Z z zebras, zippers, and zoo

Z z zebra day:  I added in zippers and zoo too.

After singing our phonics song, which we have decided to sing in our graduation program now, we made Z's (and then a few other letters) out of old zippers.  I have a collection of them.  Of course I do.

Then we read, Milia's Big Day by Thea Feldman.  It has a fictional story of a zebra told through real photographs.  There are also blurbs with real zebra facts.  I let the leader hold my wooden zebra.  I wasn't real sure what else to do with him since I only had one.   I have had him since I was little.  I think someone brought him to me from a vacation.

Then we used the alphabet 'quilt' to sort out some zoo animals.  The kids did surprisingly well with this.  They each did two and then wanted me to do the rest.  Sometimes they loose interest so shortly, other times they can really get into an activity.  You just never know which will be the case.

At some point I read this fun story, Inside a Zoo in the City by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (who also writes the Biscuit books).  I was actually looking for a rebus story to do this activity with, so it worked out well.  As I read it, we added the animal pictures to the felt board so that the kids could help me read it.  It's a very repetitive story and they caught on quickly. 

Then we played a game similar to hullabaloo. I had cut out 30 or so large felt shapes.  There was a red, green, blue, brown, pink (only because those are the colors I had on hand) of each of theses shapes; triangle, circle, heart, square.  Each shape had an animal pictured on it.  The animals were ocean animals, African animals, pets, birds, or forest animals.  The kids started on a shape and then I called out something like... "hop to a red shape,"  then, "tip toe to a bird,"  then, "march to a circle."  After several 'moves,'  I'd say, "Who is on the monkey (or whatever animal)?"  That person would cheer and then we'd start again.  It was fun, but the kids were ready to be done, so we only played a little.  It's sad sometimes something you spend a lot of time on doesn't get much love. 

While parents arrived a the end of the day, we played with these animal feet and animal ears pieces.  they are from KidzClub.

The craft for the day was the last of the big letters.  It's a Z z zebra.  We have all of our letters done and Lou's room walls are so colorful and full of letters.  I love it!