Animals of the Arctic!

We learned all about animals of the arctic. Here are the activities and crafts that went along with our arctic theme:
-First of all, we welcomed Elijah into our group! It was also fun to have Evelyn visiting with us for today.

-After our introduction and show and shares, we placed my felt animals onto two different felt boards. One board was for animals who live in the arctic, and the other board was for animals who typically live where it is much warmer. The kids loved doing this, and were excited to tell

me various facts they know about different animals.
-Then we read all about penguins and polar bears in these books:

-I should say that the polar bear book has some gruesome pictures of a polar bear eating animals and you see a little blood in the pictures. I wasn't planning on showing these pages in case some kids are too sensitive, but Annie saw it and piped in that they can all handle it since they aren't little anymore. :)

-We talked about how penguins slide on the bellies more than walk, and how the blubber on both animals helps them stay warm in such cold climates.
-The kids put a ball between their legs and practiced waddling like a penguin.
-They also slid on their bellies across the living room to "move" like a penguin. It was pretty funny to watch!
-Then we watched a really, really cute video I got from the library. We just watched a short 5 minute clip. The entire video is filled with catchy songs and footage of penguins sliding, diving, walking, etc. The entire time Ava, Annie, and Evelyn kept saying, "Ohhhh, how cute!!!" (Girls are so funny!) Here is the video in case you want to check it out:

-We did a craft at the table where they made a picture of a snowy scene with a polar bear, a penguin, and crumpled up tissue paper for snow. Here they are at work:

-After a yummy snack of apple wedges and whole grain fishes (a little healthier) and some juice, they had some playtime until the end.
-I have to say that this day was one of my most fun days I have ever had. The kids were really well behaved and there weren't any problems.
Thanks for an enjoyable day!