Polar Lands {Expanded}

Surprise!  Our unit is up a day early!!  But make sure to stop back tomorrow for another little surprise we have up our sleeve.

Check out our new and expanded “Polar Lands” unit! We’ve added a few new printables, which you can now download.

All our printables are in one easy download. Just click the image above to download a single zip file of all the printables. (Can’t unzip it. Try Hamster Free Zip Archiver approved by Amber’s husband. Remember to download carefully.)

You will need to be able to view pop-ups to download the unit, as it will appear in a pop up window from our site! Last year’s printables are also included in this download.   

Here are some of the printables that MAY BE included in this unit:

• Power Point - The Polar Lands
• Patterns (ABAB and AABB)
• Roll & Graph
• Letter Puzzles
• Writing Maze
• Feed the Penguin (You’ll need our counting cards.)
• Beginning Writing/Cutting Practice
• Size Sort
• Number Order Puzzle (1-10 and 11-20)
• Spelling Book
• Count & Clip 

Tot Pack

Looking for some ideas for a younger tot?  Check out our Polar Lands Tot Pack. (Tot Packs inspired by 1+1+1=1.) Here are the printables included in this pack:

• Polar Lands Match
• Seal Shapes 
• Count the Penguins
• Polar Bear Colors (mini book)
• Size Sequencing
• Iceberg Picture Puzzle

 

Products We Use with Our Units

Looking for more ideas?

• Devotional & Memory Verse Helps
• Center Ideas
• Polar Animal Snacks
• Movie Night & Iceberg Treat
• Tots Around Town
• Book Recommendations
• Last Year's Post

There are also more  ideas, units, printables and crafts available on this theme.  Check out our Pinterest Board for some of our favorites!

We hope you enjoy these printables and please let us know if you have any issues with downloading or using the items provided. 

Please do not sell or host these files anywhere else. You MAY link people here. When leading others to these printables, please link to THIS page, not to the file page.  Thanks! (See TOU)

 

 

Polar Animal Snacks!

The past couple of weeks we have shared a lot of cold weather fun!  All of the activities, crafts, and printables can be used with this unit too, but I figured since its been awhile we might feature some snacks with a polar theme.  Here are a couple of cute ones I found that you might want to try out with your kiddo!

This cute Polar Bear is made of Ice Cream!  Check out Snacks and Stories for all the details!  She even lists some book ideas for you to read while you snack!  What teaching mommy wouldn’t love that!

 

 

I saw a lot of these guys when I did a search.  They look really cute but also super easy and not very messy to make!  This link from MCLSkids has good instructions for you! 

 

 

 

Ok, how cute are these???  Those Family Fun folks are so darn creative!  And they involve peppermint patties, a personal favorite!  YAY!  We will likely make these and share the wealth with some friends and neighbors! 

 

 

I love letting E help me in the kitchen, and I know its something she enjoys too!  So tie on those aprons and get in the kitchen to make some messes and some memories with your tot!  

Polar Lands Center Ideas

This week we are expanding our Polar Lands Theme printables. 

To get you started, I’ve found some fabulous resources that can be use in independent centers and I even created a few for you. 

Magnet Pages

Another set of Magnet pages for you.  Includes all the polar land animals that are included in our unit this week.

Click to Download 6 magnet pages.

You can use several different things with your magnet pages. Do-a-Dot Paints work great, but then you’ll only get one use out of them.  I recommend laminating the pages and using Bingo Chips, Power Magnets or homemade pom-pom magnets with them.

Pretend Play

We are loving our miniatures that we found at Hobby Lobby.  Make sure and use the 40% one item coupon that they usually send twice a month to their email subscribers.  You can also purchase them through Amazon.

Safari Ltd Arctic Toob.

You can use them in a variety of ways, such as in a sensory bin or even as a counting manipulative.  My son just loves to play with them and if I only pull them out at a specific time it keeps him well entertained.

Stamping

Work on letter recognition with our Stamping Strips.  To do this activity you will need uppercase or lowercase stamps and an ink pad.

Stamping Strips: Polar Lands

Hope you have fun exploring the polar lands.

Tots in Action- Polar Lands

Here are some pictures (more coming) of this unit in action! We hope they help you as you plan your week ahead!

The Polar Lands

Here is what we’ve been doing this week. Let us know what you think.  We hope by providing these materials to you free of charge, it will make your life easier! 

Lesson Plan: The lesson plan includes all the lessons for the week, as well as optional ideas. Items following the lesson plan are just the printables or links to websites we used to teach these plans.  (Please note: On top of our lesson plan we are reading books daily that relate to our theme.)

Memory Verse: This memory card is for daily use during our calendar time.  You can learn more about calendar time at 1+1+1=1 or Homeschool Creations.  Our weekly devotional is an object lesson that will help your child apply the meaning of the verse to them.

*Special Note: Some of the clipart in this unit can be hard to see if printed on fast draft. 

Day 1:  
Polar Animal Spelling- This activity will help your child begin to recognize that when letters are combined they form words.

Polar Patterns- This activity will help your child begin to recognize, describe and extend patterns.

Polar Lands Power Point- Enjoy learning about what animals are found in polar regions and how the land looks. 

 

 

Day 2:  
Polar Bear Writing Maze- This activity adds a little “spice” to working on beginning writing skills.

 

Roll & Graph: Polar Animals- This activity will introduce your child to data collection and interpretation. Once you’ve completed the graph (first item to # of choice), make sure to ask simple questions.  Such as, “Which color is taller? What item is that?  Which color is shorter? Which item is that? How many times did we give the (item) a sticker?”  Make sure to show them how to use the graph, instead of just counting the stickers.

Polar Animal Tracks- Have fun learning about the tracks that polar animals make with these picture puzzles. We recommend printing this on cardstock and laminating.

Day 3:  
Polar Animal Beginning Sounds- Helps your child to focus in on the beginning letter sounds he/she hears and then to identify which letter makes that sounds.

Feed the Penguin- This activity will help your child begin to read whole numbers 1-10.  Attach the picture below to a cereal box and cut a hole in the penguin’s beak.  Flip a number card and feed that many goldfish crackers to the penguin.

 

Polar Sensory Tub- A fun activity to help your child better visual the arctic in the warmth of your own home.  If you don’t have snow in your area, you can create homemade snow (scroll down to Making Snow) or your can create a homemade iceberg.

 

We hope you enjoy these lesson plans and please let us know if you have any issues with downloading or using the items provided.  

Please do not sell or host these files anywhere else. You MAY link people here. When leading others to these printables, please link to THIS page, not the 4shared file page.  Thanks! (See TOU)

Tots Around Town-The Zoo

Ok, so we had this GREAT idea for a field trip this week…THE ZOO!  We know that its winter, but we figured we could bundle the kiddos up and go see some polar animals! 

Ok, so we were literally THE ONLY people at our zoo.  There apparently was a class meeting somewhere on the campus, so we were fooled by the cars in the parking lot.  Observe this shot of the normally bustling entrance…..

You get the point.  The plus to being the only people at the zoo?  You have the run of the place, and the animals, having been deprived of visitors willing to brave the cold, are VERY attentive!  The seals put on a show for the kiddos for quite a while!

Now, I brought my camera, but I forgot the memory card.  Madonna completely forgot her camera, also.  Step in cell phones.   The kids were not amused…

Now, the cameras drain the battery on your phone, so we didn’t get many pics. Our Polar Bears were off exhibit, but we did catch some shots of the seals, who were SUPER CUTE!!  

I highly recommend visiting the zoo in the off months.  The animals are much more active in cooler weather, and the smaller crowds (or the lack of any CROWD) means you can stand and stare at whatever animal you want without feeling like your in the way!  Check out this crazy goose! 

Okay, I know, that was totally random, but I had the pic.  The big cats, the llamas, and the wolves were also very active.  In addition we also had full, uninterrupted access to the indoor exhibits, which were heated ;)

If you can’t make it to the zoo, you can check out this on-line matching game with polar animals.  There is also this tic-tac-toe game on-line, which your kiddo might not be able to win, but they can click, and E liked doing that :)  They might give you something to do if you don’t want to, or can’t make it to the zoo!

Hope you all have a great week!

Fishers of Men

The verse you will be working with your child on this week is Matthew 4:19.

“Come, follow me,’ Jesus said ‘and I will send you out to fish for people. ”

Materials:

• A dowel rod or stick
• a magnet
• construction paper
• scissors
• staples

Directions:

• Attach the string and magnet to the end of the dowel rod or stick
• Cut some construction paper into the shape of fish and put a staple some part of them
• Go over the devotion with your child, and follow the prompt to allow your child to fish
• Say the verse above with your tot.  We suggest that you print the verse off and use it every morning with your calendar time.  If you don’t do calendar time still say the verse each morning with your tot before you begin tot school.

Talk with your child about the following:
This week we are learning all about the polar regions and the animals that live there.  Not many animals are able to live in the cold weather, but penguins and polar bears live there.  Both penguins and polar bears have to find food to eat.  Do you know what type of food they eat?  They eat fish!  They go into the water and go fishing to get food, the same way people sometimes do.  Would you like to go fishing with me?  Okay, lets try and catch some fish. 

That was kind of fun, huh?  When Jesus started to talk to people about God he looked for some very special people to help him.  The special people are called disciples, and they are Jesus’ very good friends.  Some of Jesus’  first friends were fishermen, and they fished the same way we tried to, except they caught REAL fish.  When Jesus saw them fishing he told them to come with him and he would teach them to fish for people!  That sounds kind of funny, doesn’t it?  Now, Jesus didn’t mean that he would teach His friends to catch people with nets like fish.  What he meant was He was going to teach His friends how to tell people about God, and how much God loves them.  Jesus wants to teach us how to do that, too.   He tells us that when we tell others about Him, and that He was God’s son, we are fishing for men.  Jesus wants to tell others about His love, and when they believe in Him, he has captured their heart.  Let’s pray that God will teach us to tell others about Jesus and be fishers of men.

Dear Lord, we know that you sent Jesus to show us how much you love us.  We thank you that you can know us and call us a friend.  We also thank you that you have given us the chance to tell others how much you love them, and about your son, Jesus.  Help us to learn to spread your word and to fish for men the way Jesus would want us to.  We pray this in your name, Amen.

Questions to ask:

• You may want to review last weeks questions with your tot
• Who teaches us to fish for people?  Jesus
• How do we fish for people ? We tell them about God’s love

Movie Night & Iceberg Treat

This week we are learning all about the Polar Lands!  One distinctive feature of the any polar area are the icebergs. 

This “iceberg” dessert doesn’t require much and definitely isn’t as many calories as our “snowball” treat. Although it may be just as sweet.  Just make sure you allow enough time for Jell-O to set.

Here is what you’ll need:  1 box instant blue Jell-O whip cream water cups to set Jell-O in for each person Serves 4

To make this “Iceberg” dessert, just follow these easy steps:

Step 1:	Step 2:
Boil a cup of water and add it to your Jell-O powder mix.	Stir until dissolved.
Step 3:	Step 4:
Add a cup of cold water.	Pour mixture into individual clear (plastic or glass) cups.  Then refrigerate, until set. This will be your ocean.
Step 5:	Step 6:
Then have your kiddo add a little bit of whip cream to the top to create your iceberg.	EAT and ENJOY!

To end the night watch a movie.  If you have any other movie suggestions feel free to share in the comments.

Movie Ideas:

• Below you’ll find some possible movie ideas to fit our theme. 
• Use your discretion on what is appropriate for your child.  These movies are merely suggestions and you should read and consider reviews of these movies before watching them.
• Be sure and check Netflix if you have an instant streaming option.