Arctic Animals Preschool Theme
(Updated 10/2023)
Following our winter theme last week, this week we are talking about arctic animals and hibernation.
For my 2 year old, we will work on the letter O and number 11; for my 4 year old characters of a story, the sight word have and addition practice. Thank you to Mrs. Plemons Kindergarten for providing a lot of ideas this week.
Make sure to scroll down for our 2023 plan – it’s geared toward a 3 turning 4 year old.
Some arctic animal books we like: Three Snow Bears – Jan Brett; The Antarctic Habitat – Molly Aloian; Penguins Love Colors – Sarah Aspinall; The Polar Bear and the Snow Cloud – Jane Cabrera; Way Up in the Arctic – Jennifer Ward; Arctic Fox – Katie Marsico
| M | T | W | Th | F | |
| Religion | read Jesus calls 12 disciples | Comprehension Questions | Color men from boat and men 12 Disciples worksheet | Color boat from 12 disciples worksheet and then put together | Play fishing game (we have something like this) |
| Language (2) | Sandpaper tracing | Letter o dot work | Letter O Binder | Polar bear to fish line tracing | O miniatures |
| Language (4) | Intro have | What is the character of a story | Read a book (preferably easy reader with ‘have’) and draw the character | Tell a story about being in the arctic and then draw the character | Color by sight word |
| Math (2) | Number matching 1-5 | Intro number 11 – sandpaper numbers and count 11 clear pebbles like they are ice | Which is different | Add 11 arctic/winter stickers to the 11 worksheet | Count to 11 with ‘snowballs’ (cotton balls) |
| Math (4) | Adding Animals | Penguin number bonds | Feed the fish to the polar bear | How many ways can you make 12 | Math Mysteries |
| Art/Sensory | snow sensory bin* | penguin craft* | igloo paint* | igloo stamp art* | animal sort bin* |
| Science Geography History | Make fake snow* | learn about what hibernation is | Hibernate or migrate printable | Find Antarctica on a map and learn a little bit about the continent | Color and spray science* |
Comprehension Questions:
Why do you think that Jesus needed helpers?
How do you think Jesus’ friends felt when He told them that they would be fishers of men?
What does a “fisher of men” do?
When Jesus asked the men to “follow Me,” did the men finish what they were doing or immediately follow?
What is a disciple?
How can you be a disciple of Jesus?
What does it mean to follow Jesus?
Penguin Craft – On blue construction paper draw a penguin body (have the child do it – look at a picture and let them tell you the shapes they would need to make it). Glue cotton balls on for the belly. Then add google eyes, a beak and feet (which the adult can precut)
Igloo Painting – freeze water in an empty fruit cup to make the igloo. Then let the child use watercolors to paint the igloo
Make Snow – 1.5c baking soda + ¼ c conditioner
Snow Sensory Bin – Add the fake snow you made to sensory bin with arctic animal figurines, blue/white stones and an empty fruit cup
Igloo stamp art – On dark blue paper, press the hole part of duplo lego in white white paint and stamp it all around for a background. Cut out a light blue paper in the shape of igloo and glue it to the bottom of the dark blue page. Stamp the underside of the lego in the white paint and make brick layers on the light blue sheet to for an igloo. Add arctic animal stickers.
Animal Sort – Make a 2 part sensory bin; one side with cotton balls for snow, and one with green grass. Get a bunch of animal figurines and have them put the animal in the correct habitat. You can do by arctic v non arctic as well as hibernation v migration
Color Spray Science – Print an outline of an arctic animal and color it all (even white spaces). Make a spray bottle of water tinted blue and spray it on the paper. Watch the water glide off the page. Demonstrates how fur/feather keep water away from the body of the arctic animals.
2023 Arctic Animal Plan
Religion focus: Learn the guardian angel prayer
2 Yr Old Options: 2 pt animal puzzles (p42-49); matching 3pt cards, animal size sorting & shadow matching,
| Language | Introduce X (/ks/); Sandpaper letter; Trace the lines and use a dot marker | Dot the letter with the correct color | DGCOTJ letter match worksheet (Let child do cutting & gluing) | P, W,R, S,I tracing & Beginning sounds |
| Math | Introduce 10; sandpaper number; count 10 blue glass flat marbles (like ice) | 1-10 puzzle | Measuring arctic animals | Arctic animal clip & count to 10 |
| Art/Sensory | Handprint arctic fox | Arctic ice sensory bin | Penguin craft* | Use the snow you made to make a sensory bin with arctic animals, & blue/white stones |
| S/G/H | Learn about the difference between active, hibernating & migrating animals (p16-19;21-26) | Circle the active, migrating & hibernating animals worksheets (p33-35) | Color spray science* | Make snow using 1 ½ c baking soda & ¼ c conditioner |
Penguin Craft – On blue construction paper draw a penguin body (have the child do it – look at a picture and let them tell you the shapes they would need to make it). Glue cotton balls for the belly. Then add google eyes, a beak, and feet (which the adult can precut)
Color Spray Science – Print an outline of an arctic animal and color it all (even white spaces). Make a spray bottle of water tinted blue and spray it on the paper. Watch the water glide off the page. Demonstrates how fur/feather keep water away from the body of the arctic animals.