Parrots

AREA SETUP

(Open thematic poster-Parrots) Print, laminate, and decorate the walls of your daycare with all kinds of posters.

Educa-theme-Parrots
(Open educa-theme-Parrots) Print and laminate the items that represent the theme. Display them to present your theme to your group (and parents) while decorating an area within your daycare.

Educa-decorate-Parrots
(Open educa-decorate-Parrots) Print, laminate, and cut out the various items. Use them to decorate your daycare and set the mood for the theme.

Garland-Parrots
(Open garland-Parrots) Print the illustrations. Let children decorate them. Cut them out and hang them within your daycare or near your daycare entrance to create a garland.

SPECIAL TOOL

This special tool was created in response to a special request received. (Open Group identification-Parrots) Print and laminate. Use the cards and illustrations to identify children's belongings and decorate your daycare.

CIRCLE TIME

Display parrot pictures and illustrations on the walls of your daycare. Create a special hat by gluing colourful feathers all over an old hat or baseball cap. Walk around the daycare with a parrot-shaped stuffed animal on your shoulder, just for fun. You can also repeat children's sentences as an introduction to your theme.

PICTURE GAME

(Open picture game-Parrots) Use the pictures to decorate your daycare or to spark a conversation with your group. Print, laminate, and store the pictures in a Ziploc bag or in your thematic bin.

ACTIVITY SHEET

(Open activity sheets-Parrots) Print and follow instructions.

WRITING ACTIVITIES

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

Stationery-Parrots
(Open stationery-Parrots) Print. Use the stationery to communicate with parents, in your writing corner, or to identify your thematic bins.

Educa-nuudles-Parrots

(Open educa-nuudles-Parrots) Print for each child. Have children color the sheet. Once they are done, they may use Magic Nuudles to turn the coloring pages into three dimensional works of art. Variation: If you do not have Magic Nuudles, ask children to fill the spaces designed for the Magic Nuudles with bingo markers or stickers. To order Magic Nuudle

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-Parrots) (Open giant word flashcards-Parrots) Print. cage, beak, feather, perch, seeds, feeder, drinker, mirror, color, tail, toy, parrot

Let's talk
(Open word flashcards-Parrots) Print and laminate the word flashcards. Have each child pick a word and encourage them to take turns presenting it to the group (ex. a cage). As a group, talk about each item and ask questions to prolong the conversation.

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS-Birds

Construction/Building blocks:

• Straws with connectors, assembly games, etc. to create cages.
• Farm animals.
• Feathers.
• Objects found in the forest (branches, pinecones, etc.).

Arts & crafts:

• Bird-shaped stencils.
• Paper plates for creating masks.
• Multicoloured feathers.
• Paint and bright paper.
• Bird-shaped stamps.

Drawing:

• Stencils related to birds, their habitat, nature, etc.
• Bird-themed coloring pages.
• Shapes and drawings that can be covered with seeds (sunflower, mixed, etc.).

Role play:

• The pet shop: different sizes of bird cages, decorative birds, empty birdseed boxes, bird pictures and illustrations, feeders, etc.
• Puppet theatre with bird puppets (store-bought or homemade).

Manipulation:

• Memory game using educatall.com picture game illustrations.
• Bird puzzles (store-bought or homemade) or other puzzles related to the theme.
• Numbered bird illustrations; children must place the corresponding number of plastic or candy eggs on each one.
• Cheerios that can be threaded onto a string to make a necklace.
• Lite-Brite game to create pretty birds.
• Board games.
• Modeling dough along with cookie cutters shaped like birds or flowers.

Pre-reading:

• Books about birds, bird watching, and nature.
• Bird pictures (old calendars) to decorate the walls of your reading corner.
• CD with bird sounds children can listen to with headphones to relax while reading.

Pre-writing:

• Two bird illustrations and children must find the differences.
• Hunt and seek activities.
• Activity sheets related to the theme.
• Games with educatall.com word flashcards.

Sensory bins:

• Container filled with sunflower seeds.
• Container filled with mixed birdseed.
• Bin filled with different sizes of plastic eggs.

Science:

• Container filled with sunflower seeds or mixed birdseed along with containers that can be filled and poured out over and over again.
• Observation post complete with binoculars for bird watching out a window.

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

Game-This is my spot-Parrots
(Open game-This is my spot-Parrots) 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 parrot path
(Open my parrot path) 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.

Clean hands bin
Fill a large bin with a variety of toys and activities related to the theme. The only rule surrounding the use of its contents is that children must have clean hands to manipulate the toys.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Lacing-Parrots
(Open lacing-Parrots) Print, laminate, and make holes around the contour of each shape. Children can use string or shoelaces to lace the shapes.

Target game
Set a large bowl on the floor. Give each child a few feathers. Have them stand right in front of the bowl and try to drop the feathers inside, releasing them from shoulder height. After a few attempts, replace the large bowl with a much smaller one. How many feathers can they successfully land in the bowl?

Parrot, parrot
Ask a child a question. When he/she answers, the other children must repeat his/her response, just like a parrot.

Flying feathers
Deposit a feather in the palm of each child's hand and encourage them to blow on it to send it flying through the air.

Flying parrots
Have children sit in a circle. Every time you say, "Flying parrots", children must crouch down and flap their arms. You can give them other instructions too. For example you can tell them to remain perfectly still, to bark like a dog, etc.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Parachute and feathers
Set your parachute on the floor and deposit a large quantity of feathers on it. Children stand around the parachute and grab hold of one of the handles. Together, they must shake the parachute very gently at first and then more and more energetically until they send the feathers flying through the air.

Parrot dance
Take advantage of the warm weather and, if possible, walk to your local pet shop with your group. Admire parrots and other types of birds with the children in your group. On your way home, encourage them to act out various bird actions. They can climb, jump, spin around, etc. Show them how to whistle. If you're really brave, they can practice with crackers at snack time.

RELAXATION ACTIVITIES

Soft feathers
For this activity, children must find a partner. Right before naptime, have them gently stroke their partner's arms and legs with a feather.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Educ-trace-Parrots
(Open educ-trace-Parrots) Print for each child. Children must trace the dotted lines using a crayon of the corresponding color and then color each object using the same color.

Educa-symmetry-Parrots
(Open educa-symmetry-Parrots) Print. Children must color the bottom picture to make it look exactly like the top picture.

Color by number-Parrots
(Open color by number-Parrots) Print for each child. Children must color the picture using the color code.

Educ-colors-Parrots
(Open educ-colors-Parrots) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. If you prefer, you may also print a copy for each child. Children must associate the objects to the correct color using a marker of the corresponding color.

EARLY SCIENCE/MANIPULATION/EXPLORATION

Feather bin
Fill a bin with multicoloured feathers. Hide tiny objects among the feathers and encourage children to find them.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Food item of the week-Bread
(Open educ-poster-Bread) Print and laminate the posters to present different forms of this food item to your group. Display them next to the table where children eat or in your kitchen.

Seeds you can eat
Purchase sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, etc. After verifying that there are no allergies, encourage children to taste the different types of seeds.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Puppets-Parrots
(Open puppets-Parrots) Print the models on heavy cardboard. Have children cut them out and decorate them with a variety of materials. Glue a Popsicle stick behind each model to create puppets.

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

Hand parrots
You will need a sheet of white paper and several different colors of poster paint for each child. Paint children's fingers using five different colors and show them how to press their open hand on the paper, with their fingers pointing towards the bottom of the page. Next, print their closed fist near the top of their handprint to represent a parrot head. Encourage children to use a marker to draw eyes and a beak to complete their parrot.

Parrot family
(Open parrot family) Print for each child. Have older children cut the parrots out and glue them on heavy cardboard. With younger children, simply have them color the parrots. You may choose to ask children to color each parrot a different color and later have them glue feathers of the corresponding color on each one.

Parrot bags
(Open parrot parts) Print the parrot parts and have older children cut them out. You can cut the parts out for younger children prior to the activity. Give each child a brown paper lunch bag and have them glue the parts on the bag to represent a parrot. When they are done, they can add colourful feathers, wiggly eyes, and an orange triangle to represent a beak.

Crepe paper parrot
(Open crepe parrot) Print a model for each child. Have children glue colourful strips of crepe paper all over the parrot shape. Add a beak and a large wiggly eye.

Toilet paper roll parrots
You will need empty toilet paper rolls, wiggly eyes, tiny construction paper triangles, and colourful feathers. Have children glue feathers all over a toilet paper roll. Encourage them to add wiggly eyes and a beak.

COLORING PAGES

Complete the drawing
(Open complete the drawing-Parrots) Print for each child. Have them draw the missing items.

I am learning to draw
(Open I am learning to draw-A parrot) Print and laminate the model sheet. Invite children to practice their drawing technique on the model sheet and later try to draw a parrot on their own.

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

SONGS & RHYMES

(Open songs & rhymes-Parrots)

Parrots

By: Patricia Morrison
Sung to: The wheels on the bus

The blue and green parrot
Says, "Squawk, squawk, squawk!"
"Squawk, squawk, squawk!"
"Squawk, squawk, squawk!"
The blue and green parrot
Says, "Squawk, squawk, squawk!"
All day long

The red and yellow parrot
Says, "How are you?"
"How are you?"
"How are you?"
The red and yellow parrot
Says, "How are you?"
All day long

The multicoloured parrot
Says, "I love you."
"I love you."
"I love you."
The multicoloured parrot
Says, "I love you."
All day long

Have fun

The educatall team