Rain Forest

We started our new unit this week on Rain Forests!!  As an introduction, we watched a short movie clip from the older series called "The Magic School Bus".  This time the class field trip was to the rain forest to help save a cocoa bean plant.  It was enough to catch everyone's attention and give them some information to pull from as we discussed this region of the world that is so very different from our own.   

Since there are many layers within the rain forest, we are starting with the things that live and grow on the ground floor.  We talked about spiders, insects, flowers, trees, ants, and jaguars.  We colored animals and painted animals that live on the ground floor.  

Our focus for our art projects and "pattern" practice was SNAKES!  Snakes slither an crawl on the ground floor.  They also venture up trees, but mostly stick to the ground.  

We made these fun spiral snakes.  First, we decorated them.  The preschoolers used many different types of decorations.  Some did dots or circles, others triangles or squares, and others just drew more spiral lines.  They all looked great when they were done and no two snakes were the same.  

After they were decorated, the cut out the original circular shape around the snake.

Then they cut out the spiral lines to make this cool snake!

We also practiced these fun patterned snakes using yarn and straws.  (Such an easier project than making and using colored noodles that can get messy and are hard to thread through.)  For the most part, preschoolers stuck to a basic pattern like this snake.

Others got fancier and even venture on to use three colored patterns.  

 When they were all threaded, faces were drawn onto one end finishing off the snakes.

 We had LOTS of fun and changing themes always excites your children!