An easy theme to pull together for your preschooler, or preschool class, is a farm theme. Maybe it’s because we have taught them animal sounds since they first began to talk, but something about farm animals is very intriguing to this age group. Here are some fun farm themed ideas to try out with your kiddo.
Farm Sensory Bin
This can be done in a variety of ways. The container you use is completely up to you. You can use a large storage tote, 9x13 cake pan, cardboard box, etc. For the bin filler you can use popcorn kernels, dry soy beans, or if you are planning on setting up a sensory bin outdoors you could use real dirt/mud. Gather all the farm toys and animals you have on hand and set them around the bin. That is it! Let your preschooler play!
For this activity you will need to print out some farm animals from your computer—or draw them if you are feeling artistic! You need 5 pigs, 5 sheep, 5 cows, 5 ducks, and 5 horses (or whatever 5 farm animals you wish). After they are printed choose 5 different colors of crayons or markers. Color one of each animal one color. So, if you chose red, yellow, purple, blue, and green you would have one red pig, yellow pig, purple pig, blue pig, and green pig. The same exact scenario applies with all the other animals. Then, using a black marker label all the red animals 1, yellow animals 2, and so on. Cut out 5 small squares and color each square one of the five original colors you chose. Line the colored squares up in a vertical line, either on the table or the floor. Put the red square on top as this coordinates with the animals labeled with the number one; similarly, whatever color coordinates with the animals labeled with the number 2 will come next, and continue laying the other three squares out to correspond with the numbers 3,4,and 5. Once you have the 5 squares in a vertical row your child will begin graphing the animals. They will line up all the red animals with the red square, yellow animals with the yellow square, etc. After they have finished graphing the animals talk about the colors and numbers.
Most preschoolers love pouring and transferring materials back and forth between cups and bowls. For this farm related activity you will need popcorn kernels, two cups or bowls, a spoon, and a funnel (optional). Fill one cup with popcorn kernels and leave the second up empty. Tell your child to use the spoon to scoop the kernels into the empty cup. This simple activity is a great for fine motor development.
“If you’re A Farm Animal and You Know It” (to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re a cow and you know it say moo-moo. If you’re a cow and you know it say moo-moo.
If you’re a cow and you know it and you really want to show it, if you’re a cow and you know it say moo-moo.
*repeat with other farm animals
Along with the activities above there are so many exceptional farm related books you can check out from your local library, but chances are you probably have a few farm themed books lying around your house!