Brown Bear Preschool Theme

A preschool theme about bears could easily be divided into smaller topics surrounding specific kinds of bears: brown bears, panda bears, polar bears, teddy bears and so forth. That being said, the following article predominantly focuses on brown bears.

Fun Facts about Brown Bears

Circle time is a perfect place to provide some simple facts about the preschool program's theme with or without a book. Start by asking children what they know and record their answers down. The early childhood provider can then fill in the information that may have not been mentioned. This process of group learning honours the children for their input, ideas and knowledge. Some fun brown bear facts to share with the children are:

• During winter a brown bear sleeps for four to seven months which is called hibernation
• Through the fall, the bear will eat almost all day to store up fat in preparation for his long sleep
• The bear will sleep in a den
• While hibernating, the bear's heartbeat slows down
• Baby bears are born in the den during winter, and when first born are the size of a chipmunk
• A baby bear is protected by its mother in the spring and stays beside her for up to three years
• Brown bears are found all around the world
• They usually eat fruit, insects, roots and bulbs.
• By the coast, brown bears eat salmon
• Communities that live near bears, should place their garbage in protective bins

Bear Crafts

Bear Shape and Collage Material

A bear shape made out of brown construction paper which can then be decorated is an easy and fun craft for a preschool activity. Older preschool children can practice fine motor skills with scissors and brown paper, folded lengthwise with half a bear traced on its edge (very similar to a classic Valentine's heart craft). When the bear is cut out, it can be decorated with craft material and glue. Following are some suggestions:

• pom poms
• buttons
• pieces of scrap material
• dry coffee grinds
• brown tissue paper
• googly eyes

Brown Bear and Marble Painting

Marble painting is a classic preschool craft activity. The materials needed are large marbles or golf balls, paint, paper and a shoebox. Place a bear shape onto the bottom of the shoebox created from sturdy paper. Place a dollop of brown paint in the middle, making sure the paint is not too thick, and a marble or two. Close the shoebox and let the child shake it all around. The marble will move through the paint leaving a design on the shape. This craft activity is a great choice for children of all ages and abilities.

Bear Songs

Music is such an integral part of a preschool program, and children not only are drawn to the sound, but can learn through the lyrical words.


Little Bear
To the tune of Frere Jacques

Are you sleeping, are you sleeping
Little bear, little bear.
You will sleep all winter
Through the cold, cold winter,
Little bear, little bear.
Are you sleeping, are you sleeping,
Little bear, little bear
You will wake in springtime,
In the warm, warm springtime,
Little bear, little bear

The Bear Went Over the Mountain
Sung To: For He's a Jolly Good Fellow

The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
To see what he could see
To see what he could see,
To see what he could see.

The other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain,
Was all that he could see
Was all that he could see,
Was all that he could see,
The other side of the mountain,
Was all that he could see!

Brown Bear Stories

Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Bears are a popular topic for children's story books. Childcare providers will surely be able to collect a bundle of books to place on the library shelves during a bear preschool theme. Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle is a wonderful book to relay with felt pieces on a flannel board. The repetitive words provide young children an opportunity to join and develop language skills. Another wonderful story featuring a bear, is The Mitten by Jan Brett.

The Mitten by Jan Brett

There are so many ideas that can be included into a bear theme, here are just a few more:

1. Have a Teddy Bear Day, and invite each child to bring in there favourite
2. Hide teddy bears around the room and send the children on a bear hunt
3. Place plastic bears into a sensory table with nature items and material for the children to create dens , such as plastic tubs
4. Make bear shaped cookies

                                                     

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Preschool Songs for Autumn: Leaves, Pumpkins and Halloween

Song #1

To the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down

Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down
Autumn leaves are falling down, red, yellow, orange and brown

Song #2

To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

I am a pumpkin, orange and round.
You will find me on the ground.
Sometimes big, and sometimes small,
You will find me when it's fall.
I am a pumpkin, orange and round.
You will find me on the ground.

Song #3
To the tune of I'm a Little Teapot

I'm a Jack-o-lantern, look at me
I'm as happy as I can be
Put a candle in, and light the light
Don't be frightened, it's Halloween night.



Song #4

To the tune of Sing a Song of Six Pence

First you take a pumpkin, big and round and fat
Then carve the top off, and that will make the hat
Then you carve the nose out, the mouth and the eyes
Show to the children for a Halloween surprise!


Song #5

To the tune of Frere Jacques


Trick or treat, trick or treat,
Halloween night, Halloween night
In our costumes playing,
You will hear us saying
Trick or treat, trick or treat

Preschool Fall Leaf Activities: Developing Math Skills

Young children love to go for nature walks and collect autumn treasures. This collection from the outside can then be brought inside for some fun indoor activities. The following article provides some suggestions on how to use leaves (nuts and other fall finds) in an early childhood curriculum to encourage the development of math skills in young children.

Sorting Autumn Leaves

The best way to start this activity in a preschool or daycare setting is to go for a nature walk with the group of children and allow them to collect the leaves. If this is not possible, then a collection of real leaves, or even paper or silk leaves, can be used. In small groups or in a large circle, the teacher can ask the children how these leaves can be sorted into groups. She/he can ask questions such as:

• How could we put these leaves into groups?"
• What makes these leaves the same and what makes these leaves different?"
• What colors do we see?
• Are some leaves bigger or smaller?
• I wonder how many leaves we have all together?
• I wonder which group of leaves is the biggest?

Simply stating these questions allows children to think about size, shape and color differences and begins the steps towards basic math concepts such as categorizing.

Depending on the age of the young children, they will need more or less guidance in their sorting choices. Once the groups have been decided upon, then the categories can be counted. For instance, if the children decided to sort the leaves by color, then all the red leaves will be counted and so on. Perhaps, the children will decide to sort the leaves by design or size. This decision can be left to the children or given by the teacher. After the small groups of leaves have been counted then a graph can be drawn on a paper by the teacher and this illustration posted in the room.

Felt Leaves on a Flannel Board

Another way of teaching children about sorting leaves is to use felt leaves on a flannel board. Each child can be given a leaf to bring to the board to place into the appropriate category or row at circle time. Afterwards, the children can then be asked to come back to the flannel board to remove a leaf according to the teacher's request, such as "please hand me the biggest red leaf on the board". This latter activity works well as a transition out of circle time. When the leaves are coming onto the board, the teacher can remind the children of the words used for sorting size: big, bigger and biggest as well as small, smaller and smallest. A further step is to ask the children to repeat these words to encourage language development.

Sensory Table for Fall Collections

Placing fall collections into a sensory table provides children a hands-on activity with the autumn leaves, nuts, pinecones and so forth. By placing containers with small compartments, such as muffin tins or ice cube trays, the children are provided opportunities to sort and collect. Finding opportunities in this free time activity to ask open ended questions further develops math skills in young children. Asking a child to count how many nuts they have found, for example, fosters math skills.

Math opportunities are abundant in an early childhood setting during all seasons through planned activities which encourage the development of basic math skills.

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