Z is for Zoo

I am slowly getting back into a more structured tot school, however I am changing it up slightly. I am going towards a more 'themed' week instead of trying to base it around a letter of the week. This seems to be more fun for John and I can use more items around the house instead of buying new teaching materials.

So, we did 'zoo animals' week recently. I gathered up the stuffed animals and we had TONS of them. Seriously, they multiply at night or something! One morning we set up a zoo in the backyard. This activity was great and multi-purposed! I put out towels for the 'cages' because it had rained the day before and I didn't want the toys to get too dirty. John first helped me sort the animals and help put them in their spots. Then, armed with his binoculars (toilet paper rolls I quickly taped together that before we went outside), he and Matthew took a wagon ride around the zoo.





We sang a song in between each cage:

(to the tune of Farmer in the Dell)
We're going to the zoo
We're going to the zoo
It's so much fun to go and see
the ________ at the zoo (fill in with animal)

...or...

LIONS at the zoo
LIONS at the zoo
It's so much fun to go and see
the LIONS at the zoo.

At each 'cage' John would count how many animals he saw and we talked about them a little.

checking out the lions:


checking out the bears:


Matthew LOVED this activity too even though he probably had no idea what was going on. I tried to do the sign for the animals but I don't think he really noticed. Everytime we sang and move the wagon he would crack up. John wanted to take the tour of the zoo twice and then he helped me put all the animals back inside the house. He even set up a zoo by himself a couple times throughout the week.

I link up to these parties!