Spring is here and what better way to welcome the season than with kites? This colorful kite craft is a delightful extension to the book Kite Day: A Bear and Mole Story by Will Hillenbrand.
Bear looked at the sky. Could it be? he wondered. He tilted his head up. WHIFF. WHIFF. WHIFF. He smiled and then shouted, “Kite Day!”
Bear and his best friend Mole passionately work together to make a kite for this very special occasion. Finally, the kite is soaring up, up, up! But when a storm rolls in…SNAP! The kite string breaks and Bear and Mole run after it. They find it resting in a tree protecting a nest of baby birds from the pelting rain, and are subsequently greeted by a very thankful mama bird.
Hillenbrand does a wonderful job of emphasizing the pro-social themes of friendship, cooperation, and sharing. Children enjoy the adorable characters and the way the golden kite, with its vibrant rainbow tail, stands out against Hillenbrand’s classic, muted watercolor illustrations. This darling tale makes a perfect read-aloud for preschoolers.
So what are you waiting for? Grab the book, download our kite template, gather up some collage materials, and join in on the fun. We used crepe paper for the tails, but yarn will work as well. Be sure to discuss the order of the rainbow with your learners, and to encourage older children to cut out their own kites and to tie their own bows (just a starting knot).
Let’s have some fun with shapes! This My Big Book of Shapes contains 21 printable worksheets that practice the following skills: 2D shape recognition, counting, one-to-one correspondence, number recognition, visual discrimination, fine motor (tracing and drawing), shape formation, and following directions.
Detailed directions for this resource are also provided. There are 2 worksheets per shape. To ensure that this resource is developmentally appropriate for a wide range of learners, simply include or omit the pages of your choice. Sheets for both rhombus and diamond are included.
If you are not wanting your students to produce a book, these worksheets can be used individually; e.g. shape of the week.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle, is one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. This charming tale of a tiny and very hungry caterpillar who eats a large quantity of food and then changes into a beautiful butterfly has entertained little ones for almost 50 years.
This classic story presents many learning concepts such as counting, colors, the days of the week and, most importantly, the life cycle of a butterfly.
Additionally, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, with its vibrant and delightful illustrations, inspires creativity. Here we have our very own hungry caterpillar. Students will paint their egg cartons and glue the eyes on (Tacky Glue works best). Simply poke a couple of holes in the top and supply children with fuzzy sticks for the antennae.
Blotto butterflies are a fun and simple craft that teaches symmetry. Supply your learners with a butterfly (older children should be encouraged to cut out their own) and some tempra paint. Students will place dollops of paint on one side of the butterfly only. They will then fold the insect in half and hold it down with one hand. Using their helper hands, students will smooth out the folded paper, spreading the paint inside. Prompt them to open up their butterflies very carefully.
Discuss how each wing is symmetrical, or a “mirror image of each other”. Activities such as this help to bolster children’s natural sense of balance which, in turn, helps to develop their observation, classification, and patterning skills.
After the paint has dried children may glue on the antennae.
We're Gigi and Zoey. We teach a two-year program (preschool and pre-k), and we're passionate about Early Childhood Education and the philosophy that children learn through play. Our goal is to prepare children for kindergarten while making learning fun.
We hope that our resources inspire you, and that you will share them with your little ones.
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