Preschool

We’ve had an amazing week learning about Sights and Sounds with Mother Goose Time! One of our topics this week was Animal Tracks in the snow. Our days are so busy and meaningful using this comprehensive preschool curriculum. I truly feel I am doing all I can for my group of little learners and they are loving it too!

See what’s included in the Sights and Sounds of Winter week one here (there are some changes from year to year).

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Circle Time Learning

We start out with looking at our daily topic poster to find clues about what we will be learning about for the day.

I ask, “What types of animals leave tracks in nature?” It may not be snow, perhaps mud.

What’s this creature? Look at his paws and the prints he makes in the snow!

Tracks in the Snow Play Dough

This was used as an attention-getter activity for the day at circle time and it was effective! I passed around a paper plate with white play dough pressed flat onto it. 

Each child took a turn pressing their fingers into it, making “animal tracks”. These types of activities make circle time meaningful.

 It also helps children learn to share, be patient and wait their turn as well appreciate the work others are doing.

Literacy and Movement

The Snow Tracks story and tracks cards look like this:

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While listening to the story, the children hop like a rabbit, crawl like a bear, or tiptoe like a skunk.

Combining a story, game cards and movement creates fun learning!

My group loved doing all the animal movements, even the older one who was off school for the day. 

Tracks in the Snow Book

What an awesome book! Tracks in the Snow has beautiful pictures and leaves the kids curious until the end to know what’s causing the tracks in the snow.

Community Challenge

I’ve come to adore the daily Community Challenge activity suggestions. Mother Goose Time’s Community Challenges are activities that involve the whole group and bring us together through it.

This activity builds social awareness by creating marks together as a group then discussing the similarities and differences.  

Mother Goose Time Teacher Guide: Outdoor Sights and Sounds, Lesson 6: Animal Tracks

This one was to give everyone an opportunity to make tracks or prints on a page.

How could they resist making their own mark on the page with paint? I had to make one too!

Some tracks are bigger and some are smaller. Whose are whose?

What kind of tracks can you make?

There was enough room for two to work at the same time. They needed to take turns with the paint and respect each other’s space.

Sometimes we want to do the same thing as someone else.

Evidence of our community and work on display.

Animal Tracks Game

One thing I appreciate about Mother Goose Time games is that they can be often played independently. 

Playing independently allows the child to really explore the process of spinning and deciphering the concepts of the game.

2Or they can be played with 2  or 3 friends. Playing with friends requires patience, sharing and being respectful. I start the game and guide them before letting them try on their won.

Animal Tracks Art

After all the related activities, the kids could hardly wait to get started on their animal tracks in the snow art.

They were simply painting on blue paper with white paint but with the information they already learned about animal tracks, plus the Animal Tracks Guide that was included for each child, inspired their work.

Everyone wanted to be sure to take their Animal Tracks Guide home – they were a hit!

He was telling me he wanted to make the deer animal tracks.

Awesome animal tracks in the snow art!

Amimal Tracks Sensory Play

No learning is complete without sensory play! Children love to play with sensory materials like sand and play dough so it just makes sense to incorporate our them and topic into their play to future expand their knowledge.

What a cute bunny making tracks in the sand.

Working with a mixed age a group, it isn’t always easy to come up with activities that are engaging for all ages, but sensory play tends to be one that works for everyone. This little guy said “cat” very clearly and enjoyed making barking dog sounds (although that’s a bear.) 

All kinds of animals make tracks in the snow!

Rabbits make a lot of tracks int he snow hopping around. Wouldn’t it be great if the snow was purple? Something to consider!

What amazing learning experiences and that was just one day!

Click the link to see more Outdoor Sights and Sounds of Winter activities.