End of School  & Summer Fun

     While I was trying to figure out the final theme of the year, I decided that I couldn't select just one!  The following theme is a compilation of many different topics all related to the end of school and summer.  Enjoy your visit!  

     As with the other theme units many of the activities are original and many were collected from various sources mostly in the public domain.  I do not always save the original site so if you know of something that I should credit please notify me and I will do so.

Happy Summer!

A story is read each day to the class.  Generally, lots of discussion results after the story!

Unit vocabulary words

bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly, fish, fishing pole, picnic, basket, summer

Day 1     Bugs       

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly

     Practice the words with students.  Place vocabulary cards around the room.  Students will use green yarn to make a line from one word card to the word that matches.

Discussion - If available, gather several live ladybugs in a container.  Put the ladybugs on the table have students observe the bugs for several minutes.  Prompt discussion.  When students are finished with the observation, write several sentences about the what they saw the bugs doing.  Provide ladybug paper for the writing activity.

Art - begin a "Bug Board".  Cut large construction paper leaves.  Place leaves on the wall or bulletin board.  As students finish a buggy art project place the bugs on the leaves.

     Today students make ladybugs.  Basic red oval, black head, black dots, add pipe cleaner antennae. 

Day 2

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly

     Students will use water to paint the letters of each vocabulary word on the chalkboard. 

Discussion - Encourage students tell what they know about bees.  (Remember they will want to tell stories about bee stings, etc.)  Make honey, live in hives, pollinate flowers, queen bee in the center of the hive, worker bees, bees wax, honey comb, etc.  Write several sentence strips including bee facts.

Art - Create a bee for the "Bug Board".  From construction paper cut: Black elongated body, yellow stripes, glue.  Add white wings and black antennae.  Place on the bug board when complete.

Day 3

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly

     Play hide and seek with the word cards.  When a student finds a word they say the word.

Activity - Ants at the picnic  - use a large, brightly colored sheet of construction paper, fringe the ends to look like a placemat.  Glue a paper plate to the placemat.  Students find food pictures and glue to the paper plate.  Cut out lots of ants.  Glue to the paper plate and placemat.  Now you have an invasion of ants at the picnic!  Add to the "Bug Board"!

Discussion - Build an ant farm
Materials: Glass Jar, Black Paper, An old nylon stocking, Soil and Ants, A rubber band
Fill a glass jar with loose soil, and add your ants. Use the rubber band to secure the stocking on the top of the jar, and cut off the excess, leaving a good amount left so you can easily take it off and put it on the jar again. Tape black paper around the outside of the jar so the ants will build tunnels on the sides of the jar. Don't forget to feed and water your new pets. After a couple of hours, take off the paper and see what is happening. Don't forget to put the paper back on the jar. Idea found at: http://www.123child.com/animals/ants.html 
Day 4

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly

Discussion - Where have you seen butterflies?  What color butterflies have you seen?

Art - Symmetrical Butterfly - Materials: string, large white construction paper, paint.  Fold the paper in half.  Dip the string in the paint.  Open the paper, carefully take out the string and lay it near the fold in the paper.  Wiggle the string around and pull it out.  Repeat with different colors of paint.  When dry, cut out a butterfly shape, add the antennae.  Add to the "Bug Board"! 

Cooking - Butterfly Treats - on a paper plate lay out 5-8 colored mini marshmallows (butterfly body); place large pretzels on each side of the body for the wings; add stick pretzels for the antennae.  We added a few flower shaped marshmallows around the plate for interest.

Day 5     Fish Prior to the start of class, hang blue netting or blue crepe paper from the ceiling.  This will create the ocean/lake effect backdrop for the week.

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly, fish, fishing pole Continue with the previous words, but add fish and fishing pole.

     Students write the words on fish shaped paper.  Write sentences about fishing.

Discussion - Watch the goldfish in the bowl - children tell what they observe.  What do you know about fish?  Freshwater (lakes & rivers) and saltwater (ocean) fish; people put fish in bowls or aquariums; we eat fish; what other animals eat fish?; tell about a time you went fishing; etc.

Art - Paper Plate Fish - Use watercolor paint to paint both sides of a paper plate.  When dry cut out a medium size triangle shape for the mouth.  Glue this piece to the back of the fish for the tail.  Add an eye to each side.  Attach a piece of fish line and hang from the ocean/lake!  

Day 6

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly, fish, fishing pole

     Hide fish shaped word cards in sand.  Students find the card and say the word.

Activity - playdough fish and sea life.  Students use various colors of playdough to fish, starfish, shells, etc.  Place all their creations on blue (ocean/lake) construction paper.

Art - Starfish - cut starfish out of yellow or light brown construction paper.  Spread on glue, sprinkle with sand, dry tea leaves, or glitter.  Hang from the ocean/lake!

Day 7

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly, fish, fishing pole

Art - Paper Plate Oysters - Gather a paper plate and a cotton ball for each child. Also you will need gray and pink paints and glue. The kids should fold the plates in half and paint the insides of the "oyster" pink. When the pink is dried they should paint the outside of the plate gray. To complete they can glue the "pearl" into the center of the oyster.  Add to the ocean/lake!

Idea found at: http://www.fcsweb.net/teachers/mwilliamson/units/ocean_unit.htm 

Day 8

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly, fish, fishing pole

Students write the vocabulary words in sand.

Cooking - Sand Cups

Day 9     Picnic

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly, fish, fishing pole, picnic, basket Continue with the previous words, but add picnic and basket.

Put all the vocabulary words in a "picnic basket", students pick a word, count the letters, say the word and put it in ABC order with the other words that have been selected.

Activity - What's for lunch?  

1 paper plate per student; variety of magazines with food pictures; glue; scissors

Students cut out pictures of food they would like to have on a picnic.  Glue to the paper plate.  Lead the discussion to healthy foods, foods that can be carried in a picnic basket, etc.  When complete put up the paper plates on a bulletin board entitled, "We're going on a picnic!  Want to come along?"  Add a sentence strip - Look at our picnic lunch.  Mmmmmm! Background for the board is an inexpensive red & white check plastic table cloth.

Day 10

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly, fish, fishing pole, picnic, basket Continue with the previous words, but add picnic and basket.

Put all the vocabulary words in a "picnic basket", students pick a word read the word and match it to a picture.

Activity - What should we play?                               

construction paper kites; assorted paper scraps; crepe paper for kite tail; glue; scissors

On a picnic some children like to fly kites.  Today you are going to make your own kite. Students will decorate their kites with paper scraps and add a tail.  When finished, 'fly' the kites near the, "We're going on a picnic!" bulletin board.  Add the sentence strip - Flying kites can be so much fun!  Include some puffy clouds and a bright sunshine.

If time permits, take your students outside to fly a kite!

Day 11

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly, fish, fishing pole, picnic, basket Continue with the previous words, but add picnic and basket.

Put all the vocabulary words in a "picnic basket", students pick a word write the board on the chalkboard, use colored chalk.

Cooking - Finger Sandwiches

bread; luncheon meats; cheese; lettuce; mayo; butter; assorted cookie cutters

Students follow the steps to making a sandwich.  Cut out the sandwiches in a variety of shapes. 

Pick up the blanket and juice, take the sandwiches outside to enjoy the wonderful day!!  Lead the discussion to manners, throwing trash in the garbage can, when have you gone on a picnic, etc.

Day 12

Vocabulary - bugs, bee, ladybug, ants, butterfly, fish, fishing pole, picnic, basket Continue with the previous words, but add picnic and basket.

Put all the vocabulary words in a "picnic basket", students pick a word.  Use that word to play hangman with classmates.

Art - Picnic Faces

large round construction paper circles for faces; assorted paper scraps; yarn for hair; bright colored pipe cleaners for sun glasses; scissors; glue

Students add facial details to the face.  Cut yarn for the hair just the student's hair.  Bend the pipe cleaner to form sunglasses.  For the lenses use colored plastic wrap glued to the pipe cleaner.  Attach to the faces.  Add the faces to the picnic board.  Include the sentence strip - We like to go on picnics with our friends.

Happy Summer!  See you in the fall!