Animal Antics

Hungry puppies, clothespin zoos, and plastic bottle critters all make up this week's set of summer fun. These ideas will help keep your child's mind active through those dog days of summer (pun definitely intended). Throw on your zebra stripes, slap on your rhinoserous horn, and let the animal antics begin!

Table of Contents
Week 4: Animal Antics Rolling Dog Toy Animal Dice! Puppy Paper Bag Puppet Write a Letter to Martha Plastic Bottle Critters! Animal Scramble Dogs on Ice Write a Dog Sentence Fix the Sentences: Dog Days of Summer Rainforest Animal Matching Game Animal Word Search Martha Speaks: Doggie Dictionary Clothespin Animals Summer Reading Essentials More to Explore!

Hungry puppies, clothespin zoos, and plastic bottle critters all make up this week's set of summer fun. These ideas will help keep your child's mind active through those dog days of summer (pun denitely intended). Throw on your zebra stripes, slap on your rhinoceros horn, and let the animal antics begin!

This Week We're Doing...

Rolling Dog Toy Animal Dice! Puppy Paper Bag Puppet Write a Letter to Martha Clothespin Jungle Plastic Bottle Critters! Animal Scramble Write a Dog Sentence Fix the Sentences: Dog Days of Summer Martha Speaks: Doggie Dictionary Rainforest Animal Matching Game Animal Word Search

This Week Well Need...

Flimsy paper plate Markers or crayons Scissors Hole punch Drinking straw, cut in half 2 small empty spools 2 small cartons such as single-serving milk or juice cartons or half and half cartons Tape Glue Construction paper in various colors Pictures of 6 different animals (stickers or photos from oneline will work) Plastic soda bottle, washed and dried Rubber band Recycled household items such as old clothing, clean egg cartons, cardboard food or packing boxes, paper towel or toilet paper tubes, newspapers, or magazines Clothespins (in various sizes if you like) Cardstock

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Rolling Dog Toy

Looking for a new toy for your preschooler, but you don't want to spend any money? Here's the perfect activity. Together, you and your child will make a simple toy that will provide hours of fun playtime when you're all done. As you work together, she'll get the chance to paint, draw, build, and learn. The best part? You should be able to find all the materials you need lying around your house.

What You Need:

Flimsy paper plate Markers or crayons Scissors Hole punch Drinking straw, cut in half 2 small empty spools

What You Do:

1. Help your child fold the paper plate in half, then outline a profile of a dog on the plate so the fold will run down the center of the dog's back. 2. Cut out the dog, and have her decorate it with markers or crayons. 3. Have her fold the front legs together while you punch a hole in them 1/4 inch from the bottom. Do the same for the back legs. 4. Slip one half of your straw through a hole in the front leg. Put a spool over the straw, then put the straw through the hole in the other leg. Even out the straw and trim it so that 1/2 an inch sticks out from each side. 5. Repeat the same process on the back legs. 6. Now your dog will stand up on the spools. Give him a little push and watch him roll! You can make more rolling creatures in the same way. Let your child decide what other rolling animal toys she wants. After you've made a few, have a race and see which animal wins! Excerpted from "Make These Toys: 101 Clever Creations from Everyday Items" Copyright 2010 by Heather Swain. Used by Permission of Penguin Group Inc., New York All Rights Reserved. Downloaded from Education.com

Animal Dice
Looking for a fun way to encourage imaginative play? Get your preschooler to craft her own "critter dice"cute, six-sided, animal-themed dice. All it takes are two two single-serving milk or juice cartons, and some adorable animal images! These dice are a surefire way to bring out her inner animal lover and inspire storytelling and acting.

What You Need:

2 small cartons such as single-serving milk or juice cartons or half and half cartons Scissors Tape Glue Construction paper Pictures of 6 different animals (stickers or online photos from a zoo site will work)

What You Do:

1. While your child is drinking the carton of milk or juice, encourage him to help you find pictures of his six favorite animals. Use stickers or go to a zoo website and print off photos of six animals such as a kangaroo, a giraffe, a boa constrictor, a giant tortoise, a flamingo, a crocodile, or whatever else comes to mind! 2. Once the cartons are empty, cut the tops off so that you have open-topped cubes. Get your young crafter to wash and dry the cartons. 3. Slip one open cube over the other like a box and lid. 4. Next, help him cover it with construction paper, gluing or taping the paper into place. 5. Now it is time to cut out the animal photos. Have him glue one on each side of the Critter Cube. 6. Let the glue dry, and then you and your child are ready to play. Did you roll a kangaroo? Then it's time for everyone to get hopping! Expand on this activity by having each player perform a different action that the animal would do. A giraffe can gallop, then stretch down low to drink, or reach up high to eat leaves. The last player to add an action to the round gets to roll the dice to figure out what animal comes next! Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Make a Paper Bag Puppet

Cut out the parts to the puppy and tape or glue them to a paper lunch bag, and youve got a cute puppet!

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Plastic Bottle Animals

Celebrate Earth Day by making colorful animal friends with recycled materials from around the house. This activity will spark your child's interest in DIY projects and teach her that many things we often see as trash can be re-purposed for other uses. Go on a scavenger hunt before you begin to hunt down as many recycled materials and objects as you can!

What You Need:

Plastic soda bottle, washed and dried Clear drying, non-toxic glue Tape Rubber band Scissors Reused household items such as old clothing, clean egg cartons, cardboard food or packing boxes, paper towel or toilet paper tubes, newspapers, or magazines Markers or tempera paint/paint brush (optional)

What You Do:

1. Start by having your child pick an animal to make. Choose a favorite furry creature, or go with an animal from another country or continent. Try looking in animal books or on the Internet for inspiration. 2. Now make your animal. Have your child decorate the soda bottle with reused fabrics, cut up pieces of old newspapers or magazines, or other textured materials. Encourage her to cut the decorations into shapes that match the patterns or markings on her animal's body, then attach the decorations with glue. 3. What kind of head does your animal have? Use materials you have on hand to make a head for your animal. One idea is to use an old sock filled halfway with newspaper. Place the sock over the mouth of the bottle, then secure in place with a rubber band. 4. Help your child add legs and a tail (if your animal has one). Trimmed toilet paper/paper towel tubes or egg carton segments are good ideas for legs, and old socks make great tails. Encourage your child to be creative, using whatever materials are available to create her animal's body parts. 5. Now add ears, a face, and any other embellishments. Have her glue cut up pieces of recycled paper or cardboard to her animal's head for a face. 6. Once the constructing is done, encourage your child to decorate her animal with markers or tempera paint, if using. If you find that your animal is not standing up straight, try weighing it down with small rocks, gravel, or sand. Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Animal Scramble!
Unscramble the names of the animals. Use the highlighted letters to unscramble the name of another animal.

Reptiles

UTRELT IATGOLALR SANEK COCROLIED

Birds

SAWN OSOEG PRARTO UCKD ICENKHC

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Dogs on Ice
You and your kids can stay cool through the "dog days of summer" with this fun activity from PBS KIDS' Martha Speaks...and you'll build your kid's vocabulary, too! Click here to get started. Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Kindergarten

Write a Sentence
Dog

Trace then write the word dog on the lines below.

Use the word dog in a sentence.

Draw a picture in the box to go with your sentence.

se Follow the raw steps to d dog! your own

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Dog Days
These sentences are written incorrectly. Rewrite each sentence correctly.

dog runs. The

the dog rolls around

The sits dog.

the dog chews the bone

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Cut out the cards to play a matching game! See if you can learn all their names.

helmet vanga

parsons chameleon

swallow-tailed hummingbird

african grey parrot

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There are 17 animal names hidden in the word search below. Circle the words as you nd them and then cross each name o the list below the puzzle.

Word SearchANIMALS

DOLPHIN EAGLE SEAL LION HORSE KITTEN RABBIT

WOLF LAMB GIRAFFE DEER KOALA GOAT MOUSE BIRD PANDA BEAR
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Martha Speaks: Doggie Dictionary

What better way for your kids to gather their dog knowledge than with a doggie dictionary? This activity from PBS KIDS' Martha Speaks will get you started. Image: Marth Speaks: Courtesy of all characters and underlying marterials from the Martha books TM and Susan Meddaugh. All other characters and underlying materials TM and 2013 WGBH. Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Clothespin Animals
Transform paper and clothespins into endearing animal pals with this easy and delightful DIY craft. Your child will use the animal templates to create mammals, reptiles and birds ready to ignite her imagination.

What You Need:

Animal clothespin template #1 Animal clothespin template #2 Scissors Regular clothespins Tiny clothespins White card stock paper Printer

What You Do:

1. Help your child print out the clothespin animal templates on white card stock paper. 2. Have her use scissors to cut out each animal. 3. Explain to your child that her clothespins will be the legs for the paper animals. The regular clothespins will be for the bigger animals, and the tiny clothespins will be for the smaller ansimals. 4. Show her how to clip clothespins to the highlighted areas at the bottom of each animal. 5. Can her clothespin animals stand up? Help her adjust the "legs" until each animal can balance on its clothespins. 6. For the moveable clothespin animals, your kindergartener might need help adjusting each clothespin to make the animals bite and grab in just the right way. 7. If your child wants to get creative, let her use scissors and crayons to make trees, houses, barns and other props out of card stock. 8. Have her attach clothespins to each new prop so that they can stand up. 9. Once she has everything created, she can create a story with her clothespin animals and homemade props. Ask your child to name each of her animals before letting her figure out what adventures her new friends are about to begin. Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

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More to Explore!
Encourage your animal lover to become a word lover, too, with do-it-yourself ideas from PBS KIDS Martha Speaks. Image Credit: Courtesy of All characters and underlying materials from the Martha books TM and Susan Meddaugh. All other characters and underlying materials TM and 2013 WGBH. Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Answer Sheets
Animal Antics
Animal Scramble Animal Word Search

Animal Scramble!
Unscramble the names of the animals. Use the highlighted letters to unscramble the name of another animal.

Reptiles

UTRELT SANEK

T U R T L E S N A K E I G U A N A
Birds

IATGOLALR A L L I G A T O R COCROLIED C R O C O D I L E

SAWN OSOEG UCKD

S W A N G O O S E

PRARTO P A R R O T

D U C K ICENKHC C H I C K E N P E N G U I N
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Word SearchANIMALS
ANSWER KEY

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Created by :