upper left corner on flat part of container.
   
   
   
4. 
   
   Next Glue the Animal into center of the meat container.
   
   
   
5. Take a 30 inch piece of yarn and put it into hole.  Tie a knot, make sure its in back. 
6. Starting from the top begin wrapping the yarn through the slits. Top to bottom , around back and top to bottom, tell it looks like bars.  Then take remaining string and tie to top back knot.
7. When wrapping around, remember not to pull to tight because you will rip the container.
8. Their animal is now caged in.

Zoo Animal Houses

Supplies Needed:  Old Cd's, Empty Yogurt Cup, Lid (sour cream or butter container), Beads, Glue, Bottle Caps, Packing Peanuts, Glitter, Anything Else you can find.

1. 
   
   Begin by gluing the empty yogurt cup upside down onto the CD.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Then Glue the Lid onto the the Cup.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   After that let your child decorate away.
   
   
   
4. 
   
   Remember to draw a door for their animals to go into.
   
   
   
5. 
   
   You could also glue a small plastic animal to the CD.
   
   
   

Zoo Map

Supplies Needed: Big Poster Board, Big Sponge Animals, Finger Paints, Newspaper.

1. Lay the poster board on the ground on some newspaper.
2. Tell your child you want them to make a zoo map.
3. An example: Have them paint a pond of water with paint brushes or their hands(which is a lot of fun),
4. Then have them put an animal in the water.
5. They could paint a tall tree and place an animal by it. 
6. Make sure to put in a Road, Sky, Grass, Sun, Clouds and Whatever else they wish.  My daughter made hand print grass, sky and sun.
7. Hang it on their bedroom door.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Chain

Supplies Needed:   Construction Paper(Colors from the book: Brown, Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Purple, Yellow, Black, Orange), Brown Bear, Brown Bear Book, Glue

1. Read the story of Brown Bear, Brown Bear to your child.
2. Next, Cut 1  (8 inch long, 1 inch Thick) piece of each color.
3. Next, Glue the brown strip together, to form a ring.
4. Then, Begin gluing the  colors (in order from the book ),interlocking them together to form a chain.
5. Finally, see if your child can remember the story by the chain of colors.
6. After doing this, if you purchased the Brown Bear, Brown Bear puzzle you can do that at this time.

Paper Plate Animals

Supplies Needed: Paper Plates, Paint, Yarn, Hole Puncher

1. Put the paper plate in front of your child and tell them their going to make a Lion. 
2. Let them paint a face on the lion and a hair.
3. Next, when the paint is all dried, punch holes in the top of plate so they can tie yarn to make the mane of the lion.
4. You could make this into a mask, just cut out eyes and punch a hole on each side of plate, tie a yarn in each hole and tie it around your child's head in a bow.

Mobile

Supplies Needed:  Paper Plate, Yarn, 6 Picture of Animals, Tape, Hole Puncher, Paint

1. Let your child Paint their paper plate. Let dry.
2. Next, is too have them color the Animals. Punch a hole in the top of each animal
3. When the paint is dry, punch 6 holes around the paper plate about the same distance apart.
4. Cut 6 pieces of yarn about 8 inches long or any length you wish, each one could be a different length.
5. Next tie each string in a hole.
6. Then tie the other end of each string to an animal.
7. In the center of the plate cut 2 slits.
8. Loop a piece of yarn, your desired length, through the slits and tie in a knot.
9. Finally, hang from ceiling

Mosaic Animal Art

Supplies Needed:   Foam or felt pieces, Picture of an Animal, Glue, Safety Scissors

1. Give your child a picture of an animal.
2. Next, give your child a safety and let them cut up pieces of foam or felt to glue on the animal picture.
3. Let them glue the pieces onto the picture. You can let them use a glue stick for less of a mess.

Pom Pom Animals

Supplies Needed:  Animal Print or Regular Pom Poms(different sizes), Glue, Gogglie Eyes, Pipe Cleaner

1. Lay out an assortment of pom pom in front of your child.
2. How to Make a Bear:
3. For the Body they need a Big Pom Pom, and for the head a Medium Sized Pom Pom.  Glue these together well.
4. Next, glue on smaller pom pom arms, legs and ears.
5. Then glue on the little bitty pom pom nose
6. Next, glue on the eyes
7. Cut a little piece of pipe cleaner for the mouth and bend it to a happy face and glue it on.

Felt Purse

Supplies Needed:  6 pieces of Animal Print Felt, Yarn, Scissors, Hole Puncher

1. Cut pieces, punch holes and cut yarn ahead of time.
2. (Center)Cut 2  8x 6 inch pieces of felt(could be 2 kinds of prints)
3. Punch 8 holes down each side of the pieces and 10 holes across the bottom only of each piece. Try to keep them about the same distance apart. 
4. (Sides)Cut 2  2x 6 inch pieces of felt
5. Punch 8 holes down each side of the pieces trying to line them up with the other holes from the big pieces.  Punch 2 holes on top for handle.
6. (Handle)Cut 4  2 1/2 x 6 inch pieces of felt
7. Punch  2 holes on each end to connect for handle of purse.
8. (Purse)Cut 52  4 inch pieces of yarn
9. (Handle)Cut 8  8 inch pieces of yarn
10. Begin by taking a piece of yarn and tying the sides to the 2 center pieces. Make sure to line up holes.
11. Next, tie pieces of yarn through the holes in the bottom of the purse and knotting the yarn.
12. You should now have a fringe like purse with no handle.
13. Next take 2 long pieces of yarn through the top of the holes on one side of the purse.  Loop the yarn through the holes of one of the handle pieces of yarn and make a knot.
14. Keep this up for the next 3 pieces and on your final piece, tie them together with the other side of the purse on top. 

Animal Sun Catchers

Supplies Needed:  Animal Sun catchers, Sun catcher Paint and Paint Brushes, Suction Cups

1. Have your child paint their sun catchers whatever color they wish.
2. Hang them up proudly in your window.
3. Great gift ideas.

Ceramic Animals

Supplies Needed:  Ceramic Animals (find at Walmart, Craft Stores), Paint, Brushes

1. Have your child paint their animals
2. Display them on a shelf
3. Great gift ideas.

Animal Necklaces

Supplies Needed:  Round plastic lid from container (sour cream or butter) , animal picture, glue, yarn, scissors, markers, colored paper scraps, hole puncher.

1. Punch a hole in top at the top of the lid or on the rim.
2. Decorate the front of the rim with permanent markers.
3. Cut a piece of colored paper to fit the center of the lid. Glue the paper on the lid. let dry.
4. Cut the picture smaller than the colored paper.  Glue the picture on the colored paper. Make sure the hole in the lid is at the top of the picture.
5. Cut a piece of yarn about 26 inches long to fit over your child's head when it is tied. Put one end through the hole in the lid.  Then tie the ends together.

Foam Picture Frame

Supplies Needed:  Foam Picture Frame, Recent Zoo Picture or Picture of your Child, Foam Zoo Animals, stickers or stamps, glue, magnets.

1. Let your child decorate a foam picture frame however they want.
2. Insert recent picture of your child in picture
3. Could put magnets on the back of the frame to hang it on the fridge or file cabinet at work or anywhere a magnet can stick.

Foam Sun Visor

Supplies Needed:  Foam Sun Visor, Foam Animals, Glitter, Glue, Jewels, Pom Poms, Ribbon, Stamps

1. Give your child a the sun visor and tell them to decorate it anyway they want.
2. Let your child wear it to the zoo if you go.
3. I would recommend not putting your child's name on the hat for safety reasons.

Zoo Keeper, Zoo Keeper What Do You See?

Supplies Needed: 16 Different Pictures of Different Animals for your child to color , Big Foam Piece, Yarn, 10 pieces of Card Stock, Markers, Foam Letters, Glitter, Crayons(Need 16 Different Colors), Glue, picture of your child.

We are going to be making a book just like brown bear brown bear what do you see.

1. Make sure pictures are small enough to fit in their book you are going to make them.  Leave room for writing your book too.
2. Let your child color the pictures.  Each animal must only be one color. While your child is coloring you could make their book or you could have it done ahead of time.
3. If you don't have any pictures, have your child draw their own animals, again they must be only one color.
4. First take your foam piece and cut it in half.
5. Fold your card stock pieces in half.
6. Place your foam piece on top and bottom of card stock. Punch 3 holes done the folded side
7. Tie the book together with yarn.
8. When your child is done coloring. Glue the pictures into the book. No animal picture on first page. First page is for the picture of your child. No pictures on last two pages or back page either, explain at end. Trim the pictures down if you need too.  Glue one picture on each opening. So when you turn the page there is only one animal.
9. When your pictures are done. You can write your book.
10. Title on Front with foam letters is " Zoo Keeper, Zoo Keeper".
11. Front page(First page), should be the start of book.  Your child's picture should be glued here.  Write Zoo Keeper, Zoo Keeper   What do you see? I see a Red Lion looking at me.
12. On next page, should be a picture of one animal.  If its a Red Lion,  Then write :  Red Lion Red Lion what do you see.  I see a Gray Elephant looking at me.This all goes on the same page.
13. Next Page should be a picture of animal single animal with a different color.  If its a Gray Elephant you would write:  Gray Elephant, Gray Elephant what do you see?  I see a Purple monkey looking at me.
14. And the next pages would go on like this until the last 2 pages.  On next to the last open page, you can put your child into the book. Glue a Picture of your child here. Then write for instances,  Little Belle, Little Belle, what do you see?  I see....
15. Then on last opening put  all your animals in your book a red lion, gray elephant, purple monkey, etc.  you can have smaller pictures of the ones they colored on this page or have them draw them in.  This will make it their own, if you let them do this.  Just make sure you allow enough room for all their animals and make sure to write the animal under each picture but no colors just the animal.  Then write a remark after all the animals like: All the animals wanting to be set free! or wishing they were as free as me! Or wanting to Roam like me! 
16. On back page you could write made by (your child's name)

Binoculars

Supplies Needed: Paint, Brushes, Glue, 3 empty TP rolls

1. Cut one of the TP rolls in half.
2. Let your child paint all 3 rolls. Let dry
3. Next, glue the 2 larger rolls together and then glue the smaller on top in the middle. Let Dry
4. Can decorate if they want.

Safari Hat

Supplies Needed:  Paper or Plastic Plate, Paper or Plastic Bowl (big enough to somewhat or fit on your child's head), Scissors, Yarn, Glue, Paint, Decorations, Hole Puncher

1. First place a plate upside down and place a bowl upright on plate. Trace around the bowl.  The plate should now have a circle on it.  Cut the circle out the the plate.
2. Next, glue the bowl upside on the upside plate. Let dry.
3. Then, let your child paint the hat. Let paint dry and then let then decorate it.
4. Then punch a hole on each side of the hat for the yarn to go through to help hold the hat on.

Animal Pictures:

Supplies Needed:  Pictures of Different Zoo Animals, Index cards, Glue, Marker

1. Print off pictures of different animals, or pictures of your own from a zoo trip.
2. Glue pictures to index cards.
3. On the back side of pictures, write the animals names
4. Quiz your child on the animals

Activities:

Plan A Trip To The Zoo!!!!

Safari Hunt:

• Gather your Binoculars, Safari Hat and animal pictures you made and/or stuffies.
• Place them around the house in different areas
• Let your child put on the hat and search throughout the house, with their binoculars, for hidden animals. 

Grow Capsules in Cages:

• 
  
  These can be found at the Dollar Tree. 
  
  
  
• 
  
  You just a water to the inside of the cage and in a couple days their animals will have grown to the size of the cages.
  
  
  

Elefun Game:

• 
  
  These can be purchased at most stores.
  
  
  
• 
  
  You place all the butterflies in the machine and give each child a net
  
  
  
• 
  
  Then you turn the machine on and each child tries to catch the butterflies in their net, when the elephant blows them out his truck.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Don't forget the batteries, if you buy this game.
  
  
  

Guess What Animal I Am!

• Have a child act out an animal ,with noises and gestures and let the other children or yourself guess what animal they are.

Zoo Keeper Says:

• Its just like Simon says except they are a zoo keeper
• Zoo Keeper says "Act Like a Monkey!"
• Its a lot of fun and plenty of exercise.

Alligator Egg Hunt

• 
  
  Hide plastic Easter eggs, with baby alligator or animals in them, around the house or yard.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Then tell your child that a mommy alligator has lost her eggs and wants them to help find them for her.
  
  
  
• 
  
  They can put on their safari hat and bring their binoculars with to find the eggs.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Once they find all the eggs, tell them the eggs are ready to hatch and let them see what is inside.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Make sure to explain if you put any other animals in there that they are not born from eggs.
  
  
  

Find The Animal!

• 
  
  Take your picture cards and hide them around the house.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Next, tell each child that they must find a certain animal.  If they see another animal they must leave it and only find the animal they were told to find.
  
  
  

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

• Whoever goes first, everyone must follow exactly what the leader is doing, no matter how silly it must seem.

Try to be an Elephant!

• Each child is given a straw(trunk) and a pom pom (not to small, do not want a real small one to suck up straw and choke)
• They must then try to suck the pom pom to the straw and see how far they can go, before it drops.
• You could also have a contest to see how far you can blow the pom pom, after sucking it up with the straw.
• Another game is to take the straws and blow the pom pom across the room and the first one over the finish line wins!

Coloring Pages

• 
  
  Print out pictures of zoo animals and let your child color them. Check supply list for great websites.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Menards has great learning coloring books with all sorts of animals, tattoos, and stickers in them for a $1. If you buy so many you get them all free with mail in rebate.  Just remember the rebate can only be used at Menards.
  
  
  

Barrel Of Monkey Game

• 
  
  Can be purchased at most stores.
  
  
  

Animal Puzzles:

• 
  
  Can be purchased at most stores.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Brown Bear, Brown Bear ones can be found at Kohls and Wal-mart
  
  
  
• 
  
  Can make your own.  Check past lessons to see how.
  
  
  

Make Up Your Own Animal!

• 
  
  Have your child and yourself make up an animal.  For instance: Kangaroo and Rooster = Kangarooster or Elephant and Alligator = Elegator.
  
  
  
• 
  
  After making up your new animals, have your child draw what they might look like on a piece of paper. Remember to write what they are under each picture.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Have fun thinking up new animals.
  
  
  

Playdoh Animals

• Let your child make little animals out of playdoh to have their own zoo.
• Check last weeks Bake, Cook, Make Day Saturday for a homemade recipe.  If you let the dough harden you can paint them and have them for awhile.

We're Going On A Bear Hunt!

• After reading the book, go back and read it again.  This time do the motions!
• Motions!
• When it says what do you see, put your hand on your forehead like your looking far ahead.
• The Tall Tree part look up like your looking at a tall tree.
• The Wide River, make your arms as wide as they can go
• When it says bear hunt you can act like a bear, look back and forth
• When it gets to the bear pretend to touch something, feel the hair and touch the teeth
• Kids love this book and I hope yours does too.

Animal Memory Card Game

• Need 2 copies of the same animal picture. Glue these pictures on cardboard squares, which should be 2x2 inches.  Repeat again with about 10 more animal pictures. Its up to you. Let dry.
• Turn over the cardboard pieces so the pictures are face down.
• Take turns in trying to find the matches of each animal. If you find a match, you go again.  If you don't find a match, turn your cards over and the next person goes.
  

Lions, Tigers, Bears and More! Week 3 September 20-26

Wacky Wednesday: Olympic Game Day!

Wacky Wednesdays are a little break in the week, geared away from the weekly theme.  It lets the children have a little added fun. Your kids will love it when you say "Hey, guess what tomorrow is?  It's Wacky Wednesday!" Remember to have fun yourself. 

The Olympics are a symbol of all nations coming together. The white background symbolizes peace.

The five interlocking rings represent the continents of Africa, Australia, Europe, The Americas, and Asia.

The five colors of the rings are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. At least one of these colors appears in the flag of every nation
There are Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games. The first Olympic games originated in Greece, in the country Europe - show this on a map. They take place every 4 years in a different country.


The Summer Olympics were: August 8-24 2008 in Beijing, China - show this on a map  Next Summer Olympics will be held 2012 in London, England.
 
The Winter Olympics are: February 12-28 in Vancouver, Canada- show this on map
 
Other facts about the Olympics:

• http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/all_about_the_olympic_games.htm
• http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0771580.html
• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/olympics/

 
Supplies Needed for Wacky Wednesday are:

• Balloons
• Straws
• Paper Plates
• Adult Shoes
• Yarn
• Things to use as obstacles
• Feathers
• Spoons
• Cups
• Bottle
• Foil
• Red, yellow, green and orange construction paper
• Tape
• Scissors
• Glue
• Bubbles
• Bucket(other container)
• Pennies
• Eggs(Hard-boiled or Plastic)
• Pipe cleaners
• Music
• Great Olympic Games Event Print-ables
• Printable Picture Frame To Display Child's Olympic Day!

Crafts: Print out these items ahead of time!

• Making Gold Medals and Bringing in the Olympic Torch!
• Making an Olympic Torch!
• Making the Olympic Flag!
• Decorate Paper Plates for the Discus throw.
• Paper Plate Olympic Rings:    
• Making an Olive Leaf Crown:   
• Printable Coloring Pages  
• Color the Continents                                       

 
Activities:
 

• Balloon Toss:  See how far your child can throw a water balloon
• Drinking Straw Javelin Throw:  Have your child throw a straw to see how far it can go. Could tape 4 straws together to really make it seem like a javelin.
• Obstacle Course:  Can set up different Obstacle for your kids to race around or ride their bikes around.
• Paper Plate Discus Throw:  Have your child see who can throw their Frisbee the farthest.
• Shoe Kick:  Have your child place an adult size shoe on their foot and see who can kick it the farthest.
• Feather on a Plate:  Place a feather on a plate and have the child try to see who can get their plate and feather across the finish line first.
• Tablespoon Race: Place a cup far enough away from your child.  Then have your child fill up their tablespoon with water from another cup.  They take their spoon of water and try to quickly fill the other cup up with water before anyone else.
• Balloon Puff of War:  Place a string down on the ground in a straight line for the finish line.  Each child gets a balloon and starts to blow their balloon.  The first child to get their balloon across the line wins.
• Egg Race:  Could use hard-boiled eggs or Easter eggs for this one.  Each child has an egg on a spoon and the first one to get their egg across the finish line wins.  Could also have the children decorate the hard boiled eggs ahead of time and use them.
• Yarn Jump:  Must have a long piece of yarn.  I would say 4-5 yards.  Take the yarn and fold it in half.  Place the yarn on the ground.  Spread yarn apart just a little.  Then have your child jump over the yarn.  Each time they make it spread the yarn a little farther apart.  And have them jump again a little further down from where they just jumped over.  The yarn will look like a V getting bigger and bigger.  See who can jump the farthest.
• Running a Race:  Have your children run to see who is the fastest.
• Biggest Bubble:  See who can blow the biggest bubble with bubbles.
• Toss: Have your child throw items into a bucket and see who can get the most in.
• Penny Toss:  Draw a 5 rings together just like the Olympic rings and let the child toss pennies toward the rings to see who gets the most in the rings.  You could have 5 different color rings and put a number value on them to see who gets the most points too.
• Gymnastics:  Put music on and let your child dance around, do somersaults and whatever they wish.
• Ring Toss: Place an eight inch straight stick into the ground. Take 5 different pipe cleaners and make them each into a circle/ring.  Could use the 5 colors of the Olympic rings.  Have each child throw the rings, to see if they can get them onto the stick. The one with the most rings on wins. 

Snacks:

• Anything that looks like a ring (cookies, donuts) decorate them with the 5 colors of the ring which are Red, Blue, Yellow, Green and Black.
• Chicken Rings, instead of nuggets
• Potato Rounds instead of french fries
• Onion Rings
• Round Pretzels(could dip them in chocolate using the 5 colors)
• Popsicles

Wacky Wednesday: Olympic Game Day!