FREE Homeschool Preschool Curriculum, Week 8 – Arctic Animals
Hi there! I don’t know what the weather is like where you sit but, here on Long Island we were hit with a Nor’easter that dropped anywhere from 18-24 inches of snow on the ground. It hasn’t snowed like that in a long time! The snow is still lingering behind but, it is supposed to rain this weekend. So, I am hoping most of the roadways are cleared out so, I can get out for a run soon.
To piggyback off of last week’s theme, this week we are going to explore arctic animals. Usually, when I cover this topic with my girls, we always discover something new. And, it is quite interesting to learn more about the many animals, (and people) that can survive in such a harsh climate. Recently, I have been dreaming about traveling north to see the Northern Lights first hand. Have you ever seen them?
I bet the combination of stars, nature and northern lights is a breathtaking combination to behold. Add it to the bucket list! Until then, let’s talk about arctic animals.
Pre-K Homeschool Week 8 Free Resources - ARCTIC ANIMALS
Here are some of the free resources I gathered from across the web to pull together our week 8 arctic animals theme:
Math Activities for Preschoolers
Arctic Animal Packet (Kindergarten Worksheets and Games) – The majority of this week’s math activities come from this amazing free printable from Kindergarten Worksheets. I chose to use the pages dedicated to patterns, number tracing and addition and subtraction too.
Count + Graph Animals (Teachers Pay Teachers)
A diamond is the shape of the week, and this itsy bitsy diamond book, is perfect for teaching our preschoolers how to recognize this shape in the world around them. When you are out and about, try to point out this shape wherever you go this week. Drives in the car, nature walks , and trips to the store are perfect opportunities to play this fun game. You might even say whoever finds the most diamonds get a small prize.
ARCTIC ANIMALS, Fine/Gross Motor Skills
Name Tracing Worksheet (Create Printables) – Sadie is able to write her name in all capitals but, I like that this worksheet allows her to practice her lowercase letters too.
Cut + Paste Penguin (Teachers Pay Teachers) – A super cute (and FREE) activity from Teachers Pay Teachers. And yes, I recommend you create an account on this site. While most of the items are for purchase, you will be able to find some great freebies too!
Create Your Own Polar Bear Lacing Card (Pattern Universe) – Super easy, print this polar bear, and use your hole punch around the border. Grab a shoelace, or some twine and have your preschooler work on those fine motor skills.
Arctic Animal Gross Motor Game (Gift of Curiosity)
Balloon/Ball/Bean Bag Toss – Name different arctic animals or polar elements while reciting the alphabet. “A” is for Antarctica, “B” is for blubber/beluga….
A WORD ON Language Arts
Week by week you may have noticed that the suggested activities in language arts are quite similar. And, that is truly by design. When it comes to math and language arts, I like to play by the rules, or as close to them as I can get.
My mission is to make sure our preschoolers are primed for kindergarten, meaning that they are all-stars when it comes to letter recognition, and phonics. I’ve shared the framework I follow for math in prior weeks as well. Nonetheless, there’s a bit more freedom at this age in the arts and sciences, and that’s where you will find a bit more inventiveness in this curriculum.
THIS WEEK FOR LANGUAGE ARTS
Introduce the letter of the week H, Playdough Mat + Starfall Letter H – I truly can’t say enough good things about introducing a letter with this trifecta. I’ve already mentioned that we are using 4 weeks to Read this year with Sadie. And, it has been a great guide.
When introducing a letter, show your preschooler the upper and lowercase version. Then, explain the sound of the letter. Have your preschooler repeat the letter name and sound, and try to see if you can come up with a few words together (that begin with the letter of the week).
The playdough mat allows your little one to explore the letter of the week in a hands on way. Finally, Starfall is an interactive program backing up all of the new information your preschooler has learned – kind of a multi-sensory approach.
“H” is for Hibernate (Glued to my Crafts) – I love the letter crafts! I always take a picture of Sadie’s crafts when they are done to add to her pre-k portfolio. Believe me; you will want to start a portfolio too. Not just for the memories, but if homeschool is the route you are going to take for your child’s education; a portfolio is a requirement from first grade up. Think of it as an insurance policy should life events curtail your plans.
Letter “H” Phonics Review (Daycare Worksheets) – The phonics worksheets from Daycare Worksheets are a favorite of mine. I like how straightforward they are, and that our preschoolers work on their fine motor skills too (cut + paste).
Letter “H” letter hunt (All Kids Network) – Invest in a set of dot markers, and let your preschooler start the search. Trust me, it will be an activity your little one looks forward to.
Review Letter “H” flashcards (Flashcard Fox) – Simply review the flashcards, or you can print out 2 sets and create a memory game for your preschooler to enjoy.
Arctic Animal Read Alouds:
Nanuk the Ice Bear, Jeanette Winter
Tacky the Penguin, Helen Lester
Poles Apart, Jeanne Willis
Owl Moon, Jane Yolen
ARCTIC ANIMALS SCIENCE/SENSORY
If you didn’t get the chance to complete the blubber experiment from last week, now is the perfect time to jump in.
Introduce your preschooler to the different arctic animals with these flashcards. Then, pick an animal to learn more about, and head to the library to check out some books on the animal you chose.
Create dens for winter animals or, igloos for Inuit’s with this activity.
Explore the Northern Lights.
Create a mini arctic animals sensory bin.
MUSIC
The first three songs would be great to introduce during your morning circle time:
As a former violinist, I have a special place in my heart for the orchestra. I literally tear up when I watch the Philharmonic play on YouTube. So, I love this Inside the Orchestra game for the kiddos. But, supervision is needed so you can coach your preschooler along.
ARCTIC ANIMAL ART PROJECTS
CREATIVE PLAY
After reading Nanuk the Ice Bear, add a polar bear den just outside of your winter cabin from last week’s lesson.
