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My Mommy School Philosophy

Mommy School is all about constructive fun with developmentally appropriate learning!
My philosophy is that toddlers learn through experiences. I believe that toddlers learn by seeing and doing, so Mommy School is intended to be action-based. I believe that most 2- and 3-year-olds are not yet ready for pencil/paper activities simply because they dont learn this way! My hope is to provide you with a few tools to help guide your toddlers learning. For me, the most exciting part about teaching my toddler is seeing the world through his eyes. He is starting to understand the world for the very first time! Because this is the first time that our toddlers are exposed to many concepts, please dont expect your toddler to catch on immediately. It can be difficult at times to gage your own success because toddlers cant always communicate exactly what they are learning. You will see their progress later on as they continue to build connections to the world around them! I compile a variety of activities in my Mommy School units, but I dont expect to do them all. Allow your child to experience letters, numbers, colors, shapes, and other thematic elements in their own unique way. You will quickly see that your child thrives with some learning methods and not others. Pick and choose activities that work best for you and your child. I am trained as an Early Childhood Educator, and I taught First Grade for 4 years. However, I am building my Mommy School units from a mothers perspective. I am a Mom first, and a Teacher second. Remember that I have searched the web high and low seeking the very best toddler activities. I am not the genius behind all of themI simply gather them all in one place. Be sure to look at the credits section for more great ideas! Most of all have fun! Children will see your attitude, and will respond similarly. Enjoy discovering the world with your child.

Good luck!

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INSECTS Mommy School Unit

Letter: I Color: Black Number: 10 Song: Im Bringing Home My Baby Bumblebee

ACTIVITIES & GAMES

Collect Bugs! Use magnifying glasses to observe bugs, hunt for anthills, etc. While you are hunting bugs, you can sing this song: A-hunting we will go A-hunting we will go Well catch a ________ (insert any insects name here) And put it in a box. And then well let it go! Catch bugs to observe in your own bug jar. Add sticks and leaves to the bugs home. Decorate your jar! Cut green foam grass and glue along the bottom of the jar. Add foam bugs to the jars lid. See if you can figure out what kind of bugs you have found. Make a list of the buys you find throughout the unit. Make a bug word wall with the bugs names. Flight of the Bumblebee Pass around a beanbag (the bee) like a hot potato around the circle while the music is played. Play the song Flight of the Bumblebee while doing this. Stop the music. Whoever is holding the beanbag gets stung by the bee and moves to the center of the circle. Ugly Bug Contest Collect bugs throughout the week. Invite friends and family to participate. At the end of the week, decide who found the ugliest bug!
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Sand Table Hide plastic bugs in the sand. Dramatic Play Dress up children like bugs! Give them antennae. Children can wear colorful shirts for butterflies, black shirts for bees with yellow stripes pinned on, red shirts for ladybugs with black dots pinned on, etc. Pretend to be bugs. If I Were a Bug Learn about lots of different bugs! Use the attached paper to fill in the blank If I were a bug, I would be ___________. Then draw a picture to go along with it. This would make a fun class book! ABC Caterpillar Use the attached ABC circles to make caterpillars by spelling out words! You could also hide the ABCs, collect them, and make one giant alphabet caterpillar! Bean Bag Toss Create a ladybug bean bag by cutting out 2 red felt circles. Decorate one of the felt circles like a ladybug by adding black spots, google eyes, etc. Glue to the other felt circle and fill with rice. Make a giant leaf with green paper or a poster board. Draw or glue on several green dots on the leaf. Try to toss the ladybugs onto the dots on the leaf. Play Dough Bugs Bugs have 3 parts to their bodieshead, thorax, and abdomen. Let child roll 3 balls and stick them together to form a bug. Add 6 legs using pipe cleaner. (This might be a great time to sing the Buggy Anatomy Song!) Bug Drops Give your child 5-10 small plastic bugs. Ask your child to stand in front of a basket. For increased difficulty, try dropping the bugs in an empty milk jug. Whoever can drop the most bugs into the basket is the winner!

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Texture Caterpillar Use cardboard circles or frozen juice lids. Cover each circle with different textures like lace, foil, felt, fur, contact paper, etc. Punch a hole in each circle and connect with yarn. Draw eyes and antennae on the first circle. Spider Webbing Provide child with a chair and some yarn/string. Ask them to create a spiders web by wrapping the string around the legs of the chair. Flying Balloon Bug Blow up a balloon. Draw a bugs face on the balloon. Cut wings out of cellophane and tape them to the balloon. Tie a ribbon to the knot of the balloon. If you run with your balloons, the wings should fly. Bug in a Rug This game is a lot of fun in a group. You play this game just like Whos Missing? One child steps into another room so he/she cant see the other children. One child from the remaining group hides under the rug. The child returns to the room and tries to determine whos missing from the group. You can chant: Bug in the rug, Bug in the rug. Who is that bug in the rug? Act Out Butterflys Life Act out the butterflys life cycle. Begin by wrapping up child in crepe paper like a mummythis is the caterpillar making its chrysalis. Then break out of the crepe paper and fly around like a butterfly! -ug Word Family Make a list of words that rhyme with bug! Pre-Writing Complete the attached pre-writing sheet by connecting the caterpillars to the butterflies and tracing the lines between them.

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ARTS & CRAFTS

Fly Swatter Art Help child paint a picture of an insect by dipping a fly swatter into paint! You will probably need to do this outside! Bug Eyes Cut out an egg carton into a pair of cups. Cut out the center of the cups. Decorate as desired with feathers, foam, glitter, etc. Use pipe cleaner arms to put around your ears so the bug eyes can be worn like glasses. Fingerprint Bugs Stamp fingers on a paper (one finger at a time) to create a bug. You can use paint or a stamp pad! Use a sharpie to add antennae or legs. Fingerprint Caterpillar Paint each of your childs fingers a different color. Carefully stamp fingers one by one next to each other, creating a caterpillar. Once dry, add legs and antennae with a black marker. Fingerprint Bee Paint finger yellow. Stamp on paper. Once dry, use a black marker to add stripes, eyes, antennae, and wings. Fingerprint Butterfly Stamp finger in color of choice. Stamp finger twice on paper next to each other, overlapping slightly. Use black marker to add vertical line between fingerprints, head, and antennae. Fingerprint Ladybug Stamp finger in red ink pad. Use black marker to outline the circle of the fingerprint. Add vertical line down the center. Add dots. Add head and antennae. Fingerprint Spider Stamp finger in gray ink. Use black marker to add 8 legs (4 on each side) and eyes.
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Stained Glass Butterflies Draw a butterfly shape on waxed paper. Fill the shape with crayon shavings. Cover with another piece of waxed paper. Cover with a dish towel and iron. Punch a hole in the top and hang from the ceiling. Footprint Butterflies Dip feet in paint and stand with hells together, toes pointing out to make a footprint. This will make the wings of the butterfly. When dry, draw on a body. Handprint Butterflies Stamp both hands in paint. Stamp on paper. Cut carefully around hands once dry. Glue an oval body in between the 2 hands, which become wings. Add pipe cleaner for antennae and draw on face. Coffee Filter Butterflies Take a coffee filter, color with washable markers, spray lightly so the colors bleed together. Pinch the filter in the middle until it resembles butterfly wings. Place inside a clothespin. Add pipecleaner antennae and googly eyes. Cup-Stamping Caterpillar Have a long strip of white paper ready to go. Have several colors of paint availableeach with a plastic cup for stamping. Stamp colored circles next to each other to create a caterpillar. Stamp a fork in green paint to add grass to the paper. Egg Carton Caterpillars Cut an egg carton in half lengthwise. Decorate with paper or paint. Add eyes. You can also make a pull toy by cutting the cup sections out individually from the egg carton. Poke holes in the center of each one. After painting, string the cups together. Tie a large knot at the end to hold them in place. Loop the front for a handle and pull along.

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Bead Caterpillar Cut pipecleaner to desired length. String beads in a pattern or a special color combination. Leave inch at the bottom and 1 inch at the top of the pipe cleaner. Curl up both ends to help the beads stay on. PomPom Caterpillars Glue several pompoms together and add googly eyes to create a caterpillar. Rock Ladybugs Let child select a rock and paint red. (Fabric paint works well for this.) When dry, paint on black spots. If you wish to place these in a garden, spray with a sealant. Pompom Ladybug Glue a small black pompom to a large red one. Add pipecleaner legs 3 to each side. Paper Plate Ladybug Paint 2 paper platesone black and one red. When dry, cut the red plate in half. Use a brad to secure it to the black plate. Add legs, head, and dots cut from black construction paper. Glue on googly eyes. Lady Bug Magnet Save a lid from a frozen juice can. Paint it red. Glue black pompoms onto it, creating the lady bugs spots. Add googly eyes to the head and add a magnet to the back. Pom Pom Bees Glue a black pompom in between 2 yellow ones. Add googly eyes and felt wings. You can add a stinger with a small felt triangle onto the back. Baby Food Jar Bee Wrap a baby food jar (or regular jar!) in black paper. Add strips of yellow paper or ribbon to create the bees stripes. Add google eyes. Cut out wing shapes from white paper. Glue to the back of the bee jar. Honey Comb Stamping Take a hexagon shape from a shape sorter and stamp into yellow paint to create a honeycomb design. Draw in bees if you wish.
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Bee Hats Cut a large strip of yellow construction paper. Let children draw on black stripes. Staple for a hat. Glue black pompoms to pipecleaners for antennae and then attach to a hat. Toilet Paper Tube Bee Finger Puppet Paint a toilet paper tube black. When dry, paint yellow stripes or add yellow strips of paper. Twist pipe cleaner into wings and antenna. Children can put fingers inside and buzz around the room. Spider Webs Add a bit of black paint to white glue. Dip cooked spaghetti noodles into glue and arrange into spider webs on wax paper. When dry, peel the webs off the wax paper carefully. Styrofoam Spiders Paint a Styrofoam ball black. When dry, add pipe cleaners (4 on each side) for legs and googly eyes. Paper Plate Spider Puppets Paint a paper plate black and let dry. Cut strips from black construction paper and accordion fold them. Staple 4 strips on each side as legs. Add googly eyes. Poke a hole in the center of the plate and add a piece of string, knotting so it will stay in place. Add a loop to the top of the string. Hang from ceiling or make spiders walk. Plastic Spider Painting Dip plastic spiders into white paint and spread across black paper. Handprint Spiders Have children dip their palms and 4 fingers into paint (not their thumbs). Place one hand down on paper to make a print. Turn paper around and have child stamp other hand down, overlapping the palm. Palm becomes the body and spider will have 4 legs on each side. Clothespin Fireflies Paint a clothespin black. When dry, add sequin eyes. Also paint with gold glitter on one end. Clip wax paper wings inside.
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Make Fireflies Create fireflies by gluing a flameless LED tealight into a plastic Easter egg. Poke holes through the Easter egg with a thumbtack to insert pipe cleaner legs. Draw on eyes or use stickers. Add wings with silver duct tape. You can see Ohdeedohs full tutorial here: http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/make-fireflies-that-really-light-up147918 Inchworm Create an inchworm by cutting 2 toilet paper tubes into rings. (4 rings each for a total of 8 rings.) Fold 7 rings flat and then cut them in half. Leave 1 ring whole to use as the inchworms head. Color rings if desired. Staple the inchworm together so his back is like little arches. Use hole punch to put 2 holes at the top of worms head. Insert pipe cleaner into holes to use as antennae. Add googly eyes. .

SCIENCE

Bug Characteristics Discuss what characteristics make a bug! An insect is an animal that has 1 pair of antennae 2 pairs of wings (if any) 3 pairs of legs 3 body parts: Head, thorax, and abdomen An exoskeleton (Their skeleton is on the outside) Bug Walk Go on a bug walk searching for bugs. Take pictures of the bugs you see. Find out what kind of bugs they are and make a book out of the pictures. Butterfly Life Cycle Demonstrate the butterflys life cycle by Day 1. Make caterpillars. Glue 3 green pompoms to a clothespin and googly eyes if desired.
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Day 2. Put your caterpillars in a cocoon. Paint the outside of a toilet paper tube with watered down glue, cover with brown tissue paper. Cover one end, place caterpillar inside, and cover the other end. Day 3. Make wings for your butterfly with coffee filters. Poke your cocoons open and make your butterfly. Pasta Butterfly Life Cycle Divide a piece of paper into 4 parts. Number 1, 2, 3, and 4. For Day 1, glue on rice to represent the eggs. For Day 2, glue on spiral macaroni as the caterpillar. For Day 3, glue on shell macaroni as the cocoons. For Day 4, glue on bow-tie pasta as the butterflies. Bug Parts Discuss how all bugs have 3 partsa head, thorax, and abdomen. Use an eraser and stamp it on a stamp pad. Press 3 times in a row on a piece of paper to create an insect. Draw on legs, eyes, and antennae using a fine-tip markers. Worm Farm Hunt for your own worms! Make a worm farm in a large Tupperware. Add sand, dirt, shredded paper, rocks, and wet leaves. Add the worms. Look for worm fuzzthis is how worms squiggle through their tunnels. When done, let child plant the worm in the garden. You may want to research a bit about worms and learn a new fact each day. For example, worms have no bones, several hearts, and cant drown. Attract Ants! Try to attract ants! Leave out 3 types of food on 3 different Tupperware lids. Make guesses about which type of food will attract the most ants! Leave out the food and come back in an hour or so to check to see if youre right.

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MATH
Bug Patterns Create your own bug patterns using attached bugs. Cut out bugs and use them to make several kinds of patterns. Dried Bean Ladybugs Used dried red beans as ladybugs. Use a sharpie to add dots. Label each container of an egg carton with numbers 1-12. Ask your child to match the correct number of ladybugs to the number in each of the egg carton cups. Ladybug Dots and Dice Begin with a plain ladybug (see attached pattern). Cut out dots separately. Or use fingerprint to stamp dots on! Or just draw them! Roll the dice and count the dots on the dice together. Let the toddler then put the same number of dots on his ladybug. Butterfly Matching Cards Use attached butterfly match cards to practice matching. Color each in different ways. Laminate and cut them in half exactly on the dotted line. Have child put them back together like a puzzle. Bee Stripes Use attached bees. Draw a bee from a basket and count the number of stripes on each bee. Grouchy Ladybug Clock After reading The Grouchy Ladybug, let child explore a clock a little bit. Count the numbers going around. If youre feeling ambitious, cut a circle from red paper. Create a clock on one side. On the opposite side, add ladybug spots. Ants Go Marching This is a great time to sing The Ants Go Marching. Make numeral posters of numbers 1-10. March around carrying the appropriate numeral when you sing about that number.
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Math Sentence Picture Cut out a leaf shape and paint it green. When dry, use the attached ladybugs to either count the dots in total OR help them create a math sentence about the ladybug underneath. For example, a ladybug with 4 dots on each side would read 4 + 4 = 8. Choose your favorite to glue to the leaf and write the number sentence in sharpie. Caterpillar Counting Slice a foam pool noodle using a sharp knife. You will need 11 slices. Number each slice with numerals 1-10. Draw a face on the other slice. Tie a knot in a thick rope. String head on first. Then add numerals in order. Practice! Pattern Block Cards Print the pattern block cards on cardstock and match the corresponding pattern blocks. You can download them from here: http://prekinders.com/bugs-theme/ Bug Sorting Sort plastic bugs by colors or numbers using bug sorting mats found here: http://prekinders.com/2011/04/bug-jar-math-printables/ Butterfly Size Sequencing Use the attached butterflies to organize them by size from smallest to largest. Yummy Caterpillars Make a caterpillar for eating snacks! Cut out several circles and slightly overlap them to create a caterpillar. Add a head if you wish. Glue on a piece of cardstock and laminate for durability. On each circle, place a chocolate chip, goldfish, Cheerio, etc. Eat snacks one at a time while counting them!

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LITERATURE CONNECTIONS
The Very Hungry Caterpillar After reading the story, act it out! Cut out some very large fruit shapes from cardboard boxes. You will need: An apple, a pear, a plum, a strawberry, and an orange. Draw your shapes and paint them. Cut out a large holelarge enough to crawl through. Let your little caterpillar wriggle through those shapes! Old Black Fly Old Black Fly is a great ABC book! After reading the story, ask your child to add a page to the book! What do you want the fly to land on? What letter does that start with? Draw a picture using the attached story page. Help your child write what it is the fly is on and circle the beginning letter. This makes an adorable class book.

FLANNEL BOARDFUN
The Very Hungry Caterpillar After reading the story a time or two, retell the story using flannel board figures. If youd like to create your own felt to create felt food, go for it! Otherwise, you can print your own templates, laminate them, and mount them on felt. They are available here: http://www.dltkteach.com/books/hungrycaterpillar/felt_fun.htm Here is the Beehive Use the attached visual aids to tell the story/poem about the bees. (Be sure to practice the finger play that goes along with this too!) Five Little Ladybugs Use the attached visual aids to tell the story/poem about Five Little Ladybugs.

MOVIES
Watch Disneys A Bugs Life or Antz.
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FINE MOTOR SKILLS

Bugs & Tongs Dump out several plastic bugs all over the floor. Use tongs to pick them up and place inside a box.

GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

Mosquito Tag Play mosquito tag! The person who is it has a supply of small, inexpensive stickers (check the dollar store). He/she tries to tag the other players by placing a small sticker (dot stickers would be fun!) on them as a mosquito bite. Bee Dance Teach your child that bees dance in order to communicate. Encourage your child to buzz and dance to express feelings such as happy, sad, excited, etc. Spider Walk Race Walk like a spider by walking on hands and feet with bottoms in the air. Race each other walking this way. Bees in the Garden Draw a large flower on a poster board. Cut out the center of the flower. Take 3 Easter eggs and draw stripes on them. These are bee. Place poster on a stake in the ground so it stands up. Stand a good distance from the poster and toss the bees into the flower. Action Cards Use the attached action cards to perform the buggy actions listed!

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ONLINE RESOURCES
National Geographic The National Geographic has fabulous online resources here: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/ Science Spot There is a wealth of information at the Science Spot here: http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kdzinsect.html Bug Experiments There are some interesting bug experiments here: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/insect-experiments.htm Bug Facts I love this site, especially the glossary and diagrams: http://www.bugfacts.net/index.php Insect Books There are all kinds of insect books available here on Enchanted Learning: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/books/insects/ Power Point Presentations This site has great power point presentations for several insects. I may use these to introduce a new insect. http://animals.pppst.com/insects.html

SONGS
The Ants go Marching Shoo Fly The Itsy Bitsy Spider Im Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Spider on the Floor - Raffi

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SNACKS
Very Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Salad 1 Apple 2 Pears 3 Plums 4 Strawberries 5 Oranges Bunch of mint leaves Peel, pare, seed, hull, and section each fruit. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Then combine in a big bowl and chill. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Ants on a Log Make ants on a log by spreading peanut butter on a celery stick. Stick several raisins across the logthese are the ants! Worms in Dirt Place Oreo cookies in a sandwich bag and let children crush them. Add to a small cup of chocolate pudding. Add gummy worms. Enjoy eating your worms in the dirt! Anthills Make anthills by layering crushed graham crackers on top of chocolate pudding. Add chocolate-covered raisins for the queen ants and mini chocolate chips for the worker ants. Serve in a cup! Caterpillar Snack Spread cream cheese or peanut butter on a celery stick. Add 4 small folded pretzels for the butterfly wings. Add 2 strings of black licorice for antennae. Fruit and Veggie Butterfly Create a butterfly by using a mini carrot as the body. Use pretzel sticks as antennae. Use apple slices (3 on each side) as wings. Decorate with raisins.

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Ritz Spiders Create spiders out of Ritz crackers! You will need: 2 M&Ms eyes Chocolate frosting Pretzel sticks 2 Ritz crackers Peanut butter Spread chocolate frosting on 1 side of a Ritz cracker. Add M&M eyes on top. Break 4 pretzel sticks in half to be the spiders legs. Dip very tips of all 8 pieces in chocolate frosting. Let set. Spread peanut butter on another Ritz cracker. Stick pretzel sticks (not chocolate sides) as spiders legs in the peanut butter. Sandwich the legs in between the 2 crackerschocolate side up! Ritz Caterpillar Spread cream cheese on 4 Ritz crackers. Layer the crackers slightly to create the body of the caterpillar. Decorate the caterpillar as you wish! You could use raisins for eyes and chow mein noodles for legs. Using the same concept, you could spread frosting on Vanilla wafers. You could use thin licorice for legs and M&Ms as eyes. Ladybug Pizza Create a ladybug pizza by making an English muffin pizza. Add tomato sauce and cheese on an English muffin. Add olives down the center in a line. Add spotsin a symmetrical way. (If you put 3 on one side of the center line, add 3 on the other, etc.) After baking, add 2 pretzel sticks as antennae. Fruit Loops Caterpillar Thread Fruit Loops on a pretzel stick. Add a marshmallow head and broken pretzels as antennae. Love Bugs Create a very sweet love bug for your family! Slice ho-hos for the body. Line up in a row. This is the bugs body. Add Twizzlers as legs on the sides
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of the body, Add sliced lifesavers as ears, Smarties as eyes, and lollipops for antennae. Ladybug Pretzels Dip large pretzels into red wafer candies. Let cool on wax paper. Re-dip the very tip (smooth round part) into regular chocolate to create the ladybugs head. Add chocolate dots around the edges to create ladybugs spots. Add eyes.

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BOOKS
Anasai the Spier Gerald McDermott The Ants Go Marching One by One Richard Bernal Are You a Bee? Judy Allen Are You a Butterfly? Judy Allen Are You a Dragonfly Judy Allen Are You a Grasshopper Judy Allen Are You a Ladybug? Judy Allen Are You an Ant? Judy Allen The Beetle Alphabet Book Jerry Pallotta Beetle Bop Denise Fleming Beetles and Other Bugs Anna Claybourne The Best Bug Parade Stuart J. Murphy The Bugliest Bug Carol Diggory Shields Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! - Bob Barner The Bumblebee Queen April Pulley Sayre The Butterfly Alphabet Kjell B. Sandved Creepy Crawly Calypso Tony Langham Crickwing Jannell Cannon From Caterpillar to Butterfly Ceborah Helligman Diary of a Spider Doreen Cronin Good Night, Sweet Butterflies Dawn Bentley The Grouchy Ladybug Eric Carle Hey, Little Ant Phillip M. Hoose How Many Bugs in a Box? - David A. Carter The Icky Bug Alphabet Book Jerry Pallotta In the Tall, Tall Grass Denise Fleming Insect Soup Barry Louis Polisar The Itsy Bitsy Spider Iza Trapani Katrina The Butterfly Nancy Hatzenbihler The Little Red Ant and the Great Big Crumb Shirley Climo The Little Squeegy Bug Bill Martin Jr. Lots of Ladybugs! Michael Dahl Miss Spiders Tea Party David Kirk Old Black Fly Jim Aylesworth One Hundred Angry Ants Quiet as a Cricket Audrey Wood
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Shoo Fly Iza Trapani The Spider and the Fly Mary Howitt Ten Little Ladybugs Melanie Gerth The Very Busy Spider Eric Carle The Very Clumsy Click Beetle Eric Carle The Very Greedy Bee Steve Smallman The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle The Very Lazy Ladybug Isobel Finn The Very Lonely Firefly Eric Carle The Very Quiet Cricket Eric Carle Waiting For Wings Lois Ehlert We Like Bugs Jolene Griffith Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples Ears Verna Aardema

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Songs & Finger plays

The Fuzzy Caterpillar (Tune: The Eensy Weensy Spider) The fuzzy caterpillar Curled upon a leaf. Spun her little chrysalis And then fall asleep. While she was sleeping, She dreamed that she could fly And later when she woke up, She was a butterfly! Bugs, Bugs, Bugs! (Tune: Are You Sleeping?) Big bugs, small bugs. Big bugs, small bugs. See them crawl, up the wall. Creepy creepy crawling. Never, never falling. Bugs, bugs, bugs!

Buggy Anatomy Song (Tune: London Bridge Is Falling Down) Head and thorax, abdomen. Abdomen, abdomen. Head and thorax, abdomen. Thats an insect. Every insect has six legs, has six legs, has six legs. Every insect has six legs. Thats an insect. Antennae to feel their way, feel their way, feel their way. Antennae to feel their way. Thats an insect. The Fuzzy Caterpillar (Tune: The Itsy Bitsy Spider) The fuzzy caterpillar Curled up on a leaf. Spun her little chrysalis And then fell asleep. While she was sleeping, She dreamed that she could fly. And later when she woke up, She was a butterfly! Im a Big Cicada (Tune: Im a Little Teapot) Im a big cicada with eyes of red, I fly around and hit you in the head, I crawl up from the ground And climb a tree. I make a funny noise thats just for me!

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Beehive Fingerplay Here is the beehive (Show fist) Where are the bees? Hidden away where nobody sees. Watch as they come out of their hive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (Show fingers) Theyre alive! BZZZZ (Wiggle fingers) Can You Move With Me? (Tune: Do Your Ears Hang Low?) Can you wiggle like a worm? Can you squiggle? Can you squirm? Can you flutter? Can you fly like a gentle butterfly? Can you crawl upon the ground Like a beetle that is round? Can you move with me?

Hungry Caterpillar Song (Tune: Addams Family) My tummy is fat. (snap, snap) I like it like that. (snap, snap) I wiggle around, I jiggle around, My tummy is fat. (snap, snap) Im a hairy caterpillar Im such a chubby feller I love to eat and eat, Those leaves are such a treat! My tummy is fat. (snap, snap) I like it like that. (snap, snap) I wiggle around, I jiggle around, My tummy is fat. (snap, snap)

The Bugs Are Marching Into Town (Tune: When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again) The bugs are marching into town. Hooray! Hooray! The bugs are in a great big Bug Parade. Some are black and some are red. Some have antenna on their heads. Oh, were oh so glad the bugs could come today. Look, Im a Butterfly! (Tune: Pop Goes the Weasel) I spin and spin my chrysalis (Circle fingers on the palm.) Then go to rest inside. (Circle fingers and rest hand on palm.) When I come out, Ive changed indeed (Open fingers slowly) Look! Im a butterfly! (Fly fingers away)
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Life Cycle Song (Tune: Up On the Housetop) First comes a butterfly who lays an egg. Out comes a caterpillar with many legs. Oh, see the caterpillar spin and spin. A little chrysalis to sleep in. Oh, oh, oh! Look and see! Oh, oh, oh! Look and see! Out of the chrysalis My oh my. Out comes a pretty butterfly! Bug Song (Tune: If Youre Happy and You Know It) Oh, I wish I were an eensy-weensy spider. *Clap, clap. Yes, I wish I were an eensy-weensy spider. *Clap, clap. Id go creepy-creepy crawly down your hall and up your wall-y! Oh, I wish I were an eensy-weensy spider. *Clap, clap. Oh, I wish I were a yellow honeybee. *Stomp, stomp Yes, I wish I were a yellow honeybee. *Stomp, stomp Id go buzzy-buzzy-buzzy and my stripes would all be fuzzy! Oh, I wish I were a yellow honeybee. *Clap, clap. Stomp, stomp. Oh, I wish I were a wiggly caterpillar. *Click, click (with tongue) Yes, I wish I were a wiggly caterpillar. *Click, click Id go munchy-munch-munchy. All the leaves would be my lunch-y! Oh, I wish I were a wiggly caterpillar. *Clap, clap. Stomp, stomp. Click, click. Oh, I wish I were a small red army ant. *Jump, jump. Yes, I wish I were a small red army ant. *Jump, jump. Id go trompy-trompy-trompy over hills and through the swamp-y! Oh, I wish I were a small red army ant. *Clap, clap. Stomp, stomp. Click, click. Jump, jump. Oh, I wish I were a hungry little skeeter. *Shhh, shhh. Yes, I wish I were a hungry little skeeter. *Shhh, shhh. Id go bitey-bitey-bitey when you went outside at night-y. Oh, I wish I were a hungry little skeeter. *Clap, clap. Stomp, stomp. Click, click. Jump, jump. Shhh, shhh.
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COLOR: BLACK
Black Playdough Make black glittery playdough! 1 c. salt 2 c. flour 1 c. boiling water (straight from the pot!) 2 T. oil 2 T. cream of tartar (or a squeeze of lemon juice) A few drops of glycerine to add extra shine and stretch Black food coloring Silver glitter Directions: Mix it all together in a bowl until it starts to come together. Then knead it for a few minutes and add the coloring and glitter. It will be very hot at first! Store in a Ziploc bag in the cupboard. **Activity ideas: Make 10 black spiders! Two Little Blackbirds Fingerplay Two little black birds, Sitting on a hill. (Hold up 2 hands, fingers spread.) One named Jack, (Flap fingers on one hand.) One named Jill. (Flap fingers on other hand.) Fly away Jack. (Flap fingers on first hand and bring behind back.) Fly away Jill. (Flap fingers on other hand and bring behind back.) Come back Jack. (Jack flies back out.) Come back Jill. (Jill flies out.) Two little black birds, (Hold hands out, fingers spread.) Back on the hill. Happy together. Together still. Black Snacks Olives, licorice, black beans, black rice, blackberries, black sesame seeds, dark chocolate.
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Baa Baa Black Sheep This would be a good time to practice this fun nursery rhyme: Baa baa black sheep. Have you any wool? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full. One for the master, One for the dame, And one for the little boy Who lives down the lane. Craft: Create your own black sheep! Stamp hand in black paint. Cut out when dry. Paste cotton balls on the top of your sheeps body (palm area). Draw eyes and mouth on sheeps head (thumb area). Black Song (Tune: Shell Be Coming Round the Mountain) B-l-a-c-k spells black. B-l-a-c-k spells black. Flying bats are black. Scary cats are black. Jelly beans are black. I like black. B-l-a-c-k spells black. B-l-a-c-k spells black. Sunday shoes are black. Santas boots are black. B-l-a-c-k spells black. Black Bear, Black Bear Black bear, black bear, turn around. Black bear, black bear, touch the ground. Black bear, black bear, reach up high. Black bear, black bear, touch the sky. Black bear, black bear, bend down low. Black bear, black bear, touch your toe.
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Color of the Day Activities for any Color Everyone dresses in the color of the day! Add desired color to playdough and use at the art table. Take a walk to look for that particular color of car. Dip cooked spaghetti in the desired color of paint and let it dance across white paper. Make necklaces by stringing buttons of the desired color onto wire. Add food coloring to the white glue. Tint jello, water, milk, or pancakes purple. Go color shopping and walk from room to room shopping for items in the house that are specific color.

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NUMBER: TEN
Handprint Paintings Ask child to paint both of their hands and press them on the paper. Have your child count the number of fingers on their picture. You could do this same thing with their feet! Number 10 Pattern Print the attached number 10 pattern. Decorate it with 10 insect stickers or stamps. Practice counting them. Ten-Petal Daisies Cut 10 white paper petals. Cut 2 round yellow paper circles for daisies centers. Help child glue 10 petals around the flowers. Add stems and practice counting the petals. Rolling for Ten Set out 2 dice. Have your child roll the dice and count the number of spots. Try to roll a 10! Try to make different combinations. Stacking Ten Blocks Set out about 20 blocks. Have a contest stacking blocks. See who can stack 10 blocks without the blocks falling. Ten Black Dots Read Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews. When youre done, cut out 10 black dots. Use them to create a picture. Glue them down when ready and draw around them to create your picture. The dots could become the wheels of a train. They could become eyes. They could even become dots on a ladybug. Ten Olives Place an olive on each of your childs fingers. Have your child count the number of olives on his/her fingers. Top Ten List Make a top ten list with your children. Number them as you go. You might want to make a top ten list of favorite foods, candy, movies, toys, etc.
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Writing 10 Use this rhyme to help your children remember how to write the number 10: Make a stick With your pen. Then add a ball That makes a ten. Ten Fingers Fingerplay I have ten fingers And they all belong to me, I can make them do things Would you like to see? I can shut them up tight. I can open them wide. I can put them together. I can make them all hide. I can make them jump high. I can make them jump low. I can fold them quietly. And hold them just so. Hold up both hands, fingers spread Point to self

Make fists Open hands Place palms together Put hands behind back Hands over head Touch floor Fold hands in lap

Bowling Set up 10 pins (Empty water bottles). Go bowling! Practice counting all 10 pins as you set them up each time. More Ten Songs Ten in a Bed Ten Little Indians Ten Books Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSeig

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LETTER I
I is for Insects Decorate an I to look like an insect. Consider black and yellow stripes with googly eyes and antennae to look like a bumblebee. You could also try decorating it in red with black dots to look like a ladybug. I Formation Create an I using pipe cleaner or craft sticks. I is for Igloo Create an igloo out of sugar cubes! I Snacks Enjoy some I Snacks including Italian Ice, Ice Cream, Idaho Potatoes, Iceberg Lettuce, Italian sausage, Icee, Ice pops, Iced doughnut, Indian curry, and Icing! I Flashcards Follow this link to print your own I flashcards on cardstock. Bind with a book ring and laminate if desired. Practice daily.
http://kizclub.com/flashcards.htm

I Exercises Act like an inchworm. Climb inside something. Make Your Own I book Make the attached I book by coloring the 4 pictures, cut them apart, and use them as your very own I book or flashcards. Review daily. I is for Coloring Pages Use the 3 attached I is for coloring pages to practice tracing and writing capital Is. Color the attached pictures. Creative Writing I like to practice writing in finger paint, shaving cream, sand, or using Crayolas window crayons. Sidewalk chalk is fun, too!
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Bug Action Cards

Instructions Print the attached action cards on cardstock and laminate for durability. Cut apart. Take turns drawing a card and performing the required action.

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Ladybug Dot Game

Print this plain ladybug. Copy as many ladybugs as desired. (You could also laminate a ladybug and use a dry erase marker for this activity.) Roll the dice and count the dots on the dice together. Let the toddler then put the same number of dots on his ladybug using a marker, construction paper, or a stamping pad!

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Butterfly Matching Cards

Instructions Print the attached butterfly matching cards. Print as many cards as you would like! Help child to color butterflies in different ways. After coloring, cut apart on the dotted lines. Mix up the cards and match up the butterflies like puzzles!

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Butterfly Size Sequencing

Print, laminate, and cut out the butterflies. Put the butterflies in order from smallest to largest.

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Bee Stripe Counting

Directions:

Print bees on cardstock. Laminate if desired. Cut around the bees. Help child count the stripes on the bees. If desired, use a dry erase marker to write the numeral on the bees wing.

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Count the Black Cars!

Make a picture graph of how many black cars you can find! Go on a picnic where you can see cars driving by. Color one car for each black car you see. You could also keep track of all the black cars you find throughout the week.

How many black cars did you find? __________________

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Ladybug Math
Directions:

Print ladybugs on cardstock. Laminate if desired. Cut around the lady bugs You can use these ladybugs for a variety of activities:
You can simply count the number of dots on the ladybugs. You could play match by matching the ladybug with the correct numeral that describes the number of dots on its wings. You could also write math sentences about the ladybugs. Add the numbers of dots on both of the ladybug wings. 1 dot on right wing + 1 dot on left wing = 2 dots on the ladybug This is a great introduction to addition!

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Here is the Beehive Flannel Board Fun

This is a great activity to do before or after teaching your child the finger play that goes along with this poem.

Directions: Print Here is the Beehive poem and visual aids. Laminate if desired. Cut around hive and bees. Mount with felt. Use the visual aids to tell the story on a flannel board.

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Here is the Beehive

Here is the beehive Where are the bees? Hidden away where nobody sees. Watch and youll see them Come out of the hive. 1 2 3 4 5 BUZZ!

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Five Little Ladybugs Flannel Board Fun

Directions: Print Five Little Ladybugs poem and visual aids. Laminate if desired. Cut around visual aids. Mount with felt. Use the visual aids to tell the story on a flannel board.

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Five Little Ladybugs

Five little ladybugs climbing up a door. One flew away, and then there were four. Four little ladybugs sitting on a tree. One flew away, and then there were three. Three little ladybugs landed on a shoe. One flew away, and then there were two. Two little ladybugs looking for some fun. One flew away, and then there was one. One little ladybug sitting in the sun. She flew away, and then there were none.

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Bug Patterns

Directions: Print bugs on cardstock. Laminate if desired. Cut apart into individual squares. Organize bugs by type. Create patterns with the bugs.

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Bug Patterns

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ABC Caterpillar

Directions: Print caterpillar circles on cardstock. Laminate if desired. Cut out. Begin with caterpillars face. Use the ABCs to spell out words by placing letter circles in order, creating a caterpillar. Spelling out your childs name would be lots of fun! You could also hide the letters, gather them, and then make them into a long, squiggly ABC caterpillar!

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The old black fly landed on ___________________ Shoo fly! Shoo fly! Shoooo.
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If I were a bug, I would be a ________________.

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I Lacing Card
Print on cardstock. Laminate if desired. Cut out. Use a hole punch to punch holes around the outside border of the letter. Give child a shoelace to lace around the edges of the I. This is great for motor skills development!

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Print this pattern on white cardstock. Decorate the numeral with ten bug stickers or stamps.

10 Pattern

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Im Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee

Im bringing home a baby bumblebee. Wont my mommy be so proud of me? Im bringing home a baby bumblebee. OUCH! It stung me! Im squishing up the baby bumblebee. Wont my mommy be so proud of me? Im squishing up a baby bumblebee. EWWW! Its yucky! Im wiping off the baby bumblebee. Wont my mommy be so proud of me? Im wiping of the baby bumblebee. Now my mommy wont be mad at me!

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You can find more fun learning ideas here: Ohdeedoh http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ Ruths Child Place http://www.archjrc.com/ Perpetual Preschool http://www.perpetualpreschool.com Homeschool Creations http://homeschoolcreations.blogspot.com/ Preschool Toolbox - http://thepreschooltoolboxblog.com/ 123 Child - http://www.123child.com/ Quirky Momma - http://quirkymomma.com/ Everything Preschool - http://www.everythingpreschool.com/ Kid Activities - http://www.kidactivities.net/ Preschool Express - http://www.preschoolexpress.com/ Make and Takes - http://www.makeandtakes.com/ Fairy Dust Teaching - http://fairydustteaching.blogspot.com/ ABC and 123 - http://www.abcand123learning.com/ Stay and Play - http://stayandplaymama.blogspot.com/ DLTK - http://www.dltk-teach.com/ I Can Teach My Child - http://www.icanteachmychild.com/ Kinderpond - http://www.kinderpond.com/ Mama Jenn - http://mama-jenn.blogspot.com/ Homeschool Creations - http://homeschoolcreations.blogspot.com/ Totally Tots - http://totallytots.blogspot.com/ Katherine Marie Photography - http://katherinemariephotography.com/ PreKinders - http://prekinders.com/ Kiz Club - http://kizclub.com/ Imagination Tree - http://www.theimaginationtree.com/

CREDITS

Many of the cute fonts and clip art comes from www.djinkers.com Used with permission of DJ Inkers.
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