Underground Animals

UNDERGROUND ANIMALSPRESCHOOL PROGRAM

Presented by Amanda Hoover-NEO-RLS

PICTURE BOOKS

NON-FICTION BOOKS

FLANNEL, MAGNETIC, OR SMART BOARDS

Above and Under

Talk about the words “above” and “under”Say put your hands above your head put your fingers under your chin.

Discuss how some animals can live above the ground and some animals can live below the ground (some can do both)

Show different animal pictures, some that only live above ground and some that can live under the ground. Have children place them either above the ground or under the ground.

FINGER PLAYSAnimals UndergroundBy Lucia Kemp Henry Here is the mole that lives underground.Close eyes and put hands under your chin.Here are the ants in their underground town.Use fingers to scurry on the back of the other hand.Here is a mouse in her warm little den.Wrap arms around torso.Here are the worms and there are ten.Hold up hands and wiggle ten fingers.Here is the turtle where he likes to hide.Make a fist (turtle’s shell) and wiggle thumb (turtle’s head).Here are the toads sitting side by side.Place two closed fists side by side.All of these creatures live underground.Point to the ground.Look very closely or they’ll never be found!Make binoculars with hands and place them in front of your eyesFrom Nature Boxes for Early Childhood Educators, Debbi Williams, Story County Conservation Board

SONGS & VIDEOS

The Ants Go Marching a YouTube Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b3prAmX9WU

Meerkat Burrow from Wildearth:http://www.wildearth.tv/meerkats#/2820675/VOD/tsw-meerkats-01/2012/04/23/2012-04-23-15-19-03_tsw-meerkats-01/94

Another Interactive Resource:http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmsc/k/b/cricket/ckt_kb.shtml

GAMES

Through the Tunnel!Use a cardboard box or cover a sheet over chairs.Pick an underground animalHave children move through the tunnel as that animal would (ex: wiggle like a worm, hop like a bunny, crawl like a spider, dig like a mole)

CRAFTS

Ground Hog Pop-UpMaterials:Paper CupPopsicle stickAnimal printoutScissorsGlue

How to make it:-Have an adult slit a hole in the bottom of a paper cup-Color the ground hog picture and cut out-Glue the picture onto the top of the popsicle stick-insert the bottom of the stick into the slot of the cup.-Move the stick up and down the show how the animal would come in and out of the hole

MORE CRAFTS…

Underground Animal Pictures: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/Underground.shtml

Underground Animal MobileMaterials:Plastic Cut LidString or RibbonAnimal Pictures

How to Make:-Have an adult cut a circle inside the lid leaving only the rim-Color and cut out various underground animal pictures-Attach the ribbon to the lid and animal pictures-Send the animals down and up through the “hole.”

SNACKS

See our Make and Take Snack Idea for Animals Underground!

Other snack ideas:

Ants on a log Ants in the SandCelery, Cream Cheese Crushed Graham Crackersand Raisins and Chocolate Sprinklers

CHECK OUT WWW.NEOTODAY.ORG

FOR THIS POWERPOINT AND OTHER SUMMER READING IDEAS!