Acorn hunt

Squirrels get ready for winter

Teach the children about how some animals get ready for winter. Read some books to the children about it. Start with squirrels that you observe with the children around your neighborhood. Talk about where squirrels live and what they eat.

In this game, children can pretend they are squirrels getting ready for winter.

• Hide acorns around the room or yard. They can be real ones the children collect outdoors or they can make paper ones to use for the game.
• Have the children pretend they are squirrels getting ready for winter.
• Give each child a brown paper lunch bag.
• The children can search for the hidden acorns and put them in their bags.
• Ask children to count their acorns.
• Make a chart or graph to show how many were gathered.
• Make a large paper nest for them to put the acorns in at the end of the game as a review of where squirrels live.

Gray squirrel (finger play)

(Do motions to fit words)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail.
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail.
Wrinkle up your little nose.
Hold a nut between your toes.
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail.

Collecting, counting, and more

Give each child a small bag or plastic pail with a handle. Have them collect items they find in the yard or park such as pine cones, acorns, leaves, and small twigs. Each child can use the special items he or she collected for a variety of math activities.

• The children can count the items in their collection.
• They can sort their item, putting items that are alike in a pile together.
• The children can count the number of different kinds of items they have.
• Talk about different concepts such as same and different, big and little, brown and green, smooth and rough, above and below.
• Make patterns. For example: have the children make a row of their items using two acorns, then one pine cone, then three leaves. Repeat this in the same order to make a pattern.
• Make a graph showing the things collected and the number of each. Have the children glue one of each item on the part of the graph depicting that item so they can see what each part represents.
• Arrange the items by size--big, bigger, biggest.

Variation:
Make leaf prints by painting the leaves. Cover them with a sheet of paper. Gently press down on the paper. Lift up the paper for a leafy surprise!

Leaf painting

What you need:

• Leaves
• Tape
• Drawing or construction paper
• Tempera paint
• Paint brushes

What to do:
The children can collect leaves. Place a leaf on a piece of paper, anchoring it to the paper with a rolled piece of tape under the center of the leaf. Then the children can paint all over the leaf and the paper. After the paint dries, carefully remove the leaf. The outline of the leaf will be on the paper. More than one leaf can be used on larger pieces of paper.

Caution: Young children can choke on small objects and toy parts. All items used for children under three years of age and any children who put toys in their mouths should be at least 1¼ inch in diameter and between 1 inch and 2¼ inches in length. Oval balls and toys should be at least 1¾ inch in diameter. Toys should meet federal small parts standards. Any toys or games labeled as unsuitable for children under three should not be used.

Choking Cautions: Other items that pose a safety risk and should not be accessible to children under three include, but are not limited to: button batteries, magnets, plastic bags, styrofoam objects, coins, balloons, latex gloves, and glitter.

Activities 8-1