C is for Cow (Farm Unit)

This week we are talking about life on the farm. This is a great stand alone unit or great if you are completing My Father’s World Kindergarten. It would also work great as a book centered unit – see recommendations below.


Fieldtrip

 

We went to a working farm & took a couple of educational classes. We learned about cows & Goofy even got to hand milk a cow! (We also got to observe how much faster a machine is able to milk a cow!).

  

We got to visit other farm animals (sheep, pigs, horses) and see a restored farm house from the 30s.

Goofy also took a class about Chickens where we not only learned about chickens, their habitats, and egg laying BUT he got to gather eggs that we then got to take home and eat. For lack of a better work the fresh eggs tasted more “eggy”. (Side note this Mom wants her own chicken coupe now!)

Worksheet Learning

We practiced counting up to 20 with {free} Barnyard Counting Clip-On. I love the concept of these – they integrate counting, fun animals, the animal habitats, and the tactile exercise of clipping on the clothespin to the correct number. I guarantee your kids will love them ~ mine sure did!

 

My kids LOVE worksheets. And I am always impressed by how much better Minnie (3) does each and every week. So bring on the worksheet fun as long as my kids are enjoying them! For this week I found these wonderful free farm printables at 2 Teaching Mommies. The free packet includes: tracing, which is different, building words with scrabble tiles, where things come from simple puzzles, pattern cards, mazes, number puzzles, shadow match-up, and a cut & paste activity to determine if animals go in the farm/ocean/zoo.

Sensory Learning

I made a Farm sensory box to go along with our weekly theme. The kids had a BLAST! The base of the sensory box was Fruit & Nut birdseed (giving it a fruity scent).

I also included metal shovels, rakes & measuring cups that were fun for scooping & made a wonderful sound. More fun: Pig Splat balls that were a hoot and a half, farm animal stamps, and farm stencils all from Oriental Trading Company. I purchased a farm animal Toob with very realistic animals, farm, tractor and hitch. I included some farm sticker scenes I had (not sure from where). And I included Hide and Seek eggs that come in a cute little 6 egg carton; You match the shapes on the bottom of the eggs to the cartoon - they also squeak and are colorful inside.  Minnie’s favorite was a soft plastic mouse & cheese I found at Michaels; you could push the mouse into any of the cheese holes leaving just the face or tale peaking out – I still hear the giggling =-)

Early Math Fun (PreK/K)

Kids add up the frogs & place them on the correct lily pad. There are multiple frogs per lily pad. Goofy (Kindergarten) loved this fun way to practice addition.

>>> Download Free Hoppy Frog Math here <<<

Good Books

As always, the basis of our week was good books.  We were lucky to have Grandma visiting this past weekend. Grandma loved reading books to the kiddos & was wonderful playing alongside them during “school”. We also watched an educational video on Farm Animal Babies. Here are our favorite farm books:

Science Fun

We played Nocturnal Farm Animals Game. This is a FREE PRINTABLE I created just for this week. We had so much fun playing & learning together! Click on picture to download.

Making butter (1 pint heavy whipping cream, shake 20 minutes (or use mixer to speed things up), pour off liquid at top, tada – 1 cup butter – YUM!!)

Crafts

What’s a good farm week without some fun farm crafts? These are great for creativity and developing motor skills.

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  Farm Animal Hand Art
  
  

We made a hand art sheep with black fingers, horse with brow hand/fingers, and duck with sideways yellow hand/fingers. Goofy (Kindergarten) painted the barn and sun.

  

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  Cow from Milk Jug (idea from Honey Bee Books Blog)
  
  

 

We painted a 1 galloon milk just white. Then we added black spots. The lid was the nose – we just added 2 nostrils. We added some googly eyes and cardstock ears. Such a fun project!

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  Farm Silo from Oatmeal Container
  
  

Using an oatmeal container we covered it with red construction paper. We cut a circle from white construction paper and made a cone top.

Spanish

We learned some farm Spanish Vocabulary.  It is easiest for kids to pick up a new language when they are young, so if you aren’t already doing so, I’d encourage you to introduce another language.

 

>>> Download {free} Spanish Farm Vocabulary Flashcards here <<<

Additional Resources:

• 
  A is for Apple Unit
  
  


• 
  Reading the Easy Way (Dolch Sight Word Based 12 week program – use promo code HOMESCHOOL to save 10%)
  
  


• 
  Sensory Bins
  
  


• 
  {free} Weather Unit (ages 3-9)
  
  


• 
  Where do I live? Social Studies Project
  
  


• 
  Hatching Butterflies Experiment with {free} printable
  
  


• 
  My Father’s World Kindergarten (A to Z)