Hippo Headlines

Hello Parents,

Below are the PET activities. I would start the activities in order, however, if you'd like to skip around that is fine. Feel free to do all of the activities or just some of them. Actually, I would start with the introductory book (the first book) I read about pets, # 5, then do number 1-4. Now, if your child does not want to do a particular activity please do not make them do it and please do not worry!! These goals will be worked on all next year!! Email me if you have any questions!! I really miss your children!!

Thank you,

Ginny

Name Practice

Have your child practice writing their names using the name page with markers a few times a week. Have them copy it only in the 2nd rectangle. They don't need to copy it twice unless they want to. You can wash off the marker with a wet paper towel or disinfectant wipe. You can also have your child write their names using their pointer finger in shaving cream, instead of using the name page. You can also do the same in a tray of sand.

Books and Activities

1. Have your child pick out their favorite stuffed pet /animal from your house. Find a shoe box or any type of box that can be used as a bed with your child's favorite stuffed animal/pet. Each child will get 2 bags of shredded paper for their bed. In addition, have your child cut the green strips in the folder of handouts and then have them scrunch them with their fingers and place it in the bed. They can also take a few of the strips and cut them into small pieces to be placed in the bed. When cutting, make sure your child has the correct position-thumb in small hole and thumb up when cutting not down.

2. Make a name tag for your pet. It is in your bag and made out of white card stock. Parents, have your child tell you what the name of the pet is and you can write it down on the tag. The kids can color or decorate the name tag. Use the yarn to tie it around your pets neck.

2a. Make a leash for your pet by using a pipe cleaner and stinging beads on the pipe cleaner that has the loop on it. This will serve as the handle of the leash. After you are done stringing the beads, attach the other pipe cleaner so the leash is longer. Attach the leash to the collar.

3. Groomer Care Station -Use the Groomer Care Chart to set up this station. For the bath part, use a big bowl and have your child use a squirt bottle with water to wet the pet. It is not meant to soak the pet, it is just a light mist. You can have your child squirt the bottle 3-5 times. Count out loud as your child does this. Next, your child can pretend to dry with the paper tube hair dryer. If you'd like, you can use a real hair dryer with your guidance, of course. You can get a brush for your child to use, then I have supplied a tongue depressant and toothbrush to be used for the nails and teeth. Your child can circle or mark an X as they are completed. I supplied a few sheets. Feel free to make more copies if you want more. I would also recommend putting the sheets on a clip board.

4. Animal Hospital-Your child can be a vet using the vet kit supplied and the check up checklist. Again, your child can check off the items as they check their pets. I would use a clip board too. I also supplied some bandage to take care of sore paws.

5. Listen to story once again if you'd like. I had you listen to it at the beginning of these activities. I talk about household pets but it is ok for your child to use stuffed animal from the zoo, farm or wherever.

Then listen to the second story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YqQrbv_Xfk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNVIRNUsdjw

6. After listening to the above story, What Pet Should I Get?, have your child answer the following question. "What pet would you like them to get?" Dictate their answer in their journal and have them draw a picture of that pet. Before they begin to draw the pet, talk about the body parts. For example, lets begin with a circle to make the head, now what shape should we do the body? How many legs? Whiskers?

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ePPeUbwSs Movement animal song

8. Build a house for your pet or other pets you have out of blocks. You can count the blocks as you build or when you are finished.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWGVWVA3-sQ
I did read this book on this video.

9. After reading about Harry, ask the following questions.

*What did Harry do with the scrub brush in the beginning of the story? (buried it in the backyard)

*Where is a place that Harry got dirty? (when they were fixing the street, at the railroad, when he played with other dogs, when he slid down the truck)

*Did Harry's family know it was him at first when he returned? (no)

*What did he do to try and convince him? (rolled, played dead, danced, sang)

*What did Harry do when he dug out his scrub brush? (he ran upstairs and jumped in the bathtub)

*Did you like this book? What was your favorite part?

Feel free to go back in the video to help your child answer the questions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y40aSTgmwPU

10. Make a list of words that rhyme with PET. You can also say 2 words and ask them if they rhyme or not. You can use pet names for example..fish, bish, horse, sorse

11. Use the sheet below. Pull out an alphabet letter from a bag or turn over a letter from a pile of letters. I supplied the ABC letter sheets that you will need to cut out. Have your child match the letter or name the letter and have your child find it. You can also tell them the sound of the letter or something that begins with that letter for them to find that particular letter. (i.e. what letter makes a B-B sound? What letter begins with the word DOG, D, D ?) Have your child cover them with mini dog bones supplied in your bag. You can repeat the activity, if you'd like. Also, you can modify this activity by only doing half of the letters. Please save the mini bones for activity # 12.

12. Get one small bowl (pretend pet bowl) to be filled with pet food/ treats. I have supplied the bag of mini dog bones from #11 to be used as their pet food/treats. You can use the number flashcards (you will need to cut them out), put them in a pile, turn one over, have your child say the number and count that many food pieces to the bowl. You may need to tell them to stop after they get to the correct number on the flashcard. Keep going until the bowl is full, if you'd like, or stop whenever your child seems done. When finished, dump the treats out of the bowl and count all the treats together. Show your child what that number looks like on paper. Remind your child to count slowly. Then your child's stuffed animal can pretend to eat the pet food/treats. Also, if you child is having a hard time counting one on one, put the correct number of bones out first, (for example, if the number on the flashcard is 4, put 4 bones out and have your child count each one while placing them in the bowl one at a time or counting them with their finger while they are on the table.).

13. Play, Doggie, Doggie, Where is My Bone game. I have supplied a green bone for you. Hide the bone and give positional clues for your child to find it. For example, your bone is behind the couch. Use the following positional concepts: above, below, besides, in front of, between, and behind. Next have your child hide the bone and give you clues on where to find it.

14. Your child can pretend to be Rubble, the Paw Patrol dog. Rubble is a construction worker. If you have a dump truck or any other truck or pail, have your child collect rocks or other items outside to fill the truck. Your child can count the rocks, sort the rocks, compare the rocks, draw on the driveway with the rocks, etc. You can also pretend by being a cat such as on Gabby's Playhouse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tQ0-oWzXc8

15. Make a pet out of playdough, which I made and is in the bag. I provided pipe cleaners for whiskers. You can also use long spaghetti noodles as well. I enclosed foam pieces to be used for a nose, mouth and ears and googly eyes. At another time, you can make snakes and have your child cut pieces off of it and place it in a bowl. These pieces can be pet food. After filling up a small bowl invite their pet animal to pretend to eat it.

16. Think of words that rhyme with the word CAT and/or DOG or whatever animal you are using.

17. Use the chart below to sort colored goldfish snacks, which are provided. Start with 7 yellow, 2 red, 4 green and 2 orange. Practice counting the columns going slowly and then comparing numbers ( which column has more, less and which are equal). Do this activity again with different numbers (i.e. 5 yellow, 5 red, 1 green, 8 orange). You can tell your child which column to eat first after the activity is over. For example, eat the columns that are equal. Now eat the column that has the most.

18. Make a picture of a fish using markers or watercolors/paint just like Pete the Cat did. This can be done in your journal or a piece of paper. You may have to draw the outline of a fish. You can also direct your child to make a circle or oval for the body of the fish. Write "Here is my fish named_____________". in their journal.

19. ( I already made this for you.) Make a fish out of a paper plate. Cut a triangle out which will be the fin and connect it to the opposite side of the plate where you cut out the triangle. You can staple/tape it. The open area where the triangle was is now the mouth. Your child can use a variety of materials to decorate their fish. Materials are in your bags labeled Fish Decorations. There are googlie sticker eyes included. See the example below.

20. Have your child use their stuffed pet/animal and you give positional concepts mentioned above on where the animal should be placed. You can make it a Simon Says game. For example, Simon Says put your stuffed animal behind the chair, below the table, in front of, between, beside,etc.

21. Pet Yoga!
Cat-get on all fours and arch your back
Dog-downward facing dog
Hampster-lay on your back and pedal your legs
Turtle-make your body into a ball, like the child's pose but tuck your arms under your body to make a
shell
Snake-cobra pose
Frog-jump on all fours
Rabbit-squat jumps

You can have your child make the animal sound when doing the poses and actions.

22. Shape/letter/number game on the driveway with chalk and your pet. First draw the shapes on the driveway. Please space them out and make them big so they can run to them. Next, have your child put their pet on the shape you call out as fast as they can, then they can run to return to you. The pet stays on the shape until you call another shape for their pet to go to. For example, you tell your child to put their pet in the circle shape -child runs back to you and then you tell them to quick go get their pet and move it to the rectangle, etc. You can do this with the letters in your child's name or any letter or number.

23. Gross Motor-Tell your child to ...

*Hop like a bunny

*meow like a cat

*run in place like a dog

*swim like a fish

*gallop like a horse

*roll in the mud like a pig

*crawl like a lizard

*flap arms like a bird

*make body into a shell like a turtle

*slither like a snake on belly

24. Paw patrol patterns. Parents, cut the pictures out at the bottom of the sheet. Go over the first pattern and have your child pick the picture that would complete the pattern. Say the pattern out loud as you point the pictures. If it is too visually distracting, place a blank sheet of white paper over it so it only shows 1-2 rows at a time. I provided the pattern sheet. I also provided some Paw Patrol tracing and cutting on the dotted line practice sheets.

25. Pet Bingo- I enclosed 2 bingo cards and bingo calling cards so you can play together. When playing you can talk about the first letter of each pet. For example, dog begins with the letter D and give the d-d-d sound. Cut out the calling cards.

26. Journal- Your can have your child draw a picture of their pet.

Your child can tell you the name of their pet, what their pet is good at, where it lives, what color is it, etc.

You can continue to do any kind of journal entry by giving a question such as........

*What is your favorite toy?

*Name a friend.

*What is your favorite weather?

*Who do you love?

*What is your favorite color?

These are just ideas if your child wants to draw in their journal. You can also just use it for coloring and not worry about making an entry.

27. Book-What Is My Pet? You can read this to your child then you can read it together. At the end they can make a picture of their pet. Your child can also color the book, if they wish.

28. Paw Patrol coloring sheet.

29. Paw Patrol tracing and cutting sheets.

30. Pet Memory

31. For Parents-Fine Motor Handout and Ways to Learn the Letters without Using Flashcards

Hello all! We had a great week learning about and exploring different types of transportation! Below is a list of the activities and pictures centered around our theme.

We used our smart minds to brainstorm different vehicles that take us places. (contributing as a member of a group). We showed pictures of the different types of trains, boats and airplanes. We discussed the differences between all the different types of trains, planes and boats.
Our letter of the week was S for sun. We practiced tracing last weeks letter G.
On Tuesday, during center time, we pretended to be conductors as we turned our arch into a train by making wheels and a smoke stack with steam. It was fun to use a hole puncher when collecting tickets. (fine motor, developing relationships with peers)
We enjoyed experimenting and exploring with hills, trains and bears. The students predicted if the train would knock plastic bears off the track. Some students placed big bears on the track, different amount of bears, little bears and some used two train cars instead of one. So much discovery going on!! (showing curiosity, taking turns)
We made trains by cutting shapes and painting with rectangular sponges. (shapes, cutting)
On Wednesday we signed in to our favorite train (passenger, diesel, or steam engine). We counted and compared the numbers.
During our water vehicles day, the students made boats out of swim noodles, popsicle sticks and styrofoam triangles! The students added little bears to see if the boat would float or sink. You can do this activity with the boats the children brought home. (fine motor, following 2 step directions, making discoveries)
We sorted different colored airplanes and used tongs to place them in ice cube trays. (fine motor)
After reading The Airport Book, the students answered questions recalling facts from the story and sequenced steps on going on a trip by plane.
During center time the students loved decorating paper airplanes and flying them in the room!
We traced stencils of a car, boat, or train and drew a picture of ourself inside. (fine motor)
During group time we made predictions on which items (pencil, feather, spoon, penny, rock, ping pong ball) would float and sink! We discussed why some items floated while others sank. (participating as a member of a group, answering questions, making predictions)
The hippos loved building airports with blocks and flying the planes around. (gross/fine motor, taking turns, using language, resolving conflicts if they arise).
After reading, Who Sank the Boat, we added animals to a styrofoam boat in water. We placed many farm animals in the boat but it did not sink! Finally, we added a few heavier animals and that did it! The boat sank!
Thursday we pretended to go on a trip on an airplane during gym time. We paid money for a ticket, used our boarding pass to find the correct seat on the plane, buckled up our seat belts, took off, and then landed at the gym. During our flight the flight attendant passed our snacks. (pretend food) We also used our backpacks as our luggage!

During our 2nd steps lesson we learned that sometimes things happen that are accidents. When this happens we should say sorry and tell that person it was an accident and see if we can help that person. Susie, our puppet, bumped into Sammy by accident while she was looking for something. She said it was an accident and said sorry, then helped Sammy up.

Books We Read:
Trains

Who Sank the Boat
The Airport Book

ABC to the Rescue

Pete the Cat's Train Trip

Questions to Ask:
What is your favorite transportation vehicle?
Name a type of train, a type of water vehicle and a type of air vehicle.
What object sank and which object floated? (sank-penny, rock, spoon/floated-feather, ping pong ball, block, plastic spoon)
When reading Who Sank The Boat, which animal sank the boat? (a mouse)
What do we do at the airport? (check our bags, go through security, board the plane and store our carry ons, eat on the plane, land, and go to the carousel to pick up luggage)

Reminders:

PJ Day Tuesday 12/19

Winter Class Party Tuesday 12/19 at 11:00, all are welcome
Winter Break 12/20-1/3 School resumes Thursday 1/4

Martin Luther King Day-No School- Monday 1/15

Next Week: More Transportation!!

What to practice at home:
You and your child find different objects around the house to test in the bathtub/sink to see if they sink or float. Discuss why some objects sink and why others float. Have fun in the tub!

Enjoy the pictures of everyone exploring, discovering and having fun!!