Materials
- large picture cards of farm animals
- and baby farm animals
- music
Preparation
- Set up chairs in musical chairs formation.
What to Do
1. Hold up each picture and have the children identify the animal. Have the children take turns matching animals to their babies.
2. Tape a baby animal picture to each chair. Give each child a picture of a mother farm animal.
3. Have the children walk around the chairs as you play music. When the music stops, children quickly find their matching baby animal and sit down.
4. Have each child name their animal and their baby animal.
5. Give the children different mother animals and play again.
Songs
Sing the following with the children: "The Farmer in the Dell," "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," and "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
Teacher - to - Teacher Tip
If your group is very large, play with half the group at a time.
Assessment
Consider the following
- Can the children name the various farm animals?
- Can the children match the farm animals to their babies?
-Sandra Ryan, Buffalo, NY
Instructions
1. Explain to the children that they will be making fish prints using a technique
called gyotaku (gyo: fish, taku: rubbing). Gyotaku (gee-oh-tah-koo) is the
Japanese art of fish printing. This is said to have originated in the early 1800s
in Asia by sportsmen to preserve records of their catches. It then developed
into an art form.
2. Use rubber fish with detailed fins and scales. The children usually enjoy
exploring the fish and its parts.
3. Let each child paint a fish.
4. Demonstrate how to place a piece of paper on top
of the fish and then rub the paper to make a
fish print. Carefully peel off the paper to
reveal the fish print.
5. Supply pictures of different fish for
children to view. Provide
magnifying glasses for children
to get a close look.
6. Send a note home with the
fish that explains the art
form of Gyotaku.
Tip: These make great gifts as
note cards, prints on T-shirts
(with fabric paint), and
framed pictures.
