Distance learning continues with a fun unit about animals. We have done lots of animal themed posts in the past so it made picking photos from our library extra hard—-so many cute ones to choose from 🙂

Our PT, OT, and SLP have come up with some more fun activities for you to do at home—-enjoy!

 

 

 

SENSORY

Every week we make sensory boxes—our students LOVE them! It’s easy to your own animal themed box at home—-you can find the perfect material right in your kitchen such as rice, beans, pasta, oatmeal, popcorn, potato flakes, or cereal. Just remember if you have a child who likes to “taste”, make sure it is something that’s okay for them to swallow! Gather up some plastic animals and maybe add some measuring scoops and a funnel for extra fun 🙂

You might even try going out of the box and using dried coffee grounds, birdseed or even make a swamp out of green jello!

Have fun!

 

 

 

 

 

GROSS MOTOR

So, this week, you can try moving like animals would move.

Use some books around the house that have animals in them and as you read the book talk about how the animals move and have your child do the same movement as the animals in the story.  Some of my kids’ favorite animal books were Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See or From Head to Toe.

 

You could also look up different animals online, watch how they move, and have your child copy the animal’s movement.  You could also use movies with animals in them, and as you watch the movie pause it to act out the animal’s movements.  A family favorite of ours was The Jungle Book.

 

 

Some movements that my kids and I came up with are the bear crawl, crab walk, frog jump, bunny hop, elephant walk, inch worm, duck walk, fly like a bird, swim like a fish, slither like a snake, swing through the trees like a monkey, stand on one leg like a flamingo, waddle like a penguin, kick like a donkey, cat/cow stretch.  Just to name a few, but I am sure you all can come up with some more.

 

If your child is unable to do the movements independently help them to move their arms and legs to mimic the movements or you or a sibling do the movements and have them chose between a choice of two or three of which animal movement you are acting out.  This can be done in supported positions (standing or sitting) to work on balance and strengthening.

Have fun moving like some of our animal friends.  Animal sounds are optional!  Have a great week!

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR

Here is a fun way to practice writing strokes!

Draw some spiders on a piece of paper. Have your child start at the TOP and draw a DOWN line to the spider. Proficient writers can then turn the paper sideways and write the word SPIDER on the line—-making sure letters touch the line and are aligned correctly.

 

 

 

Draw an animal on a piece of paper. Have your child start on the LEFT side and draw ACROSS to create a fence. Proficient writers can write the name of the animal on a line. Again, making sure letters touch the line and are aligned correctly.

 

 

 

 

Draw a fish on a piece paper. Have your child draw CIRCLES to make bubbles. Proficient writers can write a letter in each bubble—-making sure the letters stay within the bubbles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE

Here’s a fun animal themed recipe for you to make at home!  Here’s the recipe: lets make a zebra striped parfait

When you’re putting all the ingredients together, you can talk to your child about things like:

• the sizes of measurement tools (BIG/LITTLE)
• the temperature of the ingredients (COLD/HOT)
• the ingredients (WET/DRY)
• if you are ALL DONE with the ingredients or if you have MORE
• how it tastes (SWEET/SOUR)

 

 

 

 

LITERACY

We recommend reading this book from May 2018:Let_s Go To The Zoo!

And this book from September 2017:On Old McDonald’s Farm

Join us again next time for more fun and home learning—–Group by Group!

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