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handprint

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

September 12, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, we’re making a letter Y handprint craft. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more handprint crafts and preschool ideas.

And we’re featuring a yak, a fun new animal to introduce to your preschooler or kindergartener.

There is just something so precious about those first little handprint crafts with tiny fingers that won’t stay that way for long.

Too, they are so proud of the finished product.

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

My main focus during the preschool years is reading good quality books.

Reading aloud develops imagination, vocabulary, language development, listening skills, comprehension, and helps grow their focus and attention.

I found the absolute cutest story that went right along with our activity and of course “we” had to model our yak after the little hero of the story Gertie.

The book is The Littlest Yak. A cute must read with your littles.

While Gertie is adorable, yaks really are amazing animals that live in the high mountains of the Himalayas. Yaks are very important to the people of the Himalayas

Known for their long, shaggy fur and their big horns, yaks are found in the high mountains of Asia.

What makes them so amazing is that yaks are very strong and can carry incredibly heavy loads.

They are also very gentle and friendly animals.

People in the Himalayas use yaks for many things.

For example, they are used to transport goods, to pull plows, and to provide milk and meat.

Books about the Continent of Asia for Kids

Also, grab some of these books to read about Asia to your child.

I love to use living books when I can find them.

9 Asia Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Asia is a large continent but I try to list some of our favorites.

Prairie Lotus

Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, in a small town in America’s heartland, in 1880. Hanna’s adjustment to her new surroundings, which primarily means negotiating the townspeople’s almost unanimous prejudice against Asians, is at the heart of the story.

A Single Shard

Tree-ear is fascinated by the celedon ware created in the village of Ch’ulp’o. He is determined to prove himself to the master potter, Min—even if it means making a solitary journey to present Min’s work in the hope of a royal commission . . . or arriving at the royal court with nothing but a single celadon shard.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

The star of her school’s running team, Sadako is lively and athletic…until the dizzy spells start. Then she must face the hardest race of her life—the race against time. Based on a true story, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes celebrates the courage that makes one young woman a heroine in Japan. 

The Big Wave

Kino lives on a farm on the side of a mountain in Japan. His friend, Jiya, lives in a fishing village below. Everyone, including Kino and Jiya, has heard of the big wave. No one suspects it will wash over them, until the rushing water sweeps away the whole village—including Jiya's family.

One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale

Long ago in India, there lived a raja who believed that he was wise and fair. But every year he kept nearly all of the people's rice for himself. Then when famine came, the raja refused to share the rice, and the people went hungry. Then a village girl named Rani devises a clever plan. She does a good deed for the raja, and in return the raja lets her choose her reward. Rani asks for just one grain of rice, doubled every day for thirty days. Through the surprising power of doubling, one grain of rice grows into more than one billion grains of rice - and Rani teaches the raja a lesson about what it truly means to be wise and fair.Demi's exquisitely detailed art, inspired by traditional Indian miniature paintings, combine with her simple retelling to convey the heart and wisdom of this satisfying mathematical tale.

I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade

A moving and heartfelt story about the lengths one would go to help their family.

When Oyuna was a baby, a horse accidentally crushed her foot, cursing her family with bad luck. Oyuna vows to restore good fortune to her family…but how?

One fateful day, soldiers from the great Khan's army invade her village to steal horses and gather new soldiers. In hopes of bringing honor to her family, Oyuna courageously disguises herself as a boy and joins the soldiers on their quest. With only her horse and her cat to keep her company, Oyuna sets off on an amazing journey across deserts and mountains―a journey that will change her life forever.

The Golden Hawks of Genghis Khan

"You must not speak of the Golden Hawks! Word easily flies down the caravan trails to the ears of the Mongols in the land of Genghis Khan. And then, Jalair, the Mongols will come and slay you!"

The Story about Ping

Ping, the spirited little duck who lives on a boat on the Yangtze River. Ping's misadventures one night while exploring the world around his home form the basis of this timeless classic, which is brought to life by Kurt Wiese's warm and poignant illustrations.

The Littlest Yak

A little yak yearns for BIG things in this rollicking, rhyming picture book that celebrates individuality, unique talents, and the importance of not growing up too fast.Gertie is the littlest yak in her pack, feeling stuck in her smallness. She wants to grow up and have BIGNESS and TALLNESS, with the hugest of hooves and humongous horns too! Because there isn't anything a BIG yak can't do.So Gertie devises a growing-up plan. She eats her veggies, exercises every day, and reads lots of books. Still, she isn't any bigger. But when the other yaks come calling for Gertie to help them with a daring and dangerous task, could it be because it's something only a small yak can do?

Then look at some fun facts about yaks to share with your children.

5 Yak Fun Facts 

  1. Yak poop doesn’t stink-when they have water and are able to forage to eat, their dung has little to no odor. The Tibetan plateaus don’t have trees, so yak dung is the only easily obtainable fuel.
  2. Yaks have two layers of fur to keep them warm in the high altitude cold mountain air of places like China, Nepal, Mongolia, and Tibet. See if you can find these places on a map or globe.
  3. They have a long social life in the wild and can live for up to 20 years with their herds.
  4. Yaks are herbivores, which means that they eat plants like low lying grasses and shrubs.
  5. Yak butter is big in Tibet, their milk is  white or pink and very nutritious. It is also used to make a unique popular cheese.

Also, add a few more letter y handprint crafts to your day.

More Letter Y Handprint And Y Crafts

  • Y is for Yo Yo, Here you will find some Letter Y craft ideas including a cute little hand that has been traced, cut out, and holding a yo yo.
  • For a unique take on the letter, check out –Y is For Yacht and take a boating turn on letter learning.
  • I thought that Y is for Yellow was a clever practice for Y, bright and colorful it catches a child’s attention and is a good representation of the sound.
  • Loads of activity ideas to supplement and a Y is For Yawn craft that might make you a bit sleepy too ( I recommend this one before nap time).
  • Make a mess with squiggly piles of yarn to create this Y is for Yarn craft.
How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

More Handprint Crafts

  • Quick And Inexpensive Letter C Handprint Craft – Crafty Crab Fun
  • H Horse Handprint | Horse Study
  • N Is For Nest Handprint | Nests Study
  • How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft
  • How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft
  • P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

Additionally, here are more activities about Asia if you want to include you older children.

Asia Activities For Kids

  1. Quick and Easy Ancient Chinese Paper making for Kids
  2. Free Ancient China Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History
  3. Marco Polo Unit Study and Lapbook
  4. Medieval Japan Unit Study and Lapbook
  5. How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Finally, look at how to make this letter Y handprint craft.

Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

We are going to make a handprint craft from two handprints that make an adorable little yak.

We made ours black and white, but you can choose from the wide variety of yak colors to create yours.

Their fur comes in black, brown, white, and yellow.

You will need:

  • Construction paper
  • Craft paint
  • Google eyes
  • A little hand
  • paintbrushes
How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

First, gather all your supplies and have them close at hand so you don’t have to leave little painted hands unattended while you run to grab something.

Paint the entire hand white.

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

Now quickly go over the white with black paint on the 4 fingers only, excluding the thumb.

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

Then press the hand firmly onto the paper, making sure to press gently but firmly all over your palm and fingers.

Wash the hand clean.

Paint the palm black and the pinky and thumb white and press onto the paper slightly overlapping the body hand print you made.

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

Again, press the entire hand down firmly to transfer as much paint as you can.

Use a paintbrush to extend the horns or fill in gaps of missing paint if you need to.

To create their cold snowy climate, use the back and of a paintbrush dipped in white paint for snowflakes.

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

The final step is to draw a large Y in pencil.

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

Now, let or help your child paint over it with a small paintbrush to become more familiar with the letter.

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

Once everything is dry, glue googly eyes to the face to finish it off.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: handprint, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschool preschool, life science, preschool, preschool skills, science, yak

How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

August 16, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You may have seen a flat handprint letter V for volcano. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more letter activities. And look at my page Volcano Unit Study and Fun Apple Volcano.

But have you ever seen a standing model one? I can’t wait to show you how to make your own today.

When teaching letters to younger children, incorporating fun hands-on activities goes a long way in helping them remember what they have learned.

This one is inexpensive and easier than you might think.

How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

You can make a handprint volcano model to help your child identify the different parts of the volcano.

Also, use it as an art project and for a neat keepsake.

But don’t stop there with just one activity.

Check out my volcano facts and activity ideas to create a simple study for your child while they learn about V with a science theme.

There are volcanoes all over the world, and they come in all different shapes and sizes.

Some volcanoes are tall and pointy, while others are short and wide.

Some volcanoes are covered in snow and ice, while others are surrounded by lush forests.

Kids love to learn about the powerful volcanoes and there is so much to learn about them, no matter what they look like, volcanoes are amazing natural wonders. 

Books for Kids About Volcanoes

First, look at some of these volcano books.

12 Volcano Books & Resources

Add one or two of these books to learn about volcanoes and add some hands-on ideas to learn about the types of volcanoes.

Volcanoes

Did you know there are four main types of volcanoes? Or that volcanoes are classified as active, dormant, or extinct? The Devil’s Tower in Wyoming is an extinct volcano. It’s about 40.5 million years old!

Birth Of an Island

Simple explanation of how an island is formed. B/ W sketch illustrations.

R&R Games The Table is Lava Family Game

As Dawn breaks, mount kahlualualuau is spewing its fiery lava down onto meepleville. The natives are frantically trying to escape the rivers of lava and remain on safe ground. Whoever’s tribe survives the eruption with the most Meeples shall be the winner!

Volcano: Eruption and Healing of Mt. St Helen's

In this extraordinary photographic essay, Patricia Lauber details the Mount St. Helens eruption and the years following in Volcano: Eruption and Healing of Mt. St. Helen's.Through this clear accurate account, readers of all ages will share the awe of the scientists who witnessed both the power of the volcano and the resiliency of life.

The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia

Science is vital for every inhabitant of today’s world, and being scientifically informed and literate is a crucial part of any child’s education. Science can seem daunting –- especially as scientific knowledge advances so quickly –- and this volume is the perfect purchase for any family. It will bear repeated use by all the family from 10+ through the teenage years.

All About Volcanoes (A True Book: Natural Disasters) (A True Book (Relaunch))

Conditions on Earth are becoming more and more extreme and kids want to learn about it!

Is it true that, at any given time, about 20 volcanoes are erupting somewhere on Earth? Yes! Sometimes volcanoes erupt with a big, dangerous bang. Other times they spit out lava so slowly that you could walk faster than it flows.

How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World

‘[An] irresistible account of a child’s imaginary 8,000-mile journey through the earth to discover what’s inside. Facts about the composition of the earth are conveyed painlessly and memorably.’ —SLJ. ‘An exciting adventure. . . . Illustrations [by Caldecott Medal winner Marc Simont] explode with color and action.’ —CS.

Volcanoes! (National Geographic Readers)

The cool story of volcanoes will intrigue kids and adults alike. Hot melted rock from the middle of our planet forces its way up through cracks in the Earth’s crusts, exploding violently and sometimes unexpectedly in volcanic fury that can terrorize populations for months, even years.

National Geographic Readers: Erupt! 100 Fun Facts About Volcanoes (L3)

Kids will burst with excitement as they learn all about the science and wonder of volcanoes in this new National Geographic Kids Reader.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Ultimate Volcano Kit – Erupting Volcano Science

UNFORGETTABLE SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS – This is a great hands-on experiment kit for any science fair; the updated mold and instructions make it easy to assemble a sturdy volcano form and realistic paint colors give the volcano a lifelike look.

Natural and Earth Science Educational Flash Card

This set of 48 cards features a colorful illustration on one side and informational facts on the other side.

The Magic School Bus: Blasting off with Erupting Volcanoes

MIX YOUR OWN LAVA: Use the included mixture to form your own “lava” and experiment with explosions by making your own volcano erupt!

Volcano Facts

  • Volcanoes are like big mountains, but they’re special because they have a secret inside. Deep down, volcanoes are filled with hot, melted rock called magma.
  • Sometimes, the magma gets too hot and it has to find a way to escape. It bursts out of the top of the volcano and flows down the sides, just like when you squeeze toothpaste out of a tube and it has to come out and flow over.
  • When magma comes out of a volcano, it’s called lava. Lava is really hot, so it can be dangerous. It can burn things and even destroy houses. But volcanoes can also be beautiful. When lava flows out at night, it can look just like a river of fire.
  • Volcanoes can also make loud noises and sometimes they even shake the ground. That’s because when magma comes out of the volcano, it can create a lot of pressure. The pressure can cause the ground to shake and make a loud boom.
How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

Volcanoes are a part of nature, and they’re not always dangerous.

In fact, they can even be helpful. The lava from volcanoes can make new land, and it also helps to fertilize the soil.

Letter V For Volcano Activities

  • Practice pre-writing skills by giving your child a couple of craft sticks and teaching them to form it into the letter ‘V’.
How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

Of course reading a great science book about Volcanoes like Gail Gibbons’ books is a wonderful activity for developing language skills, listening skills, and learning science facts

Take some of the ideas from my Celebrate National Vinegar Day With A Hands-on Study of Volcanoes and create your own mini unit perfect for a younger child.

Recreate this Volcano Blow Art page at home for a unique project that turns out different every time you do it

Watch Volcanoes for Kids| How Volcanoes Work as an entertaining way to teach volcano facts.

Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

We are going to create a volcano handprint craft that is out of the ordinary and will really capture your child’s imagination.

 Once they make it, they can continue to enjoy it by using it alongside their dinosaur toys, as a display on the shelf, or use it to create a larger scene from craft foam.

You will need:

  • Craft foam in assorted colors
  • Craft paint- red, yellow, and/or orange
  • Hot glue gun/glue sticks
  • Little willing hands
How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

First, twist brown craft foam into a funnel shape.

It needs to be narrow on one end and wide at the other, overlapping it about ¼”

Run hot glue down the inside seam and hold in place until it hardens.

Be sure you leave the opening at the top about 1 ½” in diameter so your ‘lava’ will fit inside.

How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

Use scissors to trim the top and bottom off to make it straighter.

How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

Trace a small hand onto at least two colors of craft foam, like red and orange.

How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

Cut the handprints out.

How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

Glue the bottom of the hands inside the volcano so it looks like lava spewing out the top.

How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

Secure the base of the volcano on a square of green craft foam to help it stay up, use hot glue and hold it in place until set.

How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

To really give it a flowing colorful effect and some texture you can also drip some paint down the volcano as well to create lava flow rather than just explosion.

How to Make A Letter V For Volcano Handprint Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: alphabet, earth science, handprint, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, kindergarten, letter sounds, phonics, volcano

How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

August 8, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Creating this letter s handprint craft, you can’t get any more hands-on. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more letter fun and handprint crafts. Too, check out my page Strawberry Unit Study.

It is a fun and simple craft to do when learning about delicious bright red strawberries, their life cycle, and of course a taste test in their different forms.

Of course, you can absolutely create this craft on a piece of paper instead.

How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

But I think it makes for a really cute piece of kitchen decor with sweet little hands to remember.

Or save space and add different fruit handprints as you learn about them to create a wonderful fruit collage to display.

Strawberries are not only delicious but are a great science lesson for kids learning about the life cycle of a plant.

They learn geography when they locate the largest grower of them on the map, and math as they measure out ingredients for a tasty recipe.

Books About Strawberries for Kids

Next, look at some of these adorable resources to add to your learning day.

Grab a book or two for your home library.

11 Strawberry Unit Study Resources & Books

Add one or two of these strawberry unit study resources to make your fun spring unit study come to life.

1000+ Red Strawberry Seeds for Planting

Big pack: 1000+ Non-GMO red strawberry seeds by Monique939-002..

Interesting: Whether they are spotted in your yard or as part of a tasty treat, strawberries are sure to spark attention! Liven up a fruit salad, muesli or trifle.

From Seed to Strawberry

How does a tiny seed grow into a sweet, juicy strawberry? Follow each step in the cycle from planting seeds to eating yummy strawberries in this fascinating book!

Strawberry Girl

Strawberries—big, ripe, and juicy. Ten-year-old Birdie Boyer can hardly wait to start picking them. But her family has just moved to the Florida backwoods, and they haven't even begun their planting. "Don't count your biddies 'fore they're hatched, gal young un!" her father tells her.

Strawberry Night Light

How fun.. What an adorable gift or to use in your school area.

Strawberry Shortcake

Your child will quickly fall in love with this Strawberry Shortcake pillow and be excited to jump into bed. Great for playtime, naptime, or bedtime this will make the perfect gift for your loved one. 

Saving Strawberry Farm

One penny.

In the hot, mean summer of 1933, a penny is enough to buy caramels or red hots or peppermint sticks or licorice strings. Is it enough to buy Miss Elsie's Strawberry Farm?

There's only one way to find out. Davey takes a deep breath and shouts, "One penny for trawberry Farm!"

Set during the Great Depression, and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Rachel Isadora, Saving Strawberry Farm brings Davey's Midwestern town to life as friends and neighbors plan to
save the farm the only way they can -- with a secret penny auction!

Strawberry Shortcake Coloring Book Super Set/ Over 100 Stickers

Delight your Strawberry Shortcake fan with this Strawberry Shortcake Giant Coloring Book Bundle with 144 coloring pages and 50 stickers.

This giant Strawberry Shortcake sticker activity book set features Strawberry Shortcake and her friends.

Includes two premium Strawberry Shortcake coloring books filled with coloring activities and games. Includes 50 stickers!

National Geographic Readers: Plants (Level 1 Co-reader)

Adult and child readers will learn all about plants together in this new Co-reader from National Geographic Kids. Find out how plants grow as well as the different parts of plants, seeds, and flowers.

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

Little Mouse loves strawberries, but so does the big hungry bear . . .

How will Little Mouse stop the bear from eating his freshly picked, red ripe strawberry?

This classic story is beloved for its humor, expressive illustrations, and surprise ending—pure read-aloud fun!

Watch a Strawberry Grow (Bullfrog Books: Watch It Grow)

In Watch a Strawberry Grow, early fluent readers learn how strawberries grow. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text will engage young readers as they learn about how this delicious berry is grown and harvested. An infographic illustrates the life cycle of a strawberry. Children can learn more about how strawberries grow using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites

The Strawberry Garden

Grandfather Ethan planted strawberry seedlings in the garden bed, and when they grew big strawberries that were all shiny and red - everybody wanted to taste them: the cow, the crow, and even the cat. It's a good thing that the scarecrow was there to scare them away! But what happens when little Nora, the granddaughter, wants to collect the shiny red strawberries?

Also, look at these facts about strawberries.

6 Sweet Strawberry Facts

  • There are over 200 seeds on the surface of a single strawberry.
  • Strawberries are one of the first fruits to become ripe in spring and they only have about a 3-week harvest period, so pick ’em while they are ready!
  • They come in more than just the color red; by crossing wild strawberries and using the seeds we can get white, pink, yellow, and golden-hued shades.
  • Technically strawberries are part of the rose family, they are in the Rosaceae family and the subfamily Rosoideae, which also includes roses.
  • Strawberries have more vitamin c than an orange, well 7 strawberries do.
How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

While strawberries are grown in every state, 80% of the strawberries produced in the US are from California.

More Letter S Handprint Craft Ideas

If you need a handful of more ideas to teach the letter S to your child, I found some great themes to recreate from handprints for anytime of the year.

  • Create an S is For Sun with sweet little hands.
  • Learn 7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan.
  • Turn wiggly little fingers into a S Is For Spider Handprint Craft With Letter S Worksheet.
  • A trip to the beach could turn into a great S is for Sand lesson with this Beach Craft: Make a Sandy Handprint Keepsake.
  • I just love this handprint sunflower craft, less mess than paint, simply trace and cut.
  • Brrrrrr S is for Snowman, how cute are these 10 little snow guys all in a row? Great for counting practice as well.
How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

I know this is a foot craft not a hand, but it deserves honorable mention.

Just look how ‘stinking’ cute this Footprint Skunk is (and two bonus letters turned woodland creatures).

More Hands-on Strawberry Activities for Kids

Also, if you want to include your older children with a study of strawberries, look at my activities below.

  • Printable Strawberries Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Free Printable Strawberry Notebooking Pages
  • Life Cycle Of a Strawberry Facts and Fun Hand Sewn Felt Strawberry

Finally, look at how to make this strawberry letter s handprint craft.

Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

Is it art, homeschool, or kitchen decor?

It can be all 3 and it is a wonderful keepsake that is fun for little learners to make as well.

You will need:

  • Letter tiles or stickers
  • Canvas
  • Red craft paint
  • green craft paint
  • Black sharpie marker
How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

First, paint the top portion of both palms green for the stem and hull/calyx (the leafy greens at the top).

How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

Paint the remainder of the palm and the 4 fingers red, overlapping the color just a bit.

How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

Press firmly onto the canvas with the fingers closed.

Be sure to press it down all over with your own hand to transfer as much of the paint as possible.

How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

Carefully lift the hands straight up off the canvas.

Repaint and repeat as many times as you like.

Use a paintbrush to extend the green top a little more.

Allow the paint to dry completely.

Let your child add seeds with either a sharpie marker or a cotton swab dipped in black craft paint.

How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

While that is drying, grab letter tiles or stickers and adhere them to the bottom of the canvas, going over each letter and the sound it makes as you add them.

For younger children you could even just add a variety of S’s to concentrate on the s is for strawberry lesson.

How To Create A Sweet Strawberry Letter S Handprint Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: alphabet, handprint, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, phonics, preschool, strawberry

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

April 18, 2024 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

There are so many fun facts about swan to turn a simple unit study into something more. Also, you’ll love my post How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan.

You could keep it simple, just focus on the swan, a variety of aquatic birds, or even expand into an entire pond unit study.

Swans are one of the most eye-catching aquatic birds, with their long, elegant necks and large size.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

They are found in temperate environments, preferring lowland and freshwater wetlands.

Also, they take to man-made artificial water sources such as reservoirs, gravel pits, ornamental lakes, and even canals.

We are creating a sweet but simple canvas swan “painting” with a pair of little hands and some paint.

Then you can also dive into fun facts about swans and check out my suggestions for more books and activities.      

Do you have swans in your area?

Take a few hours to go enjoy them in person and remember that processed white bread is not good for them.

If you want to feed these feathered friends take things like grains, vegetable matter, corn, chopped cabbage, spinach, frozen peas as well as swan and duck food pellets from a feed store.

Swan Books and Resources

Next, add some of these resources to your unit study.

7 Swan Quick Unit Study Resources

Read The Trumpet of The Swan as your read aloud during your study, it is a wonderful classic by E.B. White..

The Trumpet of the Swan

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection—he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Needle Felting: The Swan

Challenge yourself to make this needlefelted swan next, a beautiful handiwork craft.

Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

Paper roll swan craft

These swans are particularly simple to create, the first time we made them was back when the girls were princess-obsessed preschoolers.

Photo Credit: backyardsummercamp.com

Origami Swan Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial

Create a paper wonder by following this Origami Swan Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial.

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake - The Kirov Ballet

Take in some of the beautiful music and dance of Tchaikovsky’s  SwanLake

White Swan Figurine Animals Figures Project Diorama Model

4PCS farm animals figures. Kid can use these plastic animals farm toys to build their own farm up. Farm sets for kids can bring happy.

Farm Animal figurines farm toys set made of environment friendly materials.Good quality and durable to deal with lots of play.

Swan Lake

A prince's love for a swan queen overcomes an evil sorcerer's spell in this fairy tale adaptation of the classic ballet

Next, look at these facts about swans.

7 Fun Facts About Swan

  1. Most swans are found in the northern United States, Canada, and Alaska.
  2. Swans can sleep on either land or the water. They can either sleep while standing on one leg or while they are floating in the water.
  3. All the mute swans in England and Wales are owned by the Crown of England.
  4. While you will most commonly see white swans there is also a black swan. Black swans are native to Australia and New Zealand.
  5. Baby swans are called cygnets, female swans are called Pen, and males are called Cob.
  6. The term ‘swan song’ comes from the ancient Greek belief that a swan sang a song of death when its life would end.
  7. Swans are very important to their aquatic ecosystems. They eat plants and small aquatic animals and help spread seeds and aquatic animal eggs by way of their feces. Their swimming stirs up sediment from the bottom to help circulate nutrients and support the health of plants and fish below the surface.
7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Too, another favorite resource we love is The Big Book of Birds.

It is a wonderful resource for all things bird, an oversized hardback it has a pretty two-page spread on swans and plenty of info on habits, nests, eggs, and habitats of birds in general.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Finally, look at how to create a hand print swan.

How to Create a Handprint Swan

You will need:

  • A canvas
  • 2 shades of blue craft paint
  • Green craft paint
  • White craft paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Paint pens
  • A little hand
7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

First, choose two shades of blue and let your child paint the sky one shade and water at the bottom the other.

Don’t forget to have them paint the sides of the canvas the corresponding colors all the way around to finish it off.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Allow the paint to dry, if you want to speed up the process a bit you can use a blow dryer on low to get it to dry to the touch so you can get to the next step.

Paint your child’s hand entirely white and have them press it into the water portion thumbs up, if you want two swans like I have here paint the other hand and press it into the other side.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Use a paintbrush to create the rest of the curving neck.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Allow the swans to dry and use paint pens to add details like eyes, beaks, and wings.

You can also add in some details like grass and clouds.

Allow it to dry fully and it is ready to hang up.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

2 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: birds, handprint, hands-on, hands-on activities, life science, science, swan, waterfowl

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

January 9, 2024 | Leave a Comment
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G is for Gorilla is a fun opportunity to learn not only the letter sound but incorporate a fun much loved zoo animal unit. Also, I have more alphabet letter fun on my page How to Homeschool Preschool and my page Free Africa Unit Study for Kids Who Love Hands-on Learning | Free Continent & Country Reports.

While this can be a heavy zoology-based unit study there are still plenty of great ideas for math, art, geography, language arts, and more.

Throughout I have bundled it all here for you to make it easy to pick and choose your favorite activities.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Gorillas are exclusively native to Africa.

This provides a solid lesson in geography where you can search the map for Africa, locate the Congo on the map, and locate where each of the two different species of gorilla call home.

For your lessons you might want to invest in a fun set of figures if you don’t already have some.

This adorable little gorilla family can be used in many ways, dramatic play, sensory bins, with playdough, and more.

More How to Homeschool Preschool Letter of the Week Activities

  • Alphabet Letter A is for Apple Craft for Preschool | Fun Apple Study
  • Letter O is for Owl Preschool Craft | Fun Great Horned Owl Study
  • Alphabet Letter H Handprint Craft For Fun Preschool Horse Study
  • How To Make An Alphabet Teeth Cleaning Activity | 5 Preschool Letter T Crafts
  • Alphabet Letter R is for Rainbow Craft for Preschool | Fun Rain Mobile
  • Alphabet Letter M is for Monkey Handprint Preschool Fun Monkey Study
  • Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask
  • W Is For Winter Craft Easy Snowman Oobleck Activity
  • Letter E Is For Eagle Easy Preschool Eagle Study
  • Alphabet Letter N Is For Nest Handprint & Fun Nests Preschool Craft
  • B is for Bird Craft | Free Preschool Bluebird Study
  • X is for X Ray Craft | Unique Crayon Resist Skeleton

Language Arts Focus Day 1

Letter/Sound Recognition- Fill in this cute Letter G Animal Alphabet Dots Printable with do a dot markers or round stickers.

Book- Gorilla does a great job introducing the concept of empathy and sorting out feelings in a cute story about a gorilla and a little girl who dreams of seeing gorillas in real life.

Craft/Activity-  Dramatic play is an important part of a child’s social and emotional development, this activity  Zoo Animals – Dramatic Play Activity  allow them to become zookeepers, create cages, and care for animals through pretend play.

Song/Fingerplay- ABC Mouse does letter songs and learning so well, I found this very catchy little song on YouTube to go over letter sounds and recognition The Letter G Song.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Snack- Keep it simple with single ingredients snacks that start with G, here are ideas for 5 Snacks For Kids That Start With G.

Science Focus Day 2

Science comes into play learning about gorillas, rain forests, and even other zoo creatures your child might spot there.

As a matter of fact, if you are able this would be a great time for a field trip to the zoo to see these animals in person.

Letter/Sound Recognition- Grab whatever letter tiles you have and spell out gorilla. At the top of a piece of construction paper write out G-O-R-I-L-L-A, spreading it out so there is enough space for the tiles to fit under each letter.

Give your child the pile of letters and let them match it below your written example. As they match each one, tell them the name of the letter if they don’t already know it.

This is not about learning to spell a big word like gorilla but more about learning to recognize letters and that letters put together create a word.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Book- Goodnight Gorilla is a classic sweet board book centered around a sneaky gorilla and an unsuspecting zookeeper.

While it doesn’t have a lot of words it tells a silly story through very expressive illustrations.

Craft/Activity- This Goodnight Gorilla: A STEAM Activity for Preschoolers was too good to pass up for our science activity, especially since it went so well with our book choice today.

Song/Fingerplay- Raffi songs are fantastic for kids with his warm voice and simple folk lyrics that tell stories, check out The Gorilla Song. 

Snack- These Chocolate Banana Oat Pancakes look delicious and are a great portrayal of the key figure in our lessons.

Math Focus Day 3

You need not overthink math at this age, it is simply recognizing numbers and learning to add and subtract small amounts.

Grab items from around your house and count, like the gorillas in their plastic toys or banana bunches at the grocery store. Gather leaves into two piles and introduce concepts like more/fewer.

Letter/Sound Recognition- Shaving Cream Writing- Yep, it is as simple as it sounds.

Spread a thin layer of unscented shaving cream on a shallow tray and let your little one write with their finger.

I recommend printing and laminating your letters so they can be used over and over.

Remember to practice the sound the letter makes as they draw it with their finger.

Book- One Gorilla A Counting Book, I think the illustrations here are just darling and are perfect for simple math.

Craft/Activity- For preschool I especially like to avoid worksheets, but they also have their place.

I think a color by number like this is great for building fine motor skills and in preschool it is phenomenal for number recognition as they find and color a1-6 repeatedly. Repetition is a great teaching tool in preschool.

Song/Fingerplay- Cute and catchy you might have the Baby Gorilla Song stuck in your head before the week is out, it is to the tune of a familiar favorite-Baby Shark.

Snack- Make ‘Gorilla Goodies’ by creating a trail mix of whatever dry ingredients you have on hand, no need to run to the store for special ingredients.

Mix up pretzels, marshmallows, raisins, dry cereal, nuts, cookie pieces, candy, etc.

History/Geography Focus Day 4

Take a look at a map and find Africa, locate where gorillas live around the Congo.  Incorporate social studies by talking about zoos and zookeepers and what they provide to communities.

Letter/Sound Recognition- Reinforce the letter sound and name by pre-writing with their finger on a salt tray. If you have a preschooler who loves to lick their finger, use vanilla or chocolate pudding.

Book- Ivan: A Gorilla’s True Story

Craft/Activity-  This Simple and Fun Wildlife Craft Mountain Gorilla Layered Art Project may just need a little extra help from you but is completely doable by a preschooler.

Song/Fingerplay- I found The Mountain Gorilla Song that sings about a specific type of gorilla and can be used to talk about the two different species, eastern and western.

Snack-Simply because kids find poop so funny, Gorilla Poops, would make a nice addition to your study. Make them in different sizes and turn it into a lesson on larger/smaller.

Books for Learning About G is for Gorilla

G is for Gorilla Preschool Unit Study Theme

Bring learning to life for your preschooler with these G is for Gorilla books and resources.

4 Pcs Realistic Gorilla Figurines

Gorilla Family: Set of four gorilla animal toys with two adults and two kids.

Gorilla

Hannah loves gorillas and longs to see a real one. Unfortunately, her father is always too busy — or too tired — to take her to the zoo.

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

"The Letter G Song" by ABCmouse.com

"The Letter G Song"

Good Night, Gorilla

Good night, Gorilla. Good night, Elephant. It's bedtime at the zoo, and all the animals are going to sleep. Or are they? Who's that short, furry guy with the key in his hand and the mischievous grin? Good night, Giraffe. Good night, Hyena. Sneak along behind the zookeeper's back, and see who gets the last laugh in this riotous good-night romp.

One Gorilla: A Counting Book

Here is a list of the things I love.One gorilla.Two butterflies among my flowers--and one gorilla.Tree budgerigars in my house--and one gorilla.

Gorillas

All the wild gorillas live in Africa. They are peaceful and intelligent, and live in family groups called troops. Here are descriptions of the physical characteristics of these primates as well as information about how they live, including how they eat, raise their young, and adapt to their environment. Gibbons's trademark style features kid-friendly explanations and visually presented facts.

Ivan: A Gorilla's True Story

The real-life inspiration for The One and Only Ivan. A gorilla captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington mall to attract shoppers. Gradually, public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta. From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact. In a spare, powerful text and evocative illustrations, Newbery medalist Katherine Applegate and artist G. Brian Karas present the extraordinary real story of this special gorilla.

Little Gorilla

As beloved Little Gorilla grows up, he discovers that love grows with him. Perfect for bedtime or snuggle-time, this warm and timeless classic reassures readers that as they grow and change, they are always loved. Just about everybody in the great green forest loves Little Gorilla. His mother loves him. His father loves him. Even Big Boa Constrictor loves him. But Little Gorilla begins to grow . . . and Grow . . . and GROW. And then, when Little Gorilla isn’t so little anymore—everyone still loves him! A soothing, rhythmic text and expressive illustration create a heartwarming story about the security and constancy of love.

Gorilla mysteries

Discusses the habits of gorillas, giant apes of frightening appearance but gentle behavior, long misunderstood by their human close relatives.

Photo Credit: blog.allaboutlearningpress.com

G Is for Gorilla Gulp (With Teaching Tips for Letter G)

What goes together better than peanut butter, cocoa, and bananas? We can’t think of a better combination—and we think your little monkeys will be nodding between gulps of chocolatey goodness!

Language Arts Focus Day 5

Letter/Sound Recognition- Take a small gorilla toy or something like a pencil to use as a pointer and go through books, newspapers, pictures on the wall or anywhere else and locate all the Gg’s that you can.

Place the toy or pointer over it

Book- Gorillas by Gail Gibbons is great as a science reference because her books are so engaging for younger (and older children as well) with bright photographs and plenty of information to take in.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Craft/Activity- Make our fun Gorilla Mask while you talk about the characteristics of the gorilla, it’s fun for dramatic play and pretend.

Song/Fingerplay- Another fun and catchy song that is fun to dance too is The Letter G, Gimme G song, introducing movement adds another layer of fun making what they learn stick.

Snack- G is for Gorilla Gulp Shake is a great snack to practice letter sounds as you pronounce g-g-gorilla and g-g-g-gulp.

Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

You will need:

  • 3 paper plates
  • Black craft paint
  • Grey craft paint
  • Ribbon or yarn
  • Scissors
  • Glue sticks
  • Paint brushes
  • Black marker
Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

First, flip one plate upside down and let your child paint the entire backside of the plate black, set aside to dry.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Flip a second plate and paint the center a gray color, let it dry.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Take the third plate and paint the center black.

Once all the paint is dry cut ears and a little lock of hair from the center of the black plate.

And cut a gorilla face from the gray, the center of their face is kind of a squished heart shape.

You want the gray portion to be just a little smaller than the center of the main black plate.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Measure/Eyeball the eye holes with your child’s head.

Make it about 1 ½” apart should be great for a preschooler’s face.

And make them a little oversized to give them plenty of visibility.

 Cut out of the whole black plate.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Lay the gray face under the eye holes and trace with a pencil then cut them out.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Draw features on the face like nostrils, mouth, and some little wrinkles.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Glue the gray face piece to the black plate and then the ears and hair tuft.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Finally punch holes on either side of the mask.

And tie the ribbon or yarn through to create a tie to hold on the mask.

Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: alphabet, gorilla, handprint, homeschool preschool, letter sounds, phonics, preschool, preschool skills, unit studies

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