{preschool} pets

Pets is a unit that we love to do in the Spring.  It is a flexible unit that we can shrink or expand as needed to fit our schedule.  This year we did 2 weeks of pets but in the past we have done 3.  We love to include common pets like dogs, cats, fish and guinea pigs but also talk about other things like turtles, snakes, birds, rabbits, frogs, etc...

Here is a sampling from our reptile day.   Magic fold turtle...There are plenty of turtle crafts out there but this one is a new favorite.  We use a light green construction paper (9x12) and fold it in half long ways, so your paper is 4.5x12.  Then draw half of the turtle on the fold.  The kids cut through 2 pieces at once and open up to reveal their turtle.  Then we stick on eyes and use a dot marker on the shell.  

Stripy snake number matching...We printed 2 copies of this printable from Scholastic.  On one we added dots to the snake sections.  The other one we copied on green, laminated and added numbers to correspond to the dots in each section.  The kids can count the dots and find the number that matches.  

Snake patterning...Using pipe cleaners and beads is a fun way to create pattern snakes.  We also used plastic lids to create another patterning activity.  I just traced the circles on half a sheet of paper in the shape of a curvy snake.  Then the kids could use the lids to create an AB pattern.  

Pom pom transfer...I have several of these bath suction mats in various shapes.  They are great for fine motor practice!  This time we used a frog and the kids had to use the tweezers to pick up a pom pom and place one on each suction cup.  

play dough snakes...These are simple but super fun.  I don't know what it is about play dough but the kids always go crazy for it.  Making snakes is a great activity for strengthening those little hand muscles....squeeze the play dough into a ball and then roll in between your hands to create a snake.  Then squeeze into a ball again and make another snake!

ribbon snake...I sewed buttons on both ends of a long piece of ribbon.  Then cut some shapes out of felt and cut a slit in the middle of each of them.  The kids take the shape and thread it onto the ribbon.   This is working their hand/eye coordination.  I have used this idea with silk leaves in the fall and felt shaped trees at Christmas.     

We create a Pet Shop on the wall outside our classrooms by hanging up a sampling of the different pets we create.  Here we have our turtles, guinea pigs, dogs, cats and fish!  The kids enjoy this unit so much and are usually longing for a new pet by the end of it....sorry parents!  ;)