An Invitation to Play

LESSON 3

Children engage in imaginative play to explore and better understand winter animal survival and preparation during the cold winter months. 

  • Blanket/fort building items

  • Picture books from previous lessons

  • Pillows, blankets, chairs, and other household items

  • Small animal figurines

  • Building blocks

  • Play silks

Materials

  • Gather materials

  • Set up a designated play area with pillows, blankets, chairs, and household items.

  •  OR set up a designated play area with small world play items (animal figurines, blocks, play silks, etc.)

Preparations

  • Prompt children to recall and discuss previous lessons, fostering connections between past and present knowledge.

  • Provide materials to inspire imaginative scenarios related to winter animal preparation.

  • Foster an environment that encourages free expression and creativity.

  • Offer guidance as needed, assisting children with their ideas during play.

Objectives for Teachers

  • Children recall and express their understanding of winter preparation from previous lessons, practicing memory retention and verbal communication skills.

  • Children engage in imaginative play, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving as they pretend to be winter animals.

  • Children physically interact with the concept of winter preparation through household items and small world play.

Objectives for Children

Collect and Connect

  • Practice saying the poem together with the actions you came up with.

Winter Animals

Winter is cold,

There is snow in the sky.

The squirrels gather nuts,

And the wild geese fly.

The fluffy red fox,

Has his fur to keep warm.

The bear’s in her cave,

Sleeping all through the storm.

Activity Flow

  1. Begin the lesson by revisiting the picture books from previous lessons through a picture walk. As you flip through the stories, allow the children to share their thoughts and memories about the stories, encouraging them to share what they remember.

  2. Introduce today's exciting activity, explain that the they will have the opportunity to step into the shoes (or paws) of winter animals and explore what it's like to prepare for the winter season. Guide the children in using household items like pillows, blankets, and chairs to create a winter "home" for the animal they want to pretend to be. Encourage them to think about what their chosen animal needs to survive winter and how they can represent those needs using the available materials. For example, they can use pillows as food storage, blankets as cozy nests, and chairs as shelter.

  3. Provide creative freedom for the children to express themselves. Assist them with ideas and encourage discussions about the unique features of each winter animal they choose to portray.

  4. As an alternative or additional activity, offer small animal figurines and building blocks for creating a small world scene of animals preparing for winter. Encourage the children to build homes for their animal figurines and play with their small world scene.