Mammals & Reptiles

We had lots of fun this week talking about mammals and reptiles and how they differ.

On Thursday, we talked about the characteristics of mammals: warm-blooded (which I think was a bit over their heads), have hair, feed young with milk, give birth to live babies.

We had cheese sticks for a snack and discussed how some of the food we get comes from mammals (particularly the cow variety!)

The kids made lion masks (which I chose because it incorporated both triangles and fringing which were a couple of the things we're working on this month).

We also sang the Repeat-After-Me song, "We're Going on a Lion Hunt" which I think the kids really got a kick out of, especially when it was time to run away from the lion.

On Friday, we talked about Reptiles and a few of their characteristics: cold-blooded (again, I think a bit over the kids' heads), scales, don't feed their young milk, lay eggs.

We had turtle snacks. They're supposed to be Ritz crackers with a smear of peanut butter. The kids then use pretzels to make legs and a tail. Of course, if you're like me and forget to pick up the Ritz crackers and tiny pretzels at the grocery store, then you use another kind of round cracker, chow mein noodles, and throw in craisins so they can make a head for the little guy. Here are some of their creations:

We also sang the Tiny Tim Turtle Song:

I had a little turtle. (Make a turtle by laying one hand flat on top of the other.)

His name was Tiny Tim.

I put him in the bathtub,

To see if he could swim. (Wiggle thumbs to make your "turtle" swim.)

He drank up all the bubbles. (Make drinking gesture.)

He ate up all the soap. (Make eating gesture.)

And then a little bubble

Got stuck up in his throat. (Point to throat.)

Bubble, bubble, bubble,

Bubble, bubble, bubble,

Bubble, bubble, bubble,

Bubble, bubble, POP! (Start with hands close together like you're holding a small ball, and each time you say "bubble" move your hands further apart until they're stretched out on either side. When the bubble pops, clap your hands together.)

We also made a paper plate snake and discussed how mammals and reptiles are different.

I also was going to have the kids do a sorting game on the computer but we never got around to it. Go here if you want to try it on your own.