Handprint Shamrocks w/Printable

Today we made handprint shamrocks.

While they may not look very involved, it is a wonderful sensory experience for the little ones. Following directions and vocabulary are key components, as the children either want to open their hands wide, clench them, or at least leave their thumb flying out. Getting them to hold their fingers together and straight, and stamping not smearing the paint, is chock full of learning experiences.

For older children, we talk about triplicate, symmetry, centering, and practice writing their names on the line.

This blank, FREE on TPT, can be used for a variety of activities:

• Handprint shamrocks [what we did today]
• Handprint leprechauns craft
• Cutting a green pepper crosswise and stamping shamrocks with it
• Stamping shamrocks with heart shaped cookie cutters as the leaves
• Finger tip rainbows painting
• Various drawing and painting activities
• Writing or writing/drawing activities

Many of these activities can be embellished with collage materials. I prefer not to embellish the handprint ones, as the parents like to use these as a keepsake.
Tags: art, craft, shamrock, leprechaun, St. Patrick's Day, paint, handprint, stamping, printing, writing, drawing, gold, pot, rainbow, free, freebie

Our Body - Week 1 Body Parts - Day 4 Respiratory System

Teaching Elements for today:

• We breath air
• Air has oxygen we need to live
• Air goes into our lungs
• Our lungs take the oxygen and put it into our blood
• We breath out carbon dioxide
• Our ribs protect our lungs

Beginning Discussion - We have lungs in our chest. Why? 

Language -  What are some things that blow up using air or move air? - Bubbles, fan, balloon, propellers, engines, heater, air conditioner, wings, heat,  bounce houses, balls, vacuum, air compressor, inhaler, breath, etc.

Math/Gross Motor - Combining the two, the children raced to blow ping pong balls across the floor.  

Then we tried it with straws to see the difference.

  
We graphed the results of who could blow their ball the farthest in one blow, working counting by 10s, unit measure of inches, reading a tape measure, concept of number line, graphing, concepts of distance and force.

 
Science -The children were provided with balloons and blew them up and let the air out to simulate lung movement. Again, we demonstrated and discussed the concepts of air force.

Fine & Gross Motor - Blowing and popping bubbles.

 
Music/Finger Play - 
Red Balloon
Oh, once I had a red balloon
(Pretend to take balloon out of pocket)
And then I blew it up.
(Pretend to blow balloon up)
‘Till it became all big and round
And grew and grew and grew.
(Make arms into bigger and bigger circle)
I bounced it up into the air
(Pretend to bounce ball)
And never let it drop.
Then I bounced it on the ground
Until it suddenly went POP!
(Clap hands loudly on pop)

Books - 

Video - 
How does the Respiratory System work? by mocomikids Excellent graphics. I turned the sound off and read the prompts to the children myself. The graphics make it one of the most preschool-friendly videos for the respiratory system.  

It's always good day when bubbles and balls are involved!
 Tags: anatomy, physiology, preschool, theme, unit, science, body, parts, child, care, daycare, kindergarten, pre-k, prek, lung, lungs, respriration, breathing,

Chalk Drawing

It always amazes me how the simplest activities can often be the ones the children enjoy the most. For instance...drawing with chalk on construction paper. So simple even the 1s participated.

They have blackboards inside and out, and play with chalk all over the place, so I didn't think this would be such a thrilling activity. 

 

I WAS WRONG!

We took it a step further and discussed shading with our fingers and using the broad side of the chalk.

But basically, they just wanted to go at it, as usual, and since this is a process not a product session, they got to do so.

They kept asking for more paper and to do it again.

Our Body - Week 1 Body Parts - Day 3 Digestive System

This was our first day using our felt body parts and working on internal organs. The children LOVED it.

Teaching Elements for today:

• We eat food
• We chew food with our teeth to break it into small pieces
• Food travels down the esophagus to the stomach 
• The stomach is full of acid
• The acid breaks down the food
• The food goes into the small intestine where nutrients are absorbed
• Then it goes into the large intestine where the water is squeezed out
• Then the left over food comes out as poop.

Beginning Discussion - Focused on discussing our food and stomachs, their importance, our favorite foods, why we need to eat good foods, how those good food nutrients work in our body to make us healthy and strong.

Language - We worked our body parts word wall, going over the internal organ names, reviewing beginning and ending sounds.

 

Math - We laid out a "small intestine" to see how long 20 feet was and compared that to a 5 foot large intestine. While creating the number line, we worked on our number order, number identification, and odd/even. Even though they are right around 3, the children were able to complete the number line independently.

Of course, we had to measure some other large items as well... 

 

Since our number cards are not 12 inches tall, to make it easier to space the numbers the next time I do this unit, I folded up the "intestines" in one foot increments to use as a guide. 

Science & Fine Motor -How our bodies break down food: Give each child a slice of bread, have them tear it into pieces (teeth), add water and stir (spit), add more water (stomach acid) have them mush it with their hands (stomach muscles mushing), pour onto a towel and roll up (small intestine) and see how the water comes out (nutrients), squeeze the towel (large intestine) and open to find the solid (poop).

Gross Motor - For gross motor the children took turns laying down on a cot and placing the body parts.

Anatomy Templates $1.00 TPT

This was available as a free choice activity throughout the rest of the unit.

Song/Finger Play - Again, I couldn't find ANY songs or finger plays that addressed the digestive system, so I made up my own.

Digestion [Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It]
Original song by Little Stars Learning

If you’re hungry and you know it eat some food
If you’re hungry and you know it eat some food
If you’re hungry and you know it, then you really ought to do it
If you’re hungry and you know it eat some food.

Chomp, chomp, chomp it with your teeth
Chomp, chomp, chomp it with your teeth
Mix it with your spit and send it down your esophagus
Soon your stomach won’t feel uncomfortable.

Mix it in your stomach with some acid
Mix it in your stomach with some acid
Then send it on its way so the small intestine may
Get all the nutrients your body needs

Pull out the water and the nutrients
Pull out the water and the nutrients
As your food moves along, through intestines small and large
The end results create a nice and solid poop.

Books -This is the book we read today.

Although the book below is above our level, the graphics were wonderful to study and discuss.

We've just finished being in potty-training mode, so had this one handy, another good preschool book to go along with this unit. 

Video - Magic School Bus episode For Lunch

YouTube- Digestive System by KidsHealthVideos

We really had a fun time on this first day of internal anatomy. We are all excited for tomorrow!
Tags: anatomy, preschool, pre-k, childcare, child, care, science, digestion, digestive, stomach, liver, intestine, esophagus, poop, printable, theme, unit, body, parts,