Unit study: Penguins

Due to the cooler weather we had one week, I thought it would be fun to study penguins.

Sliding on our tummies like a penguin!

Puddle stomping on a cool rainy day (penguins would do that, right?)

Playing in the ‘ocean’ (color tablets for the tub) with penguins I cut out of a plastic yogurt lid and colored with a sharpie. The ‘snow’ is shaving cream. This was a very popular activity – here you can see a seal about to eat the penguin. It’s a dangerous world out there!

Speaking of seals and danger….

The kids were supposed to slide off the ‘iceberg’ (couch) and collect paper fish to feed to the ‘baby penguin’ (a cup). We had played one round when I decided to add another element. I searched Youtube for a clip of a seal chasing a penguin, we watched it and then daddy walked through the door, earning the privilege of playing the ‘seal’. I think Ivy imitated the sound of a penguin in distress quite well. Lance, on the other hand, refused to budge off the couch until I got another empty cup to be his baby. The fact that his baby had nothing moved him to compassion just enough to make a quick dive, narrowly escaping with his life.

I never knew school could be so harrowing.

We later visited the zoo. The penguin exhibit brought many smiles and much discussion about all we had learned. What fun to watch little minds grow!