We had a great time last week learning about chickens! I thought it would be a great time to do some fun chick activities since Easter was coming up. Did you know that if chickens have red ear lobes they lay brown eggs, and if they have white ear lobes they lay white eggs? I didn't! I am always amazed at the things I learn while teaching preschool. :) We first made a web on a white board of all the things the kids already know about chickens. (have feathers, hatch from eggs, dads are called roosters, mom is a hen and the babies are chicks. etc.) Then we added some stuff that we didn't know like the ear lobes, that they eat mostly oats but also eat small mice and lizards. They are omnivores.) Afterwards we watched a video on my apple TV about a baby chick hatching from an egg.
We also played a fun little game. I had a basket of eggs and they each got a turn to come up and open one. Each egg had something fun in it to do. (Dance to the chicken dance, tell the class a joke, read an easter book, jump like a bunny 3 times, and so forth :) The kids really liked doing this!
We also made little baby chicks. I just cut out some eggs from my egg carton. The kids got to decorate them with markers. Then we used pom poms. googly eyes and beaks to make their baby chicks. They all were so cute with them and loved telling me the name they had picked out for them.
For cooking we made some bird nests. You just need some melted chocolate and chow main noodles. Mix them together and then make them into a little pile to look like a bird nest. Add some jelly beans for eggs and a mommy chick (peep) to sit on them
We also sang some fun songs this week too. Both of them have actions for the kids to do.
Easter Bunny, Easter Bunny Tap your toes.
Easter Bunny, Easter Bunny wiggle your nose.
Easter Bunny, Easter Bunny climb to the top.
Easter Bunny, Easter Bunny hop, hop, hop.
Easter Bunny, Easter Bunny jump, jump, jump.
Easter Bunny, Easter Bunny wiggle your rump.
The next one starts with everyone sitting in a circle. Then one person starts walking around while you sing this little song.
One little chick went out to play.
On a sunny springtime day.
She was having such a good time.
She asked a friend to get in line.
The person walking gets to pick a friend that joins them and then you keep singing until everyone is in line.
LADYBUGS!
Today we learned about lady bugs. I found some great non fiction books at our local library that showed all the different stages of the life cycle of a ladybug. They really had a good laugh when we got to the stage, PUPA. It sounded a little too much like another word. :) We also read the story The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. I love this book! It is so funny.
We then had some fun with hand painting. Just paint your palm red and then stamp it onto the paper. Next use your pointer finger. Dip it into some black paint and add the head and some spots. Last paint the side of your hand green and stamp it to make some leaves. After washing up, the kids got to use markers to add a sky, rainbow, aphids (the bugs ladybugs eat) and whatever else they wanted.
