Fun at the FarmFarm Activities
1. Practicing milking a cow. Fill a rubber glove with milk and poke a small
hole in the end of each finger. Have the children milk the "udders" into a
bucket. 2.Make butter! Place some heavy cream in a baby food jar. Have the
kids shake the jar. If desired, mix in a pinch of salt and a few drops of
yellow food coloring. Spread the butter on crackers for kids to taste. If
you
insert a clean marble into the jar, it will not need to be shaken as long.
3.
Play farm animal charades. Each child can act like a certain farm animal and
the others can guess.
4.Make a venn diagram about farming long ago and today. 5. Make a class farm
animal counting book. 6. Make game cards with mother and baby animals, let
the kids match them or play concentration. 7. Make a farm mobile each child
can cut out a barn as the center of the mobile and hang the farm animals
from
it. 8. For a class graph, have each child choose their favorite farm animal
to color in and add to the graph. 9. Make a class mural of a farm, be sure
to
include speech bubbles for all the sounds the animals make. 10. Put out farm
animal counters let children sort them by animal type, color etc. 11. If you
have a drama center in your classroom have farm animal puppets available.
Also have a stool for cow milking, straw hats, rubber boots, etc. 12. Have
children record themselves making farm, animal noises. Or Write a class
story
with animal sounds, then record the story and the children can add the
animal
sound effects as you record! 13.You can put a bushel of hay in your reading
corner along with your favorite farm books. 14. Laminate seed packets (take
the seeds out!) and put velcro on the back. ON a large poster put the words
in my garden I will plant, _______ and _____. The children can choose the
seed packets to "plant". They can draw a picture of they what they planted.
15.Have children plant the left over seeds and keep a seed journal. 16. Have
children make a farm map, make sure to have room for all the animals. 17.
Purchase some farm-related rubber stamps. I have a Stamp a Story center in
my
room. When we are studying farms the children use the stamps to make the
picture and then write the story.Group Activity:
Share the following information about cows.
oCows are female cattle. Males are called bulls and babies are called
calves.
oCows provide milk, which is the source of daily products, including cheese,
butter, and yogurt. oThe organ on a cow that holds her milk is called an
udder or a bag. oThere are many varieties of cattle.Transition: Have the kids moo like cows as they move to the next activity.
Art: Ahead of time, cut sponges into chunks. Clip each chunk into a
spring-type clothespin. Pour Black paint into shallow dishes. Paint cow
spots
on large sheets of paper.Dramatic play: Ahead of time, make a pinhole in each fingertip of a latex
glove. Outside, hang a clothesline about three feet above the ground. Clip
the prepared glove to the clothesline with a spring-type clothespin. Place a
pail below the glove and a low stool or chair beside it. To help the kids
understand more about cows, milk a glove! Fill the prepared glove with
water.
Let the kids take turns squeezing the fingertips of the glove as if milking,
so that the water goes into the bucket.Science & Cooking: Make butter! Place some heavy cream in a baby food jar.
Have the kids shake the jar. If desired, mix in a pinch of salt and a few
drops of yellow food coloring. Spread the butter on crackers for kids to
taste. If you insert a clean marble into the jar, it will not need to be
shaken as long.Make butter in film canisters. Write books that give each animal name, and
make corn husk dolls. We draw and write about our own balloon farm and make
scarecrow glyphs that relay info on our pets, milk likes/dislikes, and
gardens. Here are the goodies I have collected from different online groups
and stars. Here is a pig idea...it is a movement idea using the song
Hokey-Pokey. Have students stand in a circle and follow your lead.Bulletin Boards: During the unit we also do two bulletin boards as a class.
The students help me collect used packages of farm products; such as, butter
wrapper, package the bacon came in, egg carton, etc. I have farm animals on
the board and the kids attach the products to the board and yarn is
connected
to the animal and the product it gives. I also put up a stuffed scarecrow
and
do a board titled "The Cream of the Crop".Writing Activity: Ears of corns on stalks can be spread apart with writing
paper inside. The kids write one thing that is special about them selves on
the paper. We design our own scarecrows during this unit. We also make
butter
using heavy cream. We shake the cream in used, but clean, baby jars. We put
the butter on crackers.Video: There is also a great video about farming called A Trip to the Farm.
It is very informational, but presented at a level that first graders grasp
and enjoy.Science: We also learn how to plant seeds and how to take care of them. This
is a good time to read The Carrot Seed and teach sequencing. I also have
several file folder games that I use during this unit. Animal - mother and
baby match. A Math game where kids have to add correctly to get to the
silo...etc.Social Studies Activities:
I also have a barn that I made out of a refrigerator box. Making atop for it
was not fun, but the kids love it. They like to take turns and read books in
the barn. We also sing farm songs that are sung to the tune of other songs.
Example : ( Sing to the tune of "The wheels on the bus....." The cow in
the
barn goes moo, moo, moo . I think I got these songs out of a book called
Terrific Topics - Farm by Carson - Dellosa Pub. Co.Well, hope this helps.
Also on the farm, one of our teachers put up this darling b.board. There is
brown paper at the bottom for the dirt, then blue for the sky with a farm I
think. Anyway, she rolled long tubes of brown paper, the width of the
board,
and taped them to the brown paper in rows going across. She used real seed
packets but you could make them, and put the children's names on the seed
packets, glued them to tongue depressors and stuck them behind the rolls of
paper, like they had been placed in rows of the garden. I hope I'm
describing this well enough. It was really cute. The three-dimensional
effect was great. She titled it "Watch us grow in first grade". You could
put farm words, or animals or anything else on the sticks and plant them in
your garden b.board. With our farm lesson last week we started talking
about
different kinds of farms. We talked about the dairy farm first. We read the
Milkmakers (Gail Gibbons), tried milking a cow with the rubber glove with
water in.Books about Farms:
A Farm by Aurelius Battaglia
A House Is A House For Me-Mary Hoberman
A Visit to a Farm by Coby Hol
Baby Farm Animals -Garth Williams
Baby's Animals On The Farm-Rebecca Heller
Barn Dance-Bill Martin Jr.
Barnyard Banter - Fleming
Barnyard Banter by DeniseFleming
Barnyard Lullaby by Frank Asch
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Cat and Dog-Else Minarik
Chicken Little-Sally Hobson
Chickens Aren't The Only Ones-Ruth Heller
Cock-a-doodle Doo-Steve Lavis
Color Farm by Lois Elhert
Cows Can't Fly by David Milgrim
Duffy On The Farm-Marilyn Elson
Farm Noises by Jane Miller
Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
Find the Duck-S. Cartwright
Find the Kittens-S. Cartwright
Go, Dog, Go-P.D. Eastman
Good Morning, Chick-Mirra Ginsburg
Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm- Jerdine Nolen
Henny Penny - Galdone
How Puppies Grow-M.E. Selsam
If You Give A Mouse a Cookie-Laura Numerof
It's Pumpkin Time - Hall
Little Quack-Ruth Woods
Look! Look! Look!-Tana Hoban
Moo, Moo, Brown Cow by Jakki Wood
Mouse Count-Ellen Walsh
Mouse Paint-Ellen Walsh
My Barn by Craig Brown
My Cat Likes To Hide In Boxes-Eve
Old MacDonald Had A Farm-Carole Jones
Old MacDonald Had A Farm-Pam Adams
On the Farm -Richard Scarry
Pig, Horse, or Cow Don't Wake Me Now- Arlene Alda
Rooster's Off To See The World-Eric Carle
Rosie's Walk - PatHutchins
Seasons On the Farm ABC Adventures-Pat Whitehead
Sheep In A Jeep-Nancy Shaw
Sheep, Sheep, Sheep, Help Me Fall Asleep- Arlene Alda
Six Little Ducks-Chris Conover
The Animals of Farmer Jones - Leah Gale
The Cat In the Hat-Dr. Suess
The Cow That Went OINK!-Bernard Most
The Cow Went Over The Mountian-J. Krinsley
The Day the Goose Got Loose - Lindbergh
The Farm Book-Jon Pfloog
The Farmer in the Dell - Rae
The Farmer In The Soup-Freyah Littledale
The Little Red Hen-Byron Barton
Three Billy Goats Gruff-Macmillan Early Skills Prog
Time for Bed - Mem Fox
Tingalayo-Kate Duke
Where is Clifford?-Norman Bridwell
Who Lives On The Farm-Lisa Bonforte
Teacher ResourcesCheryl Walsh Bellville- Farming Today
Egyptian Farmers- Jim Kerr
Farm Noises -Jane Miller
Farming- Dennis B Fradin
Farming -Gail Gibbons
Farming- Jacqueline Dineen
Farming- Sylvia Parkhurst
Food and Farming - Nigel Hawks
Food and Farming- John Becklake
Machines on the Farm- Hope Irwin Marston
The Farmer through History - Peter Chrisp
Tractors -Graham Richard
Yesterday's Way- Carol RhodaFarm Songs and Poetry
Here Is The Barn
(fingerplay)Here is the barn (Form a roof shape with your hands)
Where I like to go (Walk in place)
It's as tall as a tree (Point up overhead)
And cozy, you know (Hug body with arms)
Here is the barn, (Make a roof shape with your hands)
I'll go there with you (Walk in place)
To pet a sweet lamb (Pretend to pet a lamb)
And cuddle it, too! (Pretend to hug a lamb)
A Horse
A horse can trot. A horse can run.
A horseback ride is lots of fun!Goats
Nanny goat, billy goat. What do you say?
"Maa, maa", Silly goats, Run away!The Cow
The cow is big. The cow says "moo".
The cow makes milk for me and you.Pigs
Pigs can oink, pigs can snort.
Pigs are fat and kind of short.Sheep
Sheep are quiet. Sheep are cute.
Sheep give wool to make a suit.Geese
Geese can honk. Geese can squawk.
Geese can fly or take a walk!Old Rooster
Old Rooster woke up just so he could say,
"How do you cock-a-doodle do today?"The Farm
The farm has a cow and a horse and a pig.
And a sheep and a goat and a barn so big!You put your right hoof in;
You put your right hoof out;
You put your right hoof in and
you shake it all about.
You do the Higgy-Piggy,
And you turn yourself around,
That's what it's all about!
Oink!Continue the song and dance routine with the following verses:
You put your Left hoof in....
You put your right hamhock (hip) in...
You put your left hamhock in....
You put your snout in....
You put your curly tail in...I have done some activities in connection with farm and scarecrows with the
poem/song "Ten Crows All Shiny Black"It goes to the tune used with "Ten Green and Speckled Frogs"
Ten crows all shiny black,
Sat on a scarecrows back,
Eating some most delicious corn. Caw, Caw!
Scarecrow jumped and hollered Boo!
Scared one crow, away he flew,
Now there are nine black shiny crows. Caw, Caw!FIVE FRIENDLY FARMERS
Wake up with the sun,
For it is early morning
And the chores must be done. (stretch and yawn)
The first friendly farmer
Goes to milk the cow.(pretend to milk a cow)
The second friendly farmer Thought he'd better plow.(working a garden)
The third friendly farmer Feeds the hungry hens. (throw seeds to the
chickens)
The fourth friendly farmer Puts the piggies in their pens. (pretend to shoo
pigs)
The fifth friendly farmer Picks the ripe corn(pick corn)
And waves to the neighbor When he blows his horn.(wave)
When the work is finished And the evening sky is red
Five tired farmers (yawn and stretch)
Tumble into bed!(go to sleep)BARNYARD GATE:
1.Had a little rooster by the barnyard gate,
That little rooster was my playmate,
That little rooster went cock-a-doodle-doo,
Dee doodle dee doodle dee doodle dee doo.
2.Had a little cat by the barnyard gate,
That little cat was my playmate,
That little cat went meow,meow, meow,
That little rooster went cock-a -doodle -doo,
Dee doodle dee doodle dee doodle dee doo.
3.....dog went arf,arf,arf........
4......duck went quack,quack,quack..............
5.......pig went oink,oink,oink..............
6. ......sheep wentbaa,baa,baa..................
7........cow went moo,moo,moo.....................
8........horse went neigh,neigh,neigh................DOWN ON GRANDPA'S FARM:
Oh we're on our way we're on our way ,on our way to Grandpa's farm.
We're on our way, we're on our way to Grandpa's farm.
(CHORUS)
1.Down on Grandpa's farm there is a big brown cow,
Down on Grandpa's farm there is a big brown cow.
The cow , she makes a sound like this: Moo! Moo!
The cow she makes a sound like this: Moo! Moo!(CHORUS)
2.Down on Grandpa's farm there is a little red hen.(CHORUS)
3.Down on Grandpa's farm there is a big black dog.(CHORUS)
4. Down on Grandpa's farm there is a funny white duck.(CHORUS)
5.Down on Grandpa's farm there is a fat pink pig.(CHORUS)
6. Down on Grandpa's farm there is a big brown horse.(CHORUS)
7. Down on Grandpa's farm there is a new spring lamb.(CHORUS).We make a counting book, ten on first page, nine on second and so on.
We use fingerprints for the crows and draw beaks and feet.
I can't remember where I got it from but it is NOT original.We also make small child size scarecrows instead of one large one by having
each student bring in one piece of clothing (child size) and then have
parent
helpers help each group of 4 or 5 stuff and put together the scarecrows.
Then we name them and each child gets a copy of their birth certificate. We
use large safety pins to hold each piece in place and us white t-shirt for
head and draw on features. Then the students create a story about their
scarecrow and dictate it to the parent helpers who copy them down to make
into a book that each child in the group gets and illustrates. It is kept
very short, just 4 or 5 pages. They love sharing the little scarecrow books
with the other classmates.Build a scarecrow and making haystacks with chow mein noodles.
My student teacher did a song to "OLD MACDONALD" using the short vowels .
Old Macdonald had a farm AEIOU...
and on this farm he had a cAt, AEIOU
with a AA here and a AA there
here and A there and A every where and AA
OId MacDonald had a farm AEIOU
and on this farm he had a hEn AEIOU
with and EE here and a EE thereI like the Old MacDOnald song about vowels but I will change it just a
little
bit.
Old MacDonald had a farm, AEIOU.
ANd on his farm he had short a, AEIOU.
With an "aa" here(using the sound of short a), etc.
Do all the short vowels and then long vowels.I would like to give credit to the following people who contributed to this
project. laangyal@juno.com, SEWREADIT@aol.com, clemsonbc@aol.com
New Jobs on Teachers.Net