The Pets Themed Activities were a hit with all involved – learning about pets and their homes, making sandwiches that looks like dogs, building animal homes, making split-pin pet characters and pets out of 2D shapes, and pretending to visit a pet store.
Pets Themed Activities
Creative Space
Play dough, stamps, scissors, lacing beads and cards, puzzles and blocks are set out for the children to choose from, and get creative during this 30 minute period.
Pets Themed Circle Time
Every day during Circle Time we do the morning routine, which includes the Calendar and ‘Number, Color, Shape and Letter of the week’. We then read a story, sing a few songs and do a group activity.
On every Monday we change the ‘Classroom Helpers’ Classroom Jobs. Each child has a name card on a popsicle stick, and they get to choose their job of the week.
Pets Themed Circle Time Activities
Activity 1: Weekend News
Every Monday morning each child gets a chance to talk about their weekend and what they did. The children then draw a picture in the ‘weekend news’ journal, and the teacher writes down what they have said.
Activity 2: Movement Cards
Print out and laminate the cards. After reading the story ‘Some Pets’ by Angela Diterlizzi, use these cards for Animal Sounds and Movement Charades. You can also find the read aloud video on YouTube.
Activity 3: Blippi visits and Animal Shelter
Visit the animal shelter with Bliipi with this 15 mins video.
Print out and laminate the movement cards. Show the children the cards and let them copy the movements.
Activity 4: Where is the cat?
Cut out and laminate the cat that you will find in the free lesson plan. Hide the cat somewhere in the room and let children take turns to guess where it is.
Pets Themed Songs
Eighteen action songs and rhymes all about Pets to get those bodies moving and grooving. Click on the image to head over to the post.
Pets Themed Books
Twenty-six of the best story picture books that are perfect for a theme all about Pets. Click on the image below to read what these books are about.
Pets Themed Literacy Activities
EMERGENT READER
This is an emergent reader that focuses on pet’s vocabulary as well as 3 sight words; this, is and my. The pet words can be traced. Simply print double-sided, assemble and read! The sight word writing activity should be the last page.
Center 1: Rhyming Puzzles Writing Center
There are 4 printable sheets in this Writing Center. Simply print and laminate for re-use. Children will match the puzzles of the animals and their rhyming partners. With each puzzle they complete, they find the animal on the recording sheet and write its rhyming partner next to it. This is a great hands-on activity for kids to learn all about rhyming while also practicing their writing skills.
Center 2: Bingo
Place all of the call-out cards in a bucket, hat or bag and mix them up. The caller should select a card without looking. Have players mark the square with a picture of the same beginning sound with a chip when they hear a letter that appears on their card. Players shout “BINGO!” when they get a full line (vertical, horizontal or diagonal) or a full card.
Pets Themed Math Activities
Center 1: Add it, Build it Write it Center
Print and laminate the center. During center time, the children roll 2 dice, use cubes to build the amount, place it on a picture of a pet, then write the amount.
Center 2: Pets Race Board Game
Cut out the ‘Take a Chance’ cards and stick the ‘?’ cards on the back. Then laminate.
Rules: Each child throws a dice. The child with the highest number starts first, Throw the dice. Move that many spaces forward. Look at the space you landed on and say the name of the animal out loud. Now pick up a ‘Take a Chance’ card. If the animal on the card is the same as the animal you landed on; you get to keep the cards. If the animal on the card and the background color is the same as the space you landed on, you get to keep the card and throw the dice again. Continue until all players have finished the game. The one with the most cards wins.
Activity Sheets: Extend the patterns
Hand out some plastic beads and string and ask the children to make patterned necklaces using 2 attributes Hand out the activity sheets. Children cut the pictures out and paste it to complete the patterns.
2D Shapes Activity: Creating Pets
Pets Themed Art
I found this super cute Pets themed split-pin characters over at sparklebox.co.uk. Click on the image to head over to their blog to download the free printable cat, dog, fish, parrot, rabbit and mouse templates. You’ll need some paper fasteners (about 6 per child) to complete the activity.
Pets Themed Science: Animal Homes
For the free printables in this activity head over to Kizclub.com and to Sparklebox.co.uk. First of all, I talked about animals and their homes and used the sorting cards from Sparklebox.com to show the children examples of each. We then did the accordion book together. I cut out and assembled the books beforehand to save time and the children cut the pictures of the animals out and glued them onto the correct spots.
STEM: Dog Kennel STEM challenge
I got the fantastic idea for this activity over at Pinterest. I could not access the blog where it came from, but thought the idea was too cute not to share.
Pets Themed Snack Idea
I also found the idea for this healthy dog look alike sandwich at Pinterest. Once again there was no source, but you will need rice crackers, blueberries, crackers, round cookies and cranberries. Put these all together as seen in the picture, and enjoy!
Click on the images below to download the Pets Themed Math & Literacy Centers, Printables and Activities.
