Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin

Reading Center for Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

Fill your preschool reading center not only with books about squirrels, but also with books about other small woodland animals and nuts.

Snacks for Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

Squirrel food: Serve you preschool students nutty foods such as trail mix and chex mix. Shelled sunflower seeds and popcorn are another option.

Note: Nuts and popcorn can be choking hazards for small children, so serve these snacks in small portions, keeping a close on eye on your preschool students as they eat.

Concepts for Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

Letter: Ss for squirrel
Number: 4
Shape: heart
Color: red

Fine Motor Activity for Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

Sorting with tongs: Set out a container filled with four different types of unshelled nuts, such as acorns, walnuts, peanuts and pecans. Also, set out four smaller containers, one for acorns, another for walnuts, one for peanuts and the last one for pecans. Instruct your students to use tongs that you have set out to pick up the nuts and place them in the appropriate container.

Gross Motor Activity for Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

Squirrely obstacle course: Set up a fun and safe obstacle course for your preschool students. Make it silly, aka "squirrely." For example, as part of the squirrely obstacle course, have your students roll nuts across the floor with their noses! You might also have a portion of the obstacle course for climbing up a short distance in order to retrieve a nut like squirrels sometimes do. Another idea is have your preschool students scamper on all fours, like squirrels, lifting up upside down cups that you have set around the room to see if there is a nut underneath it. Make your squirrely obstacle course is safe, but memorable!

Art Center Activity for Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

Provide your preschool students with large squirrel cut outs to paint. Squirrel tails look like curved bottle brushes, so let your students paint the squirrels with bottle brushes dipped in red paint.

Songs/Finger Plays for Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

Whisky Frisky Squirrel

Pre-math Center Activity for Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

Laminate several squirrel die cuts of various colors. Have your students roll two dice. Have them count the number on the dice and then count out that number of a specified color of squirrels. With this pre-math activity, you are also encouraging color recognition.

Pre-writing Center Activities for Preschool Lesson Plan: Squirrels

For younger students, provide sheets of paper with the letters S and s lightly printed on them. Have the children trace the letters. do the same with the number 4.

For older students, provide an example of the letters S and s and the number 4. Have the students practice writing the letters and number freehand.