Children can color and cut out the bear, spread glue then sprinkle ground cinnamon on the forehead to form a "scratch and sniff" cinnamon bear when dry. Make cinnamon toast as part of the activity.
Categories Bag Take Home Activity
(for pre-k - Gr. 3)
from Kathleen Carpenter
Concepts: categorization, vocabulary development
In preparation for the activity, the teacher assembles bagged collection/s by category for the first 1-3 days (younger children will need more practice, categories for older children can be more challenging). A simple way to start is to use a color category. Before the children arrive, collect 6-8 small objects of one color in a brown paper bag. When the children are assembled, introduce the activity then remove one object at a time from the bag until the class recognizes and identifies the category. "They're all red things!"
After the introductory experience/s, explain that each of the children will have a turn bringing in a bag of secret objects belonging to a category which they decide upon with their family (selecting one that has not yet been done in class).
The printable letter and form (designed by Barbara Smith) included here provides additional organizational details and explains the activity to parents. Barbara printed the letter on card stock, folded it in half, and attached it to the bag with a ring.
Extension/Learning Center activity: Each child could create a "Categories" book, one page each time you complete the activity. Depending upon the age of the students, they could draw and label the objects (perhaps left out in a display for the day), and write the category and its contributor (within their individual stages of writing). When every child has had a turn, bind each child's pages into a book to take home.
categoriesbag.pdf
click the image for the printable file
Here's a Little Groundhog
(for pre-k - Gr. 2)
from Mary Miehl
Read the poem to the children and have them read it back to you. Discuss what happens if the groundhog sees his shadow and what happens if he does not.
Depending upon what happened that day, have the children draw and color a shadow for the groundhog or leave the picture absent of a shadow. You might also want to do some calendar work and elicit predictions from the children as to when they might expect to see some signs of spring.
groundhog.pdf
click the image for the printable file
Printables
