Arctic / Antarctica

Crafts

*Ice Cube Painting - Place water in small dixie cups or an icecube tray. When partially frozen, insert a popsicle stick and return to freezer. Sprinkle dry tempera paint onto paper and use the icecube to paint with. As the cube melts, it will mix with the dry paint. These make a really nice looking watercolour painting.

*Sugar Cube Igloo - glue sugar cubes to create an igloo.

*Paper Bag Penguins - Stuff a paper lunch bag with newspaper, fold over the top, and staple closed. Paint the entire bag black and let dry. Cut a white body from construction paper and glue onto the front of the penguin. Add eyes and a beak. Cut feet from construction paper and glue to the bottom of the bag.

*Polar Bear Puppets - use white lunch bags (or paint brown ones white) to create puppets. Add construction paper ears, and facial features.

*Arctic Hare - cover a bunny shape with white cotton balls.

*Make finger puppets from white fake fur, white felt, and googly eyes.

*Collage - provide white paper and white items for children to create a white-on-white collage.

Science

*Camouflage - glue cut out white animals such as an Arctic hare, Arctic fox, and polar bear onto white paper. Have the children find the animals camouflaged in the 'snow'.

*Ice and Snow Experiments - from liquid to solid (freeze water to ice) and from solid to liquid (melt ice to water).

Block Area

*Add arctic animals to the block center for children to build them homes.

Dramatic Play

*Add lots of white props for dressing up as arctic animals.

Circle Time

Songs:
*I'm A Little Penguin

Stories:
*Ahoy There Little Polar Bear

Games:
Frozen Tag - One person is it and tags the other children. When they are tagged, they must remain frozen with their arms stretched out until another child runs under their arm. When someone is tagged 3x, they become 'it'.

Water & Sand Play

*Add snow and white plastic animals to the water table. Provide mittens for the children to wear while playing in the 'Arctic'.

Outdoor Play

*Build snow shelters outside. (omit the roof for safety reasons!)

Field Trips / Special Days

*Visit a zoo and view the arctic animals.

Songs

I'm a little Penguin

(sung to: I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a little penguin on the ice
I think the cold is very nice
I can hop around first once, then twice
I think ice is very nice.

I'm a little penguin, Black and white
Short and wobbly, An adorable sight
I can't fly, but I love to swim
So I'll waddle to the water And dive right in!