The farm theme is one of the most fun themes in preschool! There are so many aspects of the farm – animals, foods, types of machines and work that takes place, it’s great way to learn preschool concepts. See some of our farm activities including fill the silo farm sensory bin, silo shakers and feed the animals game from the Down on the Farm preschool curriculum.
Fill the Silo Farm Sensory Activity
Here is our October calendar – we practice counting, number recognition, patterns and anticipate special days daily at circle time.
It’s always fun and exciting to start a new calendar and month of learning with Experience Preschool (formerly Mother Goose Time).
Make & Play Silo Shakers
Making musical instruments with children is an important learning experience. We can make music with a large variety of materials! Kids love shakers to make a lot of noise while they sing and dance. The silo shakers are adorable – just a red cardboard tube with corn placed inside. I hot glue the ends on after the kids decorate and fill them so they last a long time.
We filled our silos with corn but you can also use dried beans or beads.
Fill the Silo Farm Sensory Bin
Corn is a lovely material for a sensory bin. I find it in a big bag at our local farm supply store. A big bag lasts a long time! I found some wooden scoops at Hobby Lobby in the wedding department which are nice for sensory bins.
Earlier in the month, we used a variety of wood bowls and scoops for scooping corn. The sound of the corn in the bowls is another wonderful aspect to this sensory bin.
Two of the bowls are Bambook Mortar and Pestle sets, which are super fun to use in the preschool classroom for a variety of sensory, science/nature and fine motor work activities.
I made a silo from an oatmeal canister and a paper bowl. I cover the canister with red construction paper. Then I glued a paper bowl on top (after cutting out the bottom for an opening).
I used hot glue so it holds together well. It held up well during play and I can save it and use it again another time.
Filling the silo was a hit!
My group worked well together filling the silo. Often one child would visit the center and work on it alone. Either way works.
Using hands is effective too.
How fast can we fill the silo?
Here’s a video of the fill the silo sensory bin in action:
Pig Positional Words
Using a cup for a silo, we practiced some positional words with a little pig counter. Here the pig is “on top” of the silo. Put the pig next to the silo. Can you put the pig under the silo?
Feed the Animals Game
The Feed the Animals game was a hit too. We used the corn from the sensory bin for feeding the animals.
First, the child spins the spinner. Then scoops some corn into that animal’s cup. Which has more? Which has less? Who is still hungry?
This game goes along with an adorable book from Experience Early Learning called, Old MacDonald Has a Farm. This farm unexpectedly has a few creatures you don’t usually find on a farm, but Old MacDonald says: “That’s okay, you can stay.” A very cute book with amazing images and colors that includes a message of inclusion.
Farm Books for Preschoolers
Looking for more farm books for preschoolers? Here are a few I like:
- Mrs. Wishy Washy’s Farm
- Big Red Barn
- Goodnight Tractor
- Plants on the Farm
- Driving My Tractor
- Down on the Farm
This Berenstain Bears Down on the Farm book specifically talks about silos. I like this book about farming. It’s a realistic look at how farms work.
MORE FARM ACTIVITIES
