Make your own classroom barn out of an empty appliance box for preschoolers to enjoy.
Most preschoolers can quickly recognize a picture of a red barn and a group of cows in a pasture as a photo of a farm. Though preschoolers might not know 12 cows are called a flink, they probably know we get milk from cows. Put on your straw hat, slip into your boots, and get ready to bring the barn and the farm animals into your classroom.
Classroom Barn
Have preschoolers help turn a large appliance box into a classroom barn. Cut openings for doors and windows. Let preschoolers paint the barn red with white trim and add a weather vane. Preschoolers may suggest adding a straw floor, a hay bale to sit on or other props such as a horse saddle and horseshoes. Allow students to draw or paint animals inside the barn such as cows, horses, pigs, chickens, goats and barn cats. Provide play food or pictures of food so students can feed the farm animals.
Farm Animal Math
Print out pictures of farm animals such as horses, cows, chickens, goats, pigs, ducks, rabbits, cats, mice, llamas, sheep and barn owls. Print out several pictures for each animal, including adults and babies, then laminate pictures for durability. Encourage preschoolers to sort the farm animals by color, size, fur or feathers and other attributes. Have preschoolers put the animals in order by size. Provide a large drawing of a farm with a barn and field. Invite preschoolers to sort the animals on the farm by placing them in the barn or around the fields.
Sounds Around the Farm
Read books and sing songs about farm animals and the sounds they make such as "Who Says Quack?" by Jerry Smath, "Peek-a-Moo" by Marie Cimarusti or any musical version of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and "Animals on the Farm." Encourage students to sing songs while lining up for recess or while playing in the classroom barn. Place farm books in a reading corner so students can look at the pictures and practice the animals sounds. Provide laminated pictures of farm animals attached to craft sticks so students can pretend to be different farm animals while playing in the classroom barn.
Chicken Eggs
Invite your preschoolers to explore chicken eggs. Bring in a dozen eggs, some raw and some hard-boiled. Let preschoolers crack open some eggs to study the shells and compare the raw egg whites and yolk to hard-boiled egg whites and yolks. Encourage preschoolers to spin a raw egg and a boiled egg to see how each spins. Have preschoolers float raw and boiled eggs in tap water and again in saltwater to see what happens. If you have an incubator at school, try hatching baby chicks.
Tags: classroom barn, farm animals, farm animals, Have preschoolers, animals sounds, chickens goats, Encourage preschoolers