Make-it Topic: Turtles

Imaginative:

• Place out boxes for the children to use as shells, place out rolled blankets for logs and bugs for cooking 
• Make a pond for the children to care for turtles

Language:

• Read the story “The tortoise and the hare” 
• Read the poem little turtle
• There was a little turtle (put hands together in a fist)
  He lived in a box (make a box with both hands)
  He swam in a puddle (make swimming motions)
  He climbed on the rocks (use your fingers to climb up your arm)
  He snapped at a mosquito (clap hands)
  He snapped at a flea (chomp with your mouth)
  He snapped at a minnow (clap hands)
  He snapped at me (Do Home Alone Face)
  He caught the mosquito (grab with your hand)
  He caught the flea (grab with your hand)
  He caught the minnow (grab with your hand)
  But he didn't catch me (jump in excitement) 
• Read “Turtle splash"
• Read “How the turtle got its shell” 
• Read some Franklin books

Art:

• Contact paper cut in a turtle shape, googly eyes yarn and tissue paper allow the children to make a stain glass turtle 
• Use egg cartons cut and paint to make turtles 
• Coffee filter turtles; paint the filter turn them upside down on paper draw on heads 
• Have small turtle cut outs allow the children to decorate the turtles and make a mobile 
• Tip a flower pot upside down and paint 
• Put out shapes and a turtle cut out allow the children to make a shape turtle

Water/Sand

• Place turtles and sponges in the water table 
• Place logs, rocks and turtles into the water 
• Place turtles and bugs in the sand table 
• Place strainers and turtles with rocks in the sand table

Gross Motor

• Turtle bean bag toss use a large paper with a shell on it cut out small holes in the shell for the bags 
• Have turtle races place out an obstacle course all the children to be turtles while they complete it 
• Play follow the leader 
• Play turtle says

Science/Curiosity

• Place out different types of shells for the children to explore 
• Set up an aquarium for the children to view 
• Place out eggs for the children to view

Blocks

• Place out logs, and turtles in the block center 
• Use rocks for building with 
• Place out green blocks with a white sheet

Conceptual/Table top/Fine motor

• Allow the children to use cards sequencing the story tortoise and the hare 
• Match the turtle shells to the color of the body 
• Place ping pong balls with numbers and matching ping pong balls with dots have the children match the turtle eggs 
• Place dots onto a board allow the children to roll a dice moving a turtle to the end make two sets of dots for a game 
• Place a jar decorated as a turtle use tweezers and pompoms have the children catch the bugs ‘pompoms” and place them in the turtle mouth 
• Have turtle cut outs for lacing 
• Cut up pool noodles and lace the “turtles” together 
• Sequence the turtles 
• Set out play dough allow the children to form turtles

Music

• Sing the song Tiny turtle 
• I had a little turtle his name was tiny Tim I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim he drank up all the water he ate up all the soap and now he’s sick in bed with bubbles in his throat hiccup 
• Use cups to make shakers decorate as turtles

Quiet

• Use a box and place books inside for reading 
• Place out turtle magnetic forms the children can make a story

Cooking

• Make turtles
• Bread cut into circles, Kiwi cut and peeled, cream cheese pretzels and raisins. Place cream cheese onto the bread allow the children to place kiwi and use raisins for the eyes use pretzels for the legs

Field trip

• Visit a local pet store look at the turtles 
• Go to the local pond see if you can find any turtles