Sweet Smiles Preschool: Sea Turtles...

On Wednesday we learned about sea turtles!

The kids started out their day working in their workbooks.
They worked on the letter W in their literacy workbook...

They also colored a sea turtle color-by-number activity in their math workbook...

During circle time we sang:

"Flap your flippers up and down,

up and down, up and down.

Flap your flippers up and down.

Swim sea turtle."

(Sung to the tune of "London Bridges.")

For our first activity I showed the kids the following photos and informational cards Mother Goose Time provided. Each card showed the difference between a tortoise and a sea turtle.

Before reading the fun facts, I asked the kids to point out the differences and similarities they noticed between the two animals. Then after reading each fact, the kids acted the movements out.

N puffed up his stomach for a pretend shell...

Swimming like a sea turtle...

Climbing like a tortoise...

Digging like a tortoise...

For our next activity, I asked the kids what they thought it would be like to live on an island. They had A LOT to share! I took down the world map and asked the kids to point to as many islands on the map as they could. I told them there was a place called the Galapagos Islands. A few of the kids assumed their was haunted houses and ghosts on these islands. I was a bit confused, but then I realized they were thinking ghosts because of the ending of the word, "GalapaGOS." I reassured them that the Galapagos Islands were not haunted. Lol!
One volunteer labeled the Galapagos Islands on our map with a sticker. We sang our continent song, and then we reviewed the names of the other places we have learned about so far this year.

I showed the kids the flag for the Galapagos Islands (top left), and then we compared and contrasted this flag to the other flags we have learned about...

Before beginning our next activity, I read the book Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! I asked the kids what they think can harm a sea turtle. I explained that sea turtle eggs are laid on the beach. When the eggs hatch, the babies must run for the water before land predators, such as dogs, skunks, raccoons, or rats, can get them. This is the PERFECT book for today's lesson! It is a story about a mommy sea turtle who lays eggs on a beach in the sand. The babies hatch and try to make their way to the ocean. The babies encounter a lot of obstacles, but with the help of small hands (and the reader's interaction with the text), they make their way to the water. One female turtle in particular is followed throughout the story. The text and illustrations show how the turtle grows, and eventually makes new eggs of her own. The kids LOVE this book because each time the turtle encounters a new obstacle, the kids have to shout out "Turtle, Turtle, WATCH OUT!!!!!" The kids feel they are making a difference in the story by alarming the turtle of the unseen obstacle.

Mother Goose provided each child with a turtle game board, baby turtle/egg cards, and a pompom ball. The kids cut apart their baby turtle/egg cards...

The kids tossed their pompom ball onto their game board.
(Check out his concentration with his tongue! Lol!)

When their pompom ball landed on the game board, the kids identified what letter, number, or sight word it landed on. They flipped over the matching egg card that had the same letter/number/sight word on it. The egg card revealed a baby turtle on the opposite side. The kids played until all of their turtle's hatched! I LOVE this game because it incorporated the sight words we are learning about this month!!!!

While outside we played a turtle race game! One person pretended to be the predator....

The rest of the kids lined up on one side of the yard and pretended to be the turtle eggs. I yelled "1, 2, 3, HATCH!" The kids ran all the way across the yard to the playground area. We pretended the playground area was the ocean. They tried not to get tagged by the predator along the way or they had to freeze. They played again and again! Each person wanted to have a chance to be the predator. The kids got A LOT of exercise!

The weather was so beautiful outside, so I took our radio out and played our closing song for the kids. I played the song, "Do What Fish Do" on our Ocean Commotion CD. It was a slow song, so I told the kids to use their arms and legs as flippers and swim slowly and calmly. I encouraged them to try to stay together in a group as though they were migrating sea turtles.

After playing for a while, we still did not want to come back inside yet, so....

We had our FIRST PICNIC of the season! YAY!!!!!

For story time I read this book...

It was a cute book about a sea turtle who was born the color blue instead of green. The other sea turtles laughed at him...

The sea turtle ventured off on his own and met other sea animals along the way. Each animal was sad and needed a friend to help them. The sea turtle helped each animal....