"Weather All Around Us"- Hibernation

What a fun day we had learning about hibernation! During our circle time I asked Mason "What do you do to get ready for bed?" His response was "Books, pray, brush teeth, and go to nap." (He calls any time he gets in his bed a nap.) I then told him that some animals sleep all winter when there is snow on the ground. He said I sleep when it snows too!

Our first activity of the day was called Get Read to Hibernate. While the kids were finishing breakfast I hid all the animal photos provided by Mother Goose Time around the toy room. I waited until Mason noticed that there were animal pictures all over. He then was quick to find the rest. 

 

I then asked Mason how he thought these animals got ready to sleep for the winter. As he told me a story about three of the animals I wrote out his stories. (This is what he looked like as he was telling me his stories. Silly kid!) 

I think he did a pretty good job with his stories and I think he liked seeing his words down on paper.

The next activity we worked on was called Build a Bear Den. We talked about that we sleep in a bed and that it is nice and comfy. It was a rainy day outside so we ended up taking some leaves from the mountain of leaf bags we have collected over the last couple weeks. 

 The kids then colored their bag and bear and I helped them cut a hole in their bags. Lastly we glued some leaves to the bag to make it nice and cozy for the bear.

When Mason was putting his bear to sleep he asked if there was a mama bear. We actually had one more bear so he as happy to have a kid bear and a mama bear. He made them hang on the bag, go to sleep, and wake up. 

While the kids were playing with their bear dens I set up our next activity Bat in Hiding. I taped pieces of the Photo Puzzle around the living room.

Mason then collected all the pieces and we put together the puzzle of a bat sleeping. 

I asked Mason if he thought it would be comfortable to sleep upside down. He said he didn't think so. I said I think it would give me a headache. He then asked if I thought the bat gets a headache because he sleeps upside down. 

I asked him if he thought he could stand on his head like a bat. They thought this was pretty fun.

Our last activity for the day was Sleepy Stretch. I put all the animal photos face down on the floor. I asked Mason how he moves when he is tired. He said fast. : ) He is always moving fast! I told him to put his hand on his chest and see if he could feel his chest moving. We then talked about that he was feeling himself breathing. We talked about how when animals hibernate their breathing slows down. 

He then drew animal cards and moved slowly like those animals. 

This activity was a lot of fun for Mason. I love how he was able to learn more about hibernating animals but also a little about himself by feeling his breathing. 

In the middle of our preschool day look what showed up at our door.....

Get ready to find out What's In The Box-Rainforest Adventure!