Rainforest Recap and Sneak Peek into Zoo Week

It’s Zoo week in our homeschooling curriculum this week (Er, last week now. I’m just now getting around to posting this!). I’ve been excited for this week since I was able to come up with lots of fun material.

Last week was Rainforest week, which led into Zoo week really well for obvious reasons. I toyed with combining them but I’m glad I didn’t since there is such a wide array of materials and opportunities of learning though those two themes.

Pinterest, as always is my go-to site for crafts, songs, book references, and suggestions on ways to incorporate our daily activities into our theme (there is so much material available!). With the Rainforest and Zoo theme, it’s really easy. For example, for Rainforest week, our letter focus was R and for Zoo it’s, yep, Z. Sometimes you can’t  always find a good theme for your letter for vice versa. These past two weeks have been wonderful for letter and math games through the theme lens. I’m so grateful for Pinterest. I don’t know how people homeschooled before it!

I’ll show you pictures of what we’ve been doing in addition to our regular flash cards, memory work, workbook, math games, and writing and reading. Caidoc has been having a blast. I’ve been able to get Zelie in on some of it too, although I’m still trying to find that sweet spot of being able to juggle them both at once during our morning routine.

I’ve been excited for these two weeks of school too because it means our field trip will be to the zoo, and who doesn’t love the zoo?! This trip will be extra special because it’s Azelie’s first time going 🙂 there will be pictures aplenty I’m sure!

I get most of my supplies at the dollar store or I print them at the library. This globe was a dollar store find and it has been really useful. Caidoc is holding his “dart frog” ( aka poison dart frog) paper plate craft here.


  


  

This is set up on the floor with different movements and noises to make featuring animals that you would find in the Rainforest or Zoo. This activity encourages gross motor skills , listening, and balance, while learning about animals. I like to do this between different sitting activities. Zelie in particular LOVES it and is pretty good at doing each animal noise!
This is set up on the floor with different movements and noises to make featuring animals that you would find in the Rainforest or Zoo. This activity encourages gross motor skills , listening, and balance, while learning about animals. I like to do this between different sitting activities. Zelie in particular LOVES it and is pretty good at doing each animal noise!



Here is the frog! This was Caidoc's very favorite animal to study this week. He was obsessed with "the dart frog! " Aka, the poison dart frog and even mentioned that being his favorite thing to see at the zoo.
Here is the frog! This was Caidoc’s very favorite animal to study this week. He was obsessed with “the dart frog! ” Aka, the poison dart frog and even mentioned that being his favorite thing to see at the zoo.

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Z is for Zebra!

 

 

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These are still one of my favorite homeschooling resources I’ve found. WE’ve worked through almost the while alphabet with these dot paint worksheets. They are so simple and effective. Sometimes I have Caidoc glue pom pons instead of paint. His choice each day 🙂 It really empowers them to make their own choices, so whenever I can let him make one I do, he enjoy school much more that way.

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My hilarious little lion with his shape turtle. He LOVED the masks this week and this turtle in particular. I think it's because he enjoyed yelling out the different types of shapes while he glued them on.
My hilarious little lion with his shape turtle. He LOVED the masks this week and this turtle in particular. I think it’s because he enjoyed yelling out the different types of shapes while he glued them on.

 

More lions! Caidoc would NOT stop making this weird face for a picture :( which is why I rarely take pictures of our school sessions.
More lions! Caidoc would NOT stop making this weird face for a picture 🙁 which is why I rarely take pictures of our school sessions.

 

 

Getting the little lady involved !
Getting the little lady involved !
This was a really interesting experiment. I gave caidoc these birds, turtles, pipe cleaner and paper. After showing him the different type of pictures of a rainforest I asked him to make his own. This is what he came up with all on his own! I was really proud. Goes to how I need to let him do more on his own. Sometimes I just get so into what we are doing ;)
This was a really interesting experiment. I gave caidoc these birds, turtles, pipe cleaner and paper. After showing him the different type of pictures of a rainforest I asked him to make his own. This is what he came up with all on his own! I was really proud. Goes to how I need to let him do more on his own. Sometimes I just get so into what we are doing 😉

Well, I did not take as many pictures of our zoo visit as I thought I would. I was really trying to unplug. But, with the zoo and rainforest crafts and activities on top of our regular schooling, made for the perfect set up for our trip and Caidoc was really engaged in reading about animals and watching them. His binoculars are broken which I was really bummed about as was he, but he and Z got really close to some animals. C even pet a lizard! I was feeling guilty about taking the kids during the expensive visiting season ( I thought I had planned my curriculum around that but was off by two weeks *dang it!* ), but I decided to go anways since all the info was fresh in Caidoc’s and Zelies little minds. As we were standing in the ticket line a woman came up and gave us extra tickets she had. I was so surprised and thankful! As I like to say, it was totally a sign! 

Showing daddy the zebra.
Showing daddy the zebra.
just too cool for school ;)
just too cool for school 😉
A smiley Zelie -although she didn't last in the stroller long, she's pretty sure she can do anything Caidoc can, surprise, surprise!
A smiley Zelie -although she didn’t last in the stroller long, she’s pretty sure she can do anything Caidoc can, surprise, surprise!

The past two weeks were so fun! My curriculum is almost all done for the alphabet, only a couple more week! This week is going to be a blast- we are learning about DINOSAURS! So fun! I can’t wait to blog about it. Once this preschool curriculum is finished I’m going to slowly start some methods for teaching Caidoc to read. He’s so ready and already read his first word all by himself!

Hope you enjoyed this little peep into our homeschooling! Cheers!

 

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