Camping: Day Four

More Camping Fun:

• You can find tons of fun camping-themed ideas at Preschool Express.

• Camp out week at Mommy Nature.

• Camping out in Mrs. Bee's Classroom.

• A campfire you can eat at Recipe Zaar.

Camping: Day Three

Camping Activities

Read camping themed books.

Sing Camping Songs:

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Twinkle Twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle Twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.


Going Camping
(sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")

I am going camping.
(point thumbs proudly to chest)
Time to pack
(point to wristwatch)
My tent, my bedroll,
(Make tent with hands; then fold hands
to cheek.)
And a snack.
(Pretend to eat)

I'll sit by the campfire ----
(warm hands over fire.)
Its glow so bright.
(Fan and wiggle fingers to resemble
fire.)
Then snooze in my tent
(Pretend to snore.)
'Til the morning light!
(Open eyes wide, forming sun over
head.)


Did You Ever Go A-Camping
(Sung to Where is Thumbkin?)

Did you ever go a-camping,
a-camping, a-camping?
Did you ever go a-camping
and sleep in a tent?

2... and see a racoon?
3... and hike in the woods?
4... and fish in a boat?
5... and have a campfire?

Shadow Puppets
Darken the room and experiment with a flashlight and shadow puppets. Tell stories to go along with the puppets

Bear Hunt




Hide several teddy bears throughout the house and then "hunt" for them, being sure to place the found bears in a trashbag so they won't get away!

Scavenger Hunt:
Go on a "white" scavenger hunt, collecting an assortment of items in the house that are white (or your chosen color of the week). Search fun places like closets, drawers, the kitchen pantry, the bookshelf, garage, etc.


Camping can be so much fun! There's so many activities to keep us busy while we're camping!

Camping: Day Two

Star Gazing

Read a book about camping under the stars like I Know God is Near by Dian Curtis Regan. Talk about camping and some of the fun things we do while camping. (sleeping in tents, sit around the fire, take hikes, sing songs, gaze at the stars.)

Sing a Camping Song:
Going Camping
(sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")

I am going camping.
(point thumbs proudly to chest)
Time to pack
(point to wristwatch)
My tent, my bedroll,
(Make tent with hands; then fold hands to cheek.)
And a snack.
(Pretend to eat)

I'll sit by the campfire ----
(warm hands over fire.)
Its glow so bright.
(Fan and wiggle fingers to resemble fire.)
Then snooze in my tent
(Pretend to snore.)
'Til the morning light!
(Open eyes wide, forming sun over head.)

If the tent from yesterday is still up, you could get in it or rebuild it for today's activities.

Make at least 10 star cut-outs and hide them around the room, leaving one left-over for an example. Show the children the star. It has 5 points, it shines in the sky. When it is night time, we can look up in the sky and gaze at the stars.

Go on a star hunt. Have the children look around the room until they have found all the hidden stars. When all the stars are found, pull them out and count them, one-by-one.



Sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Children can hide the stars and go on a hunt again or play in the tent and pretend to gaze at the stars.

Camping: Day One

Pretend Camp

Weekly Words: Camping, tent, star, flashlight

Color: White


"Pack" a backpack and pretend to go camping.

Make an old-fashioned tent by draping some blankets over a large table or over a broom laying across 2 chairs. Spread out sleeping bags, large pillowcases, or blankets inside.
Lay on the floor in the tent with the lights off. Talk about going camping and tell stories about your adventures. Shine flashlights around the room and pretend to gaze at stars. Build a pretend fire to sit around and sing songs. Eat hot dogs or sack lunches. Pretend to go to sleep (or even take a nap in the tent!)

Songs:

Going Camping
(sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")

I am going camping.
(point thumbs proudly to chest)
Time to pack
(point to wristwatch)
My tent, my bedroll,
(Make tent with hands; then fold hands
to cheek.)
And a snack.
(Pretend to eat)

I'll sit by the campfire ----
(warm hands over fire.)
Its glow so bright.
(Fan and wiggle fingers to resemble
fire.)
Then snooze in my tent
(Pretend to snore.)
'Til the morning light!
(Open eyes wide, forming sun over
head.)


Did You Ever Go A-Camping
(Sung to Where is Thumbkin?)

Did you ever go a-camping,
a-camping, a-camping?
Did you ever go a-camping
and sleep in a tent?

2... and see a racoon?
3... and hike in the woods?
4... and fish in a boat?
5... and have a campfire?

Patriotism: Day Five

Field Trip!!!

Ideally, this unit would be taught around the 4th of July, so the field trip could involve attending a parade, barbecue, fireworks display, or other patriotic event.

Other ideas include:

• putting flags on graves at the cemetery
• going on a flag hunt to locate flags around town
• visiting a musuem which displays something about US history
• Washington D.C. or other historical sites
  

Patriotism: Day Four

More Flag Activities

• Entire Patriotic Theme from Mommy Nature

• Song: Red, White, & Blue (Tune: Farmer in the Dell) Red, white, & blue. Red, white, & blue. The flag of American is red, white, & blue.

• Flag sorting Game

• AMERICAN FLAG PICTURES: For each of your children, glue or tape a small American flag party pick onto a piece of construction paper. (Or attach an American flag sticker.) Set out crayons or markers. Then invite the children to draw pictures on their papers that incorporate the flags. Use their pictures to make a wall or bulletin board display, if you wish.

• PERSONAL FLAGS: Cut felt into rectangles about 6 by 9 inches each. Set out collage materials, such as felt and fabric scraps, yarn, ribbon, lace pieces, and rickrack. Invite your children to choose felt rectangles and glue on the collage materials any way they wish to create personal flags. When they have finished, staple each flag to a paper towel tube for a handle.

• SHAPE FLAGS: From various colors of construction paper, cut out squares, rectangles, and triangles to use as flags. Divide a large piece of paper into three sections and draw a set of flagpoles in each one. Label one section with a square, one with a rectangle, and one with a triangle. Then let your children work together to glue the "shape flags" on the flagpoles in the proper sections.

• FLAG MATCHING GAMES: Make ten flags by stapling or taping small index cards to craft sticks or drinking straws. Decorate the flags in one of the ways below and let your children use them for a matching game. (Number Flags: Draw numerals from 1 to 5 on five of the flags and sets of matching numbered dots or stars on the other five flags. Color Flags: Draw five different colored circles on five of the flags and matching colored circles on the other five flags. Picture Flags: Attach five different picture stickers to five of the flags and matching picture stickers to the other five flags.)

• FLAGS IN THE WIND: Give your children scarves to use for flags. Play music and invite them to dance around the room, waving their scarf flags in the air. Vary the tempo of the music to represent winds ranging from gentle breezes to stormy gusts.
  

• WAVE, WAVE, WAVE OUR FLAGS: Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"

Wave, wave, wave our flags,
Wave them oh, so high.
Wave our colors back and forth
As we go marching by.

Invite your children to wave their Personal Flags, above, as they sing and march around the room

• FLAG SNACKS: Let your children use one of these ideas to turn crackers into "flags." Use thin celery sticks for flagpoles: Spread softened cream cheese over triangle-shaped crackers. Use carrot sticks or red bell pepper strips for decorations; cover graham crackers with peanut butter. Decorate with raisins, nuts, or strips of fruit roll-ups.
  

Patriotism: Day Three

Independence Day--Fourth of July
Celebrating the USA!!!

Children will learn about our country and that we celebrate our Independence Day on July 4th.

Learning Activities:
(from First-School)

Read a book about Independence Day and go over a simple history of the United States.

You could get ideas from Ben Franklin's Guide for Kids here.


Activity #1: United States Symbols The Eagle, and The Great Seal of the United States

1. The Bald Eagle - United States National Symbol:

The craft features the national bird and the national flag colors: red, blue and white.
1. Here is a friendly Ben Franklin with a simple presentation of the bald eagle.

2. The Great United States Seal - United States Government Symbol Ages 4.5+
The Great United States Seal is an important government symbol and it features the bald eagle prominently. We can acquaint the children with it, and as they grow expand on the meaning and significance of all of the elements in it.

Here is a depiction and explanation of this symbol -- at Ben's Guide to the United States Government - it is written for grade levels 3-5 so select a few elements and adjust to the age group. The introduction is well suited to provide a basic explanation.

Here is are coloring pages of both sides of the The Great Seal obverse side and reverse side courtesy of the U.S. Printing Office.

The bald eagle's appearance is powerful and compelling to children. They can appreciate how majestic it looks soaring and flying free in the sky.
Activity #2: Bald Eagle Printable Crafts

Patriotic Bald Eagle Craft - (easy ages 3+) and learning activities:

Patriotic Bald Eagle Paper Bag Puppet Craft - (ages 5+) and learning activities:

1. Skills that can be addressed with these craft activities: colors, numbers, shapes, small motor skills (scissor, cutting and assembly)

Activity #3: Alphabet Letter E is for Eagle Activities

Review and present letter E eagle theme alphabet lesson plan activities

Activity 4: Additional Activities with Eagle Coloring Pages:
Have children glue dark color craft feathers to the wings and chest of an eagle coloring pages. Optional: Add a wiggly eye. Color beak and legs yellow or orange. Write the letter E e and the word eagle prominently in the border before distributing.

Activity #5: Online Jigsaw Puzzle: Bald Eagle
Here are two 6-piece online puzzles. To increase the number of pieces click on the SHAPE button.
The puzzles are effective to develop problem solving skills.