TOT SCHOOL: DOWN ON THE FARM

I don't know about your toddler but mine LOVES to sing Old MacDonald Had a Farm, like all.the.time! So when I got out some farm themed books and gathered his farm animals, he was very excited to say the least. 

Here's what we did for our DOWN ON THE FARM themed week. And don't forget to grab the FREE weekly calendar and materials list at the bottom of the post (please note that some of the links are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link). 

On the calendar you will find a brief description of each activity, the links to them, books we read and additional resources. 

Share any questions or comments you have below. I'd love to hear and see how you are incorporating these activities at home with your little ones! Please follow me and tag me on Instagram @toddler_fundamentals and hashtag your photos #todfunfarm 

If you like to learn by watching videos, click the photo below for a quick recap of our week (and PS don't forget to Subscribe to the channel).

GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES

I found some farm clipart online (link in calendar) and cut them in half. I cut some in a zig-zag line, some diagonally, some horizontally and some vertically. I hid those pieces around the house (for a Hide N Hunt activity). That morning my son had to run and find the pieces and put them back together. He got in some gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem solving and spatial awareness practice! 

I blew up some pink balloons, drew pig faces on them, set up a baby gate and let the balloons aka piggies loose in my backyard. He had to run around and capture the pigs and put them back in their "pen." 
Check out my YouTube video above for an explanation of how I set this up. 

I played Old MacDonald Had a Farm and as we sang each animal name he ran and grabbed it and ran back to the starting point. 

FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES & ART 

I printed out these farm animal clip cards (link on calendar) and set out a bowl with clothespins. We talked about each animal and then he clipped the animal to match the one on top. Great for fine motor and building his vocabulary! 

I found these adorable animal faces on Teachers Pay Teachers (link on calendar, you do have to purchase them). I cut them out and taped each one to the top of a glass. Next, I put out a bowl with corn kernels, a scooper and some dice. He had to roll the dice, count the dots and then feed the animals that number of scoops. This was a favorite!! I also talk about this in my video above. 

I took a large box and cut off the side. I then drew the backside of two cows and a goat with a marker. Next, I poked a hole in the cardboard for their tails. Then, I cut some string and twine, taped them together at the end so I could easily slide them through the holes. On the back of the cardboard I taped them down. I gave him his scissors and let him cut their tails. He really loved this! 

SENSORY PLAY & ART

I used a sorting tray and placed a few of his farm animals in the spaces. I set out a bowl with corn kernels and he had to use the scooper to hide the animals. 

I made mud by mixing together unsweetened cocoa, flour and water. Then in another bin I put some water and soap. He played with his animals for a bit in the "mud" and then washed them. 

 In a bin, I added some corn kernels, plastic letters and some farm animals. On blue construction paper I cut out some shapes and added the letters in his name. Then, he used his tweezers to find the letters and match. 

THEMED SNACKS

You can do this two ways. You can either get frozen pancakes and then once they are cooked, cut them and shape like a pig or you can make pancakes together. We did both ways this week! 

I had planned to use vanilla yogurt with some pink food coloring but then realized I could use strawberry yogurt! I added some to a bowl, topped with strawberry slices for snout and ears and added raisins for eyes and nostrils. 

I used sliced bananas and grapes to make this snack. I always try to have edible eyes at the house because they make everything FUN and bring the snacks to life.  

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

I placed this printable (found on Instagram @littlefeiyedhomeschooler) into a sheet protector and he used a marker to draw a line to match the animals to their shadows. This was the first time he did something like this and he did so great!  

This printable is also from the same Instagram account (they are FREE, by the way!) and he had to trace the lines with a marker. 

Click the images below to grab the FREE Calendar and Materials List!

Thanks for stopping by and remember to always make learning FUN!