More three pig ideas: I cut tagboard or matboard into 3" squares, 5 for each of the three houses per child. The children "build" the houses. I show them how to lay 4 squares in a row and tape together so when they stand them up, they have the 4 walls by taping the 1st and last squares together, they put the 5th square on top to form the roof. Then I give them raffia or hay, real sticks or toothpicks or matchstix and pieces of red paper for the bricks. They glue these on. Usually I give them pig stickers and a wolf sticker to put on little pieces of paper folded into an a-frame. I made 3 pig finger puppets and a wolf finger puppet out of felt. I wish I could draw these for you but have no drawing program at present. Anyway, I used a pretty basic finger-puppet pattern that's an upside down u shape. I cut the back piece the same but with two pointy ears and two arms. Before sewing together the back and front together, I embroidered eyes (you could glue eyes with hot glue - it's faster) For the noses I used a 3-dimensional approach. a strip of felt to form a tube and a circle of felt to form the lid of tip of the nose. I stuffed it with nylon stocking and sewed it on the front of the pig. I glued a numeral 1, 2, or 3 on each pig. A year later, I turned them into magnetic puppets by hammering a circle magnet to the bottom of a cork, one for each puppet. The finger puppets slip over the cork. Then, using homemade or store bought magnet wands, and a sheet of plexiglass taped on two hollow blocks so it makes a table on the table so to speak. You put the magnet wands under the plexi-glass table and the puppets on top and you can make them move around. For this activity, I also made 3 houses from the top 4 or so inches of half-gallon milk cartons. I covered them with white paper and cut a door and window in front and cut the back completely off so they are 3-sided houses. The pigs can go into the backs of the houses using the magnets. I glued real hay on one, real sticks on one, and sand paper colored red and cut into bricks on the last house. We also enact the three pigs using the blocks for stick houses, a table turned on it's side for the straw house. I give that pig long strips of yellow paper and tape to tape straw all over the table top (which is the front of the house when turned on its side. For the brick house, we use the hollow blocks or cardboard bricks. In between each pigs house being blown down, I encourage the pigs to sing that song, ie: "And as soon as the first pig had finished building his house, he was singing that song." Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf. Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, tra, la, la, la, la. No sooner had he finished then along came THE BIG BAD WOLF., etc. In the end all the pigs live happily ever after singing that song.. When we enact plays, we always do them during free choice time where there is no pressure to "perform" for others. Some children who are waiting to be in the play are the audience. I have one rule, that if you've been in the play once and others are waiting, you need to give them a turn and then you can come back in. Another thing we do is make "piggy poems". I paint the bottom of each child's foot with a brush (they love this because it tickles a little) and make a footprint. Then the child tells his/her version of "This Little Pig Went to Market." I compile the footprints and stories in a book for the "reading garden" (our library area) and call the book, "These Little Piggies" Here are a couple of real like examples: This little piggy went to the hospital and took his little friend because his little friend was hurt. And then he left there and went back home. The next little piggy went to market to her some fish (the one at the hospital). And then the next little piggy went to the park to get her a present. That means he went to get a leaf and a pine cone. The next little piggy played with a truck and he decided he wanted to get her a dolly. The wee little piggy gave her a big hug and a kiss! The end, by Erika P. This little piggy forgot to put up his ears. This little piggy forgot to eat his breakfast. This little piggy went to the store and he forgot to buy mud. This little piggy went to the library and he forgot to pick up the book about mud. This little piggy went to work and he forgot to work. He went there and then he went home! The end, by David How about doing a bunch of science experiments that involve blowing? I'll send my great pig pile song when I have some more time. I'm attending the WAEYC Summer Symposium for the next three days. Today's workshop is an in-depth one on the project approach. The 3 Little Pigs story ideas..... The Story of the Pigs There were three little pigs who were forced to roam, So each decided to build a home. They bought some neat stuff from a nice man, And then he said to them, "Build what you can!" The 3 little pigs said "We shall use it all!" Then the first little pig took the basket of straw. The second little pig took the bundle of sticks, The third little pig took a wheelbarrow of bricks. They each built a house...and you know the rest, Only one house is left cuz it was the best. ( LAC ) Provide materials for the children to make a 3 Little Pigs scene....straw (raffia), sticks (popcicle sticks) and red paper (bricks) as well as misc. other colors of paper, and whatever else the children can brainstorm to be suitable "building materials", potato halves with the shape of a pig cut into it for printing with pink paint, also have glue, scissors, and just lots of "stuff". Let the kids go with it.... Encourage the children to make their own curled piggy tails by cutting a pink circle around and around toward the middle. When finished and held up, a spiral piggy tail will stretch out into the sprial shape. Let them tape the tail to their bottoms. Also provide pink paper for piggy snouts made from cut circles with nostrils drawn on then tape it to their noses. Now assist the children in gathering the props to act out the story. Put miniature story props in the sand table and let the children act out the story this way, too. (Oriental Trading Catalog has great rubber farm, zoo, dinosaur animals to order. Their farm collection would be great for this activity...I've said it before...this company has great stuff for VERY reasonable prices.) The house could be made from small sized boxes or milk cartons, decorated with simple designs to illustrate the pigs individual homes. (Have plain cartons available for the children to design new homes in the art area.) Invite the children to bring in their own books of The Three Little Pigs. Look at one particular section of the story from each book (like the part where the pigs get their supplies for their home building) and compare all the different versions/illustrations. How are they alike and how are they different? Talk about the artist (illustrators) each having a different idea of how the pigs must look and that each of them is different but still correct. Assist the children in naming the 3 little pigs...take one pig at a time and talk about names that would help describe that particular pig. Rewrite the story with the class using 3 different materials for the houses. Make Pink Pig-Sicles Mix together 2 cups plain yogurt, o 12 ounce can unsweetened frozen apple-cranberry juice concentrate and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pour the mixture into small paper cups and insert plastic spoons for handles. Chill in the freezer until set, then serve as treats for snacktime. Makes 8 to 10. Mix up a batch of clay that will harden. Add red foodcoloring to give a pink color. Allow the children to make pigs and then press a strip magnet into the back. Make Pig Stick Puppets Have children paint their small paper plates pink. When dry glue on facial features cut from construction paper. Muddy Pigs Cut out pig shapes and then let the children press their fingers in brown paint and then onto the pig to make their pigs muddy. Glue pink cotton balls to small paper plate. Add ears, eyes , and snout from construction paper or felt. Make pig snouts from toilet paper rolls cut in half and paint pink or glue pink construction paper around it. Punch holes in sides and tie on yarn or elastic. Make pigs in a blanket. Which is a hotdog with a crescent roll wrapped around it and then baked. Make bologna sandwiches into pigs with raisins for eyes, a small circle of bologna for a nose, and triangles of bologna for ears. I have seen pigs made from gallon milk jugs and toilet paper rolls, but I have not made these myself. They look fun to make though. I have done an art project where you talk about why pigs roll in the mud. Then have the kids cut out pigs, and then splatter paint with brown paint to symbolize the mud. It really does not get as messy as it sounds. Day 1 week 3 Daily objective: To begin to reconize the letter S. Group Activity: Ahead of time, have parents bring pictures of things that start with the letter S. Have each child show what they brought and talk about the sounds of the letter S. Art: First, have each child turn over 2 small paper plates and paint them yellow. When the paint dries, have the child glue the plates together yellow side out. Next, have each child cut triangles or stripes of yellow and orange construction paper and glue them around the egde of the paper plate sun. Sand Play: Encourage the children to use their fingers to print the letter S in the sand in the sand table, sandbox, or naother container of sand. Science: Ahead of time, mix several types of dried beans or large seeds. Encourage the children to sort seeds. Have them place each type in a seperate section of a muffin tin. Day 2 week 3 Daily objective: To reconize that many plants grow from seeds. To express individual creativity. Poem: I found a little seed. I found a little seed So tiny and round. Then I dug a little hole And put it in the ground. The sun shone brightly And the rain came down. Then up came a flower That was yellow and brown. Art: Ahead of time, cut a large posterboard square for each child. make seed designs. Give each child a precut square. Offer an assortment of dried beans and other seeds for the children to glue to the square. As the children work, remind them that the word "Seed" begins with the letter S. Manipulative: To further reinforce the letter S, make a tactile letter S. First, help each child print a large capital and lowercase letter S on a piece of construction paper. Have each child squeeze a line of glue along each letter and sprinkle sand, salt, or seeds over glue. Snack: Eat seeds! Serve sunflower seeds. Day 3 week 3 Daily Objective: To explore different types of soil. To express individual creativity. Large Muscle: Encourage the children to move like a snakc and explain that snake starts with S Science: have the children examine several types of soil. these could be Sand, clay, potting soil, topsoil, etc..... Have the children use a magnifying glass to look closely at the soil. Let them touch it to see how it feels. Art: Ahead of time, either tape sheets of coarse sandpaper to the table or clip each sheet in a clipboard. Make crayon drawings over sandpaper. Have each child lay a lightweight sheet of white paper over a sheet of sandpaper. Encourage children to create crayon drawings on the paper. The sandpaper beneath their papers will give an interesting effect to their drawings. Cooking- Chicken vegatable soup! 1 envelope noodle soup mix 1 can boneless cooked chicken 1 can stewed tomatoes 1 cup cooked mixed veggies 3 cups of water Mix together all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 7 minutes. Cool until the soup can be safely eaten and serve with crackers. Serves 8 kids Day 4 week 3 Daily objective: To begin to reconzie the oval shape. To express individual creativity. To develop large muscle skills. Art: Ahead fo time, cut a large blue oval for each child from blue ocnstruction paper. Add water to white glue to make a thin mixture that will spread easily. make a tissue paper collages on blue ovals. Have the children tear off pieces of assorted colors of art tissue. Next, have each child use an old paintbrush to coat the oval with glue. have the children arrange the tissue pieces on the coated oval and then brush additional glue over the tissue. Large Muscle: Have the children rolls like eggs. First, remind them that chilckens lay eggs. Next, have each child curl up tighly, holding their knees. Encourage them to rock back and forth and roll across the floor. Math: Ahead of time, tie the ends of a piece of yarn together to make a large loop. Repeat for each child. Have the children create shapes by using a loop of yarn. Have them arrange thier loops on the table to form ovals. Encourage them to see how many differents shapes they can create. Science: Ahead of time, locate a few earthworms. Punch holes in the lids of 2 plastic jars. Conduct an experiment to help the children understand that earthworms help keep the soil healthy. Let the children fill 2 clear jars with alternating layers of potting soil and sand. Scatter equal amounts of grated carrots on top of the soil in each jar; then sprinkle water in each jar. Use enough to just moisten. Place a few worms in one jar. Ask the children to predict what changes they might see in the jars tomorrow. Place the lids on the jars and cover them with a dark cloth until the children observe them tomorrow to see if their predictions are correct. Day 5 week 3 Daily Objective: To refine small motor skills. Song: Farmer in the dell Dramatic Play: Encourage the children to role play farmers. Provide toy farm animals, plastic tools to enhance their play. Craft: Ahead of time, collect a plastic berry basket for each child. If you ask ahead of time, the produce manager at your local supermarket may be able to save some for you. Have the children weave assorted colored gift wrapping ribbon around the sides of the berry baskets. Attach a chenille craft stem to each basket for a handle. You can use the baskets for easter, nature walk to collect things in, or even a may basket. Sand Play: Place plastic garden tools in the sandbox or a pile of dirt outside. Encourage the children to pretend to plant seeds. Song: Old Mc Donald had a farm. Science: Uncover the jars you prepared yesterday and encourage the kids to note the changes that have taken place. If the soil has dried out, add a little water to moisten. Cover the jars again with a dark cloth. Continue to check the jars each day for the rest of the month. The children should discover that over time, the earthworms will mix the layers of soil in their jar. The layers will remian unchanged in the jar without worms. Explain to the kids that as tunnel through the soil, they mix in nutrients which help plants to grow. Facts Good milk cows give about 10 to 11 gallons of milk each day.Cows at our farm are milked twice daily. Some of the cows have a favorite place to stand in line while they are waiting their turn. Some like to go first, and some last. During the summer months a dairy cow might drink up to 40 gallons of water each day. Cows at our farm eat: hay, corn, corn silage, cotton seed and wet brewer's grain, mixed together like a salad. Cows are female cattle. Males are called bulls and babies are called calves. Cows provide milk, which is the source of daily products, including cheese, butter, and yogurt. The organ on a cow that holds her milk is called an udder or a bag. There are many varieties of cattle. Pigs are very smart Pigs roll in the mud to protect themselves from the sun and insects. Pigs use their snouts to root for food in the ground. There are several different kinds of pigs. Male pigs are called boars, females are called sows, and babies are called shoats or piglets When a pig weighs more than 120 pounds, it is called a hog. Chickens are birds, but they cannot fly very far. Hens lay eggs. Some eggs are used for cooking and eating. Roosters are the only birds with a comb on their head. Art/Crafts Animal Tracks-Get some animals and dip their feet into paint then place them onto colored paper or wax paper. Popcorn Sheep-Draw a picture of a sheep. Pop popcorn in front of the children and then they can glue it onto the sheep. Bird Seed Collage-Get the children to put glue on the outside of paper towel roll all the way around and then they can roll it, into bird seed. The teacher then can punch holes on both sides then use string or yarn to make a hanger. Add corn, wheat, hay, flax seed, oats, barley, grains that farm animals eat to the art center. The children can make collages with them. Corn Cob Painting--corn cobs, tempera paint, manila paper, paper plates-- Put paint in paper plates. The children dip corn cob in the paint and paint designs on the manila paper. Encourage children to use the side of the cob and roll designs. Let the children dip the top of the cob in the paint and discover what designs they can make using only the top. Have children put pink thumbprints on a piece of construction paper and make the prints into pigs. Ahead of time, cut sponges into chunks. Clip each chunk into a spring-type clothespin. Pour Black paint into shallow dishes. Paint cow spots on large sheets of paper. Let each child trace an animal with the stencil onto the tagboard and cut out animal shape. Then children clip on clothespins on the shape to make four legs. The animals will stand up Have the children draw pictures of farm animals. Sponge farm Using animal sponges have the children sponge paint some animals on a sheet of painting paper. On the top have thechildren print their have and then "had a farm" after it. At the bottom have the children print "There are_____ animals." The children then count their animals and print the number on the space. Blocks Encourage the children to build pigpens for toy pigs. Encourage the children to build a farm. Provide some toy farm animals to enhance their play. Using rubber farm animals, children can build homes the correct size for each animal using different kinds of blocks ie: unit blocks, color inch cubes and cuisenaire rods, etc. Tiana Books Two Cool Cows When Cows Come Home Inside a Barn in the Country by Alyssa Satin Capucilli Wake Up, Wake Up by Brian and Rebecca Wildsmith Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown Too Much Noise that I like to tell. You could find the book at the library I'm sure. It's about a man named Peter who thinks he has too much noise in his house so the wise man systematically tells him to get farm animals (one at a time). In the end, he tells him to let them go and then Peter appreciates how quiet his house really is. Anyway, the story has lots of repetition of farm animal sounds and I like to let the children first help with the telling by becoming the animals and then help with the telling by using instruments as the animal sounds. Tiana Sandra Boynton's Barnyard Dance board book. Actually I chanted it like a square dance caller. We read (chanted) the book a second time, only this time we all got up and mimicked the moves the animals do in the story...essentially we had our own square dance. Everyone had such a good time that we read it a third time but this time I brought out the percussion instruments so we could have a real " hoe down"! Later we brought out the fingerpaints and paper and asked the children to paint their favorite animal doing their favorite move, or playing their favorite instrument from the story. Read Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins and The Little Red Hen Compare the two hens and their problems. Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox. Divide the class into 5 groups and assign each group to be an animal. As you read the book again, have the students fill in the animals' comments. Everyone can be the cow at the end and moo the fox right out of the barnyard. Cooking/Snacks Black Cow or Purple Cow You need ice cream and root beer or grape soda. Put a big scoop of vanilla ice cream in a tall glass and fill to the top with the soda. Use a spoon and a straw to get it all! Make butter!!! Place some heavy cream in a baby food jar. Have the kids shake the jar ten times. If desired, mix in a pinch of salt and a few drops of yellow food coloring. Spread the butter on crackers for kids to taste. Discuss and taste different foods that come from the farm. Shake cream into butter (1 T. whipping cream in a baby food jar for each child) Music really helps to keep the shaking going long enough. Pour the buttermilk off after the butter forms a ball in the jar. Kids can taste the buttermilk that you pour off. Tiana Dramatic Play Encourage the children to pretend to be farmers, using any props you have available.\ Ahead of time, make a pinhole in each fingertip of a latex glove. Outside, hang a clothesline about three feet above the ground. Clip the prepared glove to the clothesline with a spring-type clothespin. Place a pail below the glove and a low stool or chair beside it. To help the kids understand more about cows, milk a glove! Fill the prepared glove with water. Let the kids take turns squeezing the fingertips of the glove as if milking, so that the bucket goes into the bucket. A friend of mine had one of the Dads of her preschoolers cut out a big cow from ply wood with a stand. She attached two of those thin latex gloves to the bottom of the cow, poked needle sized holes in the fingertips. Now the kids can milk the cow! We took one saw horse, wrapped numerous layers od newspaper around the middle and then a brown blanket. Add yarn tail, paint some spots on saw horse legs, add cow face, made from a shoebox, rubber glove for utters, the children milked it, rode it, combed its tail, one of the best learning experiences for farm in a long time - everyone had a great time. Gross Motor Have the children pretend to roll in the mud. Spread out a large blanket to represent a pigpen. Encourage kids to lie down and roll across. Play the rooster crows. Remind the kids that the rooster wakes up all the farm animals each morning. Encourage everyone to pretend to be a sleeping farm animal. When you crow, everyone should get up and move like the animal they are role-playing. When you crow again, everyone should go back to sleep.