Wolves

SPECIAL TOOL

Group identification-Wolves

This tool was created in response to a special request received. (Open group identification-Wolves) Print and laminate the elements and use them to identify various areas and children’s belongings.

CIRCLE TIME

Animated discussion

(Open picture game-Wolves) Print and laminate the pictures in the format you prefer. Use them to spark a discussion with your group and ask children questions about wolves to see what they know about these animals.

Poni discovers and presents-Wolves

(Open Poni discovers and presents-Wolves) Print and laminate the posters. Use a Poni puppet to present the pictures to your group.

Suggested questions:

• Can you name different types of wolves?
• Do you know any stories about wolves?
• Do wolves have fur or feathers? Can you name other animals that have fur? Animals that have feathers?
• Have you ever seen a wolf? Where?
• Can you name parts of a wolf?

AREA SETUP

Thematic poster-Wolves

(Open thematic poster-Wolves) Print and display to present your theme and decorate your day

care.

Wolves’ den

Transform your daycare to represent a forest. Draw large trees on a white paper banner or brown paper bags that you have cut open. To decorate the trees, use a hole-punch to make a hole in the center of several dried or fabric leaves and thread them on a piece of ribbon or string. Glue leaves at the bottom of the trees. You may also trace children’s hands on colorful paper and cut them out to represent leaves that can be glued on tree branches. Add pinecones and Fun Foam apples.

Set a large cardboard box (from an appliance) in one corner of your daycare before children arrive. Glue a picture of a wolf on the box. Let children talk about the box, ask questions, wonder out loud, and share their ideas about why this box was set in your daycare. After a while, explain that the box represents a den (home for a wolf) and that there is a wolf that lives in it. Ask children to help you set up the den to make it more comfortable for the wolf. They can add dried or fabric leaves, branches, etc. The den can represent a hideout for the children in your group throughout the theme (and possibly beyond). Children can add their favorite stuffed animals, books, and maybe even take turns napping in your den.

Miniature stickers for rewards

(Open miniature stickers for rewards-Wolves) Print on adhesive paper and use the designs to create an original sticker collection.

Educa-decorate-Wolves

(Open educa-decorate-Wolves) Print, cut out, and laminate. Decorate the walls of your daycare and hang decorations from the ceiling to set the mood for the theme.

Educa-theme-Wolves

(Open educa-theme-Wolves) Print and laminate the various elements. Use them to present the theme to your group (and parents) and decorate your daycare.

Garland-Wolves

(Open models-Wolves) Print and let children decorate the elements. Use them to create a garland that may be hung within your daycare or near your daycare entrance.

PICTURE GAME

Picture game-Wolves 

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with the group. Use them to decorate the daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game-Wolves) Print, laminate, and store in a “Ziploc” bag or in your thematic bins.

ACTIVITY SHEETS

Activity sheets-Wolves 

Activity sheets are provided for each theme.  Print and follow instructions. (Open activity sheets-Wolves)

WRITING ACTIVITIES

Writing sheet

(Open writing activities-W like wolf) Print for each child or laminate and use with a dry-erase marker.

Educa-nuudles-Wolves

(Open educa-nuudles-Wolves) Print for each child. Have children color the sheet and use Magic Nuudles to give it a three-dimensional look. Variation: You don’t have Magic Nuudles? Have children fill the spaces designed for Magic Nuudles with bingo markers or stickers.

To order Magic Nuudles

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS-Wolves

Construction/Building blocks:

• Natural-colored wooden blocks (or colored ones).
• A few branches and pinecones.
• Tiny logs.
• Wooden sticks of all kinds that can be used for different types of constructions.
• Forest animal figurines.

Arts & crafts:

• Cardboard, tissue paper, empty egg cartons, recycled material, etc. Children can use them to represent a cabin in the woods.
• Hang a large piece of paper on a wall to create a mural. You can inspire children by drawing a few trees and letting them add leaves, animals, etc.
• A tree drawing printed on paper and children have to glue leaves and bark on it (torn pieces of green and brown construction paper). Glue sticks are best for this activity since liquid glue might seep through the paper.
• An easel with a large piece of paper (or paper on a wall) along with poster paint. Children can paint a forest.
• Popsicle sticks and white glue for building a log cabin.
• Discuss animal tracks with your group, apply paint to the bottom of children’s feet, and invite them to walk on paper. Once the paint is dry, encourage them to compare their footprints.

Drawing:

• Coloring pages related to forest animals, nature, birds, etc.
• Musical drawing: draw a forest as you listen to a CD of forest-related sounds.
• Provide recycled paper for children to draw on and explain the importance of preserving trees!

Role play:

• Picnic:
  • A picnic basket filled with plastic dishes and food items, a blanket, a radio with a CD to listen to chirping birds as you pretend to have a picnic in the forest. This activity can be organized at lunch or snack time. Simply sit on a blanket on the floor, in your daycare.
• Camping in the forest:
  • A tent, sleeping bags, utensils, plastic or disposable dishes, plastic food items, pyjamas, etc.
• No matter which theme you choose, decorate your area with giant paper trees, pictures of forests found in old calendars, fabric leaves, etc. The goal is literally to transform your area to make it look like a forest.
• Little Red Riding Hood: a red hoodie, a picnic basket, a stuffed wolf.
• The Three Little Pigs: Wood, bricks, and straw, three stuffed pigs and one wolf.

Manipulation:

• Forest animal-themed memory game with educatall picture game or a store-bought game.
• Puzzles related to the theme.
• Brown and green modeling dough to create a forest. If you wish, you can use homemade modeling dough and leave children’s creations out to dry. They will enjoy building their very own miniature forest with the trees and animals.
• Fabric leaves that can be sorted by color, size, shape, etc.
• A felt board with felt trees, animals, etc. that can be used to invent stories and scenes.
• A variety of pre-cut mushroom shapes on which you have glued theme-related pictures for a unique memory game.
• An association game in which children must associate animals to the correct habitat.
• Set a variety of items related to the theme on a table (acorn, pinecone, squirrel figurine, pine needle, etc.). Ask children to observe the items closely. Cover them with a blanket and remove one item. Children must identify the missing item.
• Pieces of rope children can use to tie knots.
• Sorting game involving animals with fur and animals with feathers.

Pre-reading:

• Books about forest animals.
• Tales and fables with a forest setting: The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Hansel and Gretel, etc.
• Headphones and CDs with sounds of nature, chirping birds, animal sounds, etc.
• Puppets representing forest animals and birds.

Pre-writing:

• Connect the dots or dotted lines children can trace to reveal trees.
• Games with educatall.com word flashcards.
• Tracing activities that involve forest animal names. Associate pictures to each word to help children identify them.
• Various activity sheets related to the theme.

Motor skills:

• An obstacle course throughout which children are encouraged to move like different forest animals.
• A treasure hunt where children must find pictures of forest animals.
• Try to whistle like a bird.
• Act out different actions associated with forest animals or insects.
• Pretend you are firefighters extinguishing a forest fire. Have children stand in line and pass a bucket filled with water down the chain, attempting to have as much water as possible in the bucket when it reaches the end of the line.
• Sing songs alongside a pretend campfire and explain the importance of properly extinguishing a campfire to avoid causing a forest fire.

Sensory bins:

• A large container filled with dirt.
• A container filled with pine needles.
• A bin filled with pinecones.
• A large container filled with autumn leaves (real or fabric).
• A container filled with sunflower seeds.

Science:

• Fill a large container with leaves, pieces of bark, branches from coniferous trees, and pinecones.
• Arrange different types of mushrooms in clear containers and invite children to observe them.
• Have children use raffia, hay, and pieces of yarn to create nests for birds.
• Set up your very own vivarium and add any insects children find while playing outside to it. Be sure to cover your vivarium to avoid unpleasant surprises.
• Show children a compass, a map, etc.
• Plant flowers and different types of vegetables with your group.
• Build a birdfeeder. There are many simple models to try!

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

Word flashcards

Use the flashcards to spark a conversation with your group, in your reading and writing corner, or to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-Wolves) (Open giant word flashcards-Wolves) Print. wolf, she-wolf, forest, pack, teeth, paw, tail, moon, Little Red Riding Hood, trap, den, wolf cub

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

Game-This is my spot-Wolves

(Open transition games-Wolves) Print two copies of each illustration. Use adhesive paper to stick one copy of each illustration on the table. Place the second copy in a bag. Children take turns picking an illustration to determine where they must sit at the table. You may also use the illustrations to determine children’s naptime spots or their place in the task train.

My wolf path

(Open transition games-Wolves) Print, laminate, and secure the illustrations on the floor of your daycare to create a path leading to the areas frequently visited by children throughout the day. The path can lead to the bathroom, the cloakroom, etc. If you prefer, use the illustrations to delimit various areas.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Forest animal tracks

(Open forest animal tracks) Print the various tracks and cut them out. Glue them on the floor, creating paths so that, when children follow identical tracks, they discover which animal they belong to. Be sure to glue a picture of the corresponding animal at the end of each path.

A forest-themed obstacle course

Use adhesive tape to draw a start line and a finish line on the floor. Set two leaves (real or fabric) approximately 10 cm apart on the start line. Hand children a drinking straw or an empty toilet paper roll they can blow into to propel their leaf forward. The first child who blows his leaf over the finish line wins. He can race against another child. If you wish, add obstacles such as chairs, tables, bowling pins, etc. that children will have to move around.

Watch out for the wolf!

Pick a child who will become the wolf. He must try to touch the other children. Every time a child is touched, he becomes a wolf too.

Variation: Instead, you can have the children who are touched by the wolf remain still, with their arms stretched out to the side. Many children can have their arms stretched out at the same time. Change wolves often!

Wolf walk

With your group, pretend you are wolves on the prowl.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Wolf tag

Have one child play the role of the wolf. He must try to capture the others. Every time he catches one of his peers, he must tickle him or her. The captured child then becomes the wolf for the next round.

The wolf and the flea

To begin, one child pretends he is a flea and positions himself under your parachute. Another child pretends he is a wolf and stands on top of the parachute. The other children hold the parachute’s handles and move the parachute up and down to help the flea escape. When the flea escapes, the wolf must catch it. The wolf then becomes the flea for the next round. Invite another child to play the role of the wolf.

Illustrated walk

Go for a walk in a nearby woods with your group. Collect objects found in nature. When you return, hang a large piece of paper on a wall. Use the items collected by the children in your group to create a mural.

Red walk

Walk around your neighborhood, but use children’s imagination to pretend you are walking in the forest, like Little Red Riding Hood. Try to find as many red items as possible.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Educ-pairs-Wolves

(Open educ-pairs-Wolves) Print. Children must draw a line between identical items or color identical items using the same color. For durable, eco-friendly use, laminate for use with a dry-erase marker.

Educ-trace-Wolves

(Open educ-trace-Wolves) Print for each child. Children must trace the lines with the correct colors and then color the corresponding items using the same colors.

Color by number-Wolves

(Open color by number-Wolves) Print for each child. Children must color the picture according to the color code.

Educa-symmetry-Wolves

(Open educa-symmetry-Wolves) Print. Children must color the picture on the right (black and white) to make it look exactly like the one on the left (in color).

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print, laminate, and cut out the pieces. Children will have fun dressing the doll in a variety of ways.

Hunt and seek-Little Red Riding Hood

(Open hunt and seek-Little Red Riding Hood) Print and laminate. Children pick a card and search for the item in the scene.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Cabin in the woods

Children love playing in cabins. Drape bed sheets over furniture to represent cabins. Add items often found in the forest and display pictures of wolves here and there. Let children spend time in these improvised cabins. If you wish, you could even serve snacks.

What time is it Mr. Wolf?

Select a child who will be Mr. Wolf. Have him stand at one end of the room, with his back to the other children who are standing on a line at the opposite end of the room. The group asks, “What time is it Mr. Wolf?” If, for example, the wolf responds, “It’s five o’clock.”, children must take five steps towards the wolf. When the wolf says, “It’s time to eat!”, children must run away to avoid being caught by the wolf. The first child touched by the wolf becomes the wolf for the next round.

Musical tracks

(Open animal tracks) Print several copies and laminate and cut out the tracks for added durability. Arrange the tracks on the floor, mixing them up. To the sound of music, children walk around the daycare. When the music stops, name an animal. Children must quickly find the tracks belonging to this animal.

SPECIAL DAY-LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

Perpetual calendar-Little Red Riding Hood 

(Open perpetual calendar-Little Red Riding Hood) Print and display.

Greeting

Wear a red cape to greet children in the morning. Set a red and white checkered tablecloth on the floor, in your circle time area.

Invite children to join you on an imaginary walk in the forest. Admire imaginary trees and animals, jump over roots or over a stream, etc.

Circle time

Once children are all sitting comfortably on your tablecloth, inform them of the day’s activities. You can share a snack, much like picnic. Why not serve cookies like the ones Little Red Riding Hood wants to bring to her grandmother. Tell children the Little Red Riding Hood story.

Lunch and snacks

Morning snack: Fruit

Lunch: A picnic

Afternoon snack: Cookies (See recipe below)

Special activity

Prepare cookies with your group and serve them as an afternoon snack that can be enjoyed with parents. Prepare a special play or puppet show. (Open characters-Little Red Riding Hood) Print the puppets and let children decorate them. Create a short puppet show that you can present for parents at the end of the day. Use a cardboard box or an old bed sheet to create a special décor for your puppet show. Arrange chairs in rows in front of your puppet theater and add a few colored light bulbs to set the mood for your show. Use your imagination, and most of all, children’s imagination.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Butter it up

Pour 35% cream in a glass Mason jar or an empty jam jar. Shake it vigorously until small clumps of butter begin to form. Let children take turns shaking the jar until you see a large ball of butter in the jar. Remove the butter from the jar, rinse it under cold water, and drain. Let each child fill a tiny container with a small portion of butter. They can add it to a pretty basket and set a red and white checkered napkin over it, like Little Red Riding Hood. They will be happy to bring their homemade butter home at the end of the day.

Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup of margarine
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• ½ cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp of milk
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2 tsp of cinnamon
• 
  3 tbsp of old-fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the margarine, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and milk to a bowl. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (that you previously mixed together) and continue to beat the preparation with the electric mixer. Using a spatula, add the oats to the preparation. Deposit small balls of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Serve at snack time and let children add a few cookies to their basket so they can bring them home along with their homemade butter.

Red eats

Use red Jell-O to make a special dessert. Let children manipulate the powder and add water. Pour the mixture in the bottom of Styrofoam drinking glasses and put them in the refrigerator until the preparation sets. Enjoy this red dessert at lunch time the next day.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Models-Wolves

(Open models-Wolves) Print the various models and use them for your crafts and activities throughout the theme.

Puppets-Wolves

(Open puppets-Wolves) Print and cut out the wolf parts for each child. Give each child a brown paper lunch bag and encourage them to glue the parts on it to represent a wolf. Once all the children are done, have them name their wolf puppet. Use the puppets to create an original puppet show.

Masks-Wolves

(Open masks-Wolf) Print for each child. Provide crayons, glue, glitter, confetti, and pipe cleaners. Let children decorate their mask as they wish.

Paper plate masks

Give each child a paper plate and help them cut two holes out of the center (eyes). Provide scissors, glue, and construction paper. Encourage children to add a nose, a mouth, moustaches, ears, etc. Attach a piece of string on either side of each child’s mask so you can tie it behind their head.

My miniature wolf

(Open craft-Wolves) Print for each child. Have children color the pieces before cutting them out and gluing them on an empty toilet paper roll. 

My dancing wolf

(Open my dancing wolf) Print for each child. Cut out the various pieces and let children decorate them with markers. Assemble the parts using fasteners where indicated and display the dancing wolves on a wall, at children’s level. They will have fun moving the wolves’ arms and legs.

Wolf paws

Sculpt wolf paw shapes out of potato halves or sponges. Show children how they can press them in paint and then on a paper banner to make prints. You can dilute poster paint with a small amount of water to make it easier for children to make well-defined prints.

Little Red Riding Hood puppet

(Open puppets-Little Red Riding Hood) Print for each child and have them cut out the various parts. Help them assemble their puppet with fasteners.

Little Red Riding Hood’s basket

Give each child a washed one-litre milk carton. Cut each milk carton a few inches from the bottom and use a hole-punch to punch a hole out of either side of the baskets. Children can thread one end of a pipe cleaner through each hole and twist it in place to represent a handle. Let them decorate their basket as they wish. Place a layer of Easter straw in the bottom of each child’s basket and fill it with butter and cookies (see above).

COLORING PAGES

Coloring pages theme-Wolves

(Open coloring pages theme-Wolves) Print for each child.

SONGS & RHYMES

Songs & rhymes-Wolves

(Open songs & rhymes-Wolves) Print.

By: Patricia Morrison                 Sung to: Row, row, row your boat

Howling wolves

Hear, hear, hear the wolves

Howling at the moon

Awoowoo, awoowoo, awoowoo, awoowoo

That’s a big pack of wolves

Have fun!

The educatall team