On Monday, January 4th we started the new year with a new Mother Goose theme: Going on Safari! I am always so thrilled to teach the kids about different places in our world! This should be a fun month! Our topic for the day was all about passports. For part of our circle time discussion, I asked the kids to ask their parents where they live, where they were born, and if they have passports or not.
Mother Goose always provides us with monthly parent newsletters! I have always considered these to be very valuable!
This is the weekly breakdown for our theme...
During circle time we pointed to what country we live in. I explained that we are citizens of the country we where we were born. If we travel to another country we need a passport. (We also sang the continent song!)
Next, we sang "I Need a Passport" to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot."
Next, I asked the kids what types of activities or sports they like to do. One child said, "Soccer" and another child said, "Playing at the park." I asked them to tell me which sport or activity they would need to sign up for in order to be able to play. I also explained that if we go to a different country, we have to sign in when we enter the country. Mother Goose provided the kids with new name tags to practice signing their name...
Once the kids completed their name tags, they looked for matching letters throughout the classroom. They especially took interest in finding matching letters on our world map...
In our classroom everything is labeled...
Next, Mother Goose provided each child with their very own passport and wooden spool to use as a stamp...
The passport contained pictures of all the continents as well as a few blank pages...
I printed off a photo of each child...this made it seem more real to them!
For this activity Mother Goose provided us with a continent cube. I cut apart our cube and placed the pictures inside a pocket cube that we have. This ensures us that the paper cube will not be crushed as the kids play with it.
The kids took turns rolling the continent cube. They matched up the continent they rolled to the same continent in their passport. Then they stamped their page with their wooden spool and colored that page. The kids ABSOLUTELY LOVED this!
It was so much fun to watch their creativity soar with this activity!
J wanted to run to the climbing room every time he stamped his page. He sat on the climber and pretended to drive an airplane to each destination! :)
On the blank page of her passport, K invented her own country...SPIDERTOWN! :)
Next, the kids worked on a couple of pages from their math and literacy workbooks...
This was our book for the day...
In the afternoon I set out four stations that the kids had to "sign-up" for. They could float from station to station, but they were asked to sign their name on a piece of paper that was attached to a clipboard. This was to reinforce that we need to sign in when we enter a new country when we travel.
Station #1: Measuring with the continent cube...
I cut four pieces of yarn in different lengths. I set out the world map, beanbags, and the continent cube. The kids rolled the continent cube and then tried to toss a beanbag and get it to land on the same continent on the world map. Then they measured how close they got with the right piece of yarn...
Station #2: Map Making!
I set out blank paper. crayons, ink pads, and the wooden spools for stamps. The kids were free to explore, create, and have fun! I encouraged them to make a map, but they were not required to.
Station #3: Magnatiles and wheeled toys at the light table...
Station #4: Airport Dramatic Play!
I set out a pilot costume, a talking world globe, a talking USA map, airplane tickets, passports, a whole puncher and stamps. This was the kids favorite station! They could act out and pretend to travel the world!
Eating on the airplane!
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