Toddler Fun, Week 26: Letter W, Number 5, Gray and Whales

Ah, whales... majestic, graceful giants of the sea.

They are the perfect animal to learn the letter "W" with.
Whales were nearly wiped out by 1970 due to whalers, but because of the conservation efforts of groups like Save The Whales, many of the species have been brought back from the brink of extinction. I think it's very important that we learn as much as we can about them, and protect them to the best of our abilities.

Week 26

Letter: W

Number: 5

Color: Gray

Animal: Whales

Activities

1. The MOSH

Jacksonville is a great city, with wonderful museums!  One of them is the MOSH (Museum of Science and History).  This is a very kid-friendly, hands-on museum, which just so happens to only cost $5 on Fridays!  You saw that right!  $5 Fridays!  So, on this Good Friday, we got together with Aidan's best little buddy and his sister, and had a day of science and discovery!

 They first exhibit is called Atlantic Tails, and it is about whales, manatees and dolphins.  The mural right before you walk in is beautiful, and the boys loved it!

I love the life-sized whale mama, calf and dolphin too!  Also, check out that baleen!  That's what non-toothed whales have.  Water sifts through it, and little shrimp, krill and the like gets stuck in it. It's amazing!

 All the exhibits were very interactive, which of course the littles loved!  This one in particular had a joy stick, which when moved showed how manatees' migration changes based on the season.
There was another one, which lit up different one with buttons, which highlighted their different body parts, and fun facts about them.  They also had bone replicas, which were fun!

 This one was my favorite.  It demonstrated how sonar works.  The kid operating it points it at something, and then it makes a pinging sound, and tells them how far away it is!  What's even cooler, is that the closer you get to the machine, the louder, and quicker the sound becomes.  When I said it was like "sonar", Aidan right away knew what that was!  He said "like Bailey the beluga"!  I love it when they make connections like that!

This one was fun too!  It had different animals (dolphins, whales, manatees, humans, etc.), and the sounds they made!  It was really interesting!  Manatees make a really sweet sound!









2. Bay & Bee

If you've visited my blog before, you know about this AMAZING indoor play space we go to, called Bay & Bee.  This week, Aidan pretended to go on a whale watching expedition...

And then all on his own, he found this whale toy, and kept pretending it was a beached whale, and he kept rescuing it.  I love watching his imagination at work!










3. Fine Motor Practice

It takes all of my OCD mama strength to let him, but sometimes the boy just needs to color, and be free.  Coloring pages are great, especially ones with the letter on them nice and big like that, are great for reinforcement!

Do-A-Dot worksheets are awesome!  I know they have special markers for them, but we didn't have any, so I used a sponge paintbrush and stamp pad.  It's a great pre-writing practice!  It reinforces the shape of the letter, and encourages fine-motor skills in a very age-appropriate way.  Also, it's totally fun!

I also found this free worksheet packet, with lots of great practice sheet.  He did REALLY well with this giant W, and stayed mainly in the lines.

This sheet had SO many good things, letters, numbers, colors, writing, it's awesome!  Aidan is doing great with his letters, but not sure on his numbers, but we practiced right before this, and he actually did very well, so that made him feel good about himself!







4. Baleen vs. Toothed Whales

So, there are two types of whales - toothed, and baleen.  Baleen is the same material as nails and hair.  Whales take big gulps of krill-filled water, then they push the water back out of their baleen, and the krill gets stuck in them.  To show what that would be like, I filled a bowl of water with dried basil/mediterranean seasoning, and then we used a comb to sift it out.  I saw another idea, where you take a gulp of water with raisins, and then push the water back out.  Aidan isn't super great about following directions, especially when he gets excited, and he has a very sensitive gag-reflex, so I didn't opt for that one, but I think it would make for a great exercise!

 For the toothed whale, I put together egg carton, and used a rubber glove on the back.  Of course, it's made out of cardboard, so it didn't last long, but I added some raisins, that we tried grabbing with the "teeth".

Look at those chubby little fingers!  Why can't they just stay that way?!


It was a really fun activity, and then he got to play in his little kiddie pool, so that didn't hurt!

This is a great chart to show you which whale falls under which category.  One of Aidan's favorite is the sperm whale, which he likes to tell EVERYONE.  Super fun for me, haha!




5. Goldfish Counting

 A few weeks ago, when we were doing G is for Goldfish, I found, and printed out these goldfish counting cards.  I laminated them, and I'm so glad I did!  That means I could use them again and again!  I found whale shaped crackers, and we used them instead.

He did really well, and I let him eat them in between too, which helped with the whole "hangry toddler" thing, lol!











6. "Blowhole" Letter Blasting

For this AWESOME activity, I went out, and wrote a bunch a letters on the driveway with chalk.  Then, I bought this blaster (for $0.96, score!!), and we pretended it was a whale blowhole.  I would tell Aidan which letter spray, then he would spray it.  Then we switched it up, and he would tell me what letter he wanted to blast, and then went after it!

 So much fun!

There's a nice big W!  Bam!!

Snacks

1. Cheerio Apple Whale

For this tasty treat, I used an apple, cheerios, a blueberry, a slice of strawberry, and a candy eye.  Yum!!










2. Whale Sandwich

For this lunch I cut out a paper whale template, which I then used to cut the sandwich.  For the sun I used cucumber dill hummus (so yummy, I found it at Aldi), and baby carrots, mango for the water (I was all out of blueberries), a candy eye (which of course he ate first), and a strawberry sliver for a smile. 



3. Whale Cracker Snack

For this snack, I used blueberries that we got through Local Fare Jax, where we get fresh and organic local produce delivered to us every other week.  These are seriously the BIGGEST and tastiest blueberries I've ever seen!  Then I used Stauffer's whale cheese crackers, clementine segment halves, an apple slice, fruit leather and a strawberry slice.

Crafts

1. W is for Whale

I couldn't find anything on pinterest that I liked for W is for whale, so I came up with this.  I used the Vineyard Vine whale logo as a template, and then cut out a "W", and some water droplets.  Then I let him glue it all together.  Ta-Da!

2. Whale Paper Plate Craft

We followed the instructions found on this blog, here.  We folded the paper plate in half, the cut it according to the directions, then added water, and let Aidan paint it.

 So much concentration!

And there it is!  We decided it was humpback whale.  <3









3. Jonah and the Big Fish

I found this template for this craft.  I printed it out, Aidan colored it, I cut it out, glued it to a clothespin (whale parts on the front, Jonah on the back), and...

There it is!  So, so cute, if I do say so myself!

Books and Media

We Read:

1. The Storm Whale by Benji Davies

This books has beautiful illustrations!  It's a very sweet story about a boy who finds a beached whale, and tries to hide him in his bathtub.  

2. The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond

This book is set up, and looks like a non-fiction storybook, but it's actually very informative.  And again, the illustrations are what really set this book apart.  Simply beautiful.

3. The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson

We loved this story!  It's about a snail who wants to see the world, so a whale gives her a ride on his tail.  They see all kinds of adventures together, until the whale gets beached, and then it's up to the snail to save her friend.

4. The Stranded Whale by Jane Yolen

This sad story is about a whale who gets beached, and although some young kids do their best to keep him alive, it passes away.  This story was a little sad for Aidan, so I tweaked it a bit, to where I just said that the whale was "gone".  It's a good story, but definitely one for older readers.

5. As Long As There Are Whales by Evelyne Dangle

We found this book at a library sale a few months ago.  It gives a glimpse into the whales that live in the St. Lawrence River in Canada.  It talks about the different species, what they eat, their stats, their mating rituals... yeah, haha! We skipped that page.  But we did talk about umbilical cords, as it talked about what makes them mammals. :)  

We Watched:

1. Wild Kratts, Season 4 Episode 13 - The Mystery of the Two Horned Narwhal - This is a great episode, which incorporates Inuit folklore as well as science, of course.  Also, I learned that there are, in rare instances some narwhals (1 in every 500 males) that have two horns.  What!?  Also, they aren't horns - my bad! - they're teeth, AKA tusks.

2. Wild Kratts, Season 1 Episode 2 - Whale of a Squid - This episode dives (get it?) into the depths of the ocean, and the ferocious fights that can happen between sperm whale and giant squid.  It's something fierce!  (This episode is currently on the FREE PBS Kids Watch App.)

3.  Wild Kratts, Season 4 Episode 3 - This Orca Likes Sharks - Okay, so according to my research, orca (or killer whale) are actually a type of dolphin, not a whale.  But, for the purposes of this week, it'll do.  Man, those guys are intense predators!!

4. Finding Dory - Aidan really loves Bailey in this movie, which is a bonus, because the whole "echo location" thing really sunk in!  Right now, it's on Netflix!

5. Octonauts - This kids' show is currently on Netflix.  There are many episodes about whales, here are some of them: Octonauts and the Orcas, Octonauts and the Albino Humpback Whale, Octonauts and the Narwhal, Octonauts and the Mixed Up Whales, Octonauts and the Beluga Whales, Octonauts and the Arctic Orcas, Octonauts and the Bowhead Whales, Octonauts and the Scared Sperm Whale, and Octonauts and the Humpback Whales.

6. The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That, Season 1 Episode 4 - Whale Music - In this episode the kiddos and the Cat head out to meet Humphrey the Humpback whale, who teaches them a little about whales, as well as singing!  This episode is currently on Netflix.

7. Preschool Learn to Dance: Big Blue Whale - this youtube channel has a lot of really fun dance videos for kids, and this one just so happens to be about whales!

Toddler Fun, Week 15: Letter J, Number 5, Jaguars and Jesus

Merry Christmas, everyone!

This "week", has been more like 2 weeks, intermittently.

Of course, there was Christmas, and Dan had to go visit his mom because she was in the hospital, so all in all it's been a little chaotic.

But!  Let's go ahead and get started.  Before we move on, let's review:

A is for Alligator

B is for Blue and (Blacktip) Sharks

C is for Crab Spider

D is for Deer

E is for Elephant

F is for Flamingos

G is for Goldfish

H is for Horse

I is for Insect

K is for Kangaroo

L is for Lizard

M is for Manatee

R is for Rooster

T is for Turkey

So, this week we had a Jacksonville Jaguars game planned, and with it being Christmas, I thought it would be a nice week to learn more about Jesus too!

Activities

1. Jaguars Game

So, it wasn't a very Christmassy thing to do, but on Christmas eve, we went to a Jacksonville Jaguars football game.  And, as a Christmas miracle, they actually won!!!  Aidan was a little disappointed however, because he was under the impression that actual jaguars were going to play football.  Poor baby, haha!  We had a lot of fun though, and spotted the "j"-s wherever we looked.

2. Jaguars at the Jacksonville Zoo

The Jacksonville Zoo has an award-winning Jaguar enclosure, and it's not hard to see why.  I like arriving right at opening, because the animals are really active, as it isn't too hot yet.  Although we visit at least bi-weekly, we hardly ever see the jaguars.

 On this particular visit though, we really lucked out, and got to see two of them; a male and a female.  There is also a beautiful black one, but I haven't seen it in a while.  Because there was hardly anyone else there, we were able to just sit and watch them, which was wonderful!

I know some people have issues with zoos, and I do understand why.  I don't love ALL zoos, but our zoo is accredited with the AZA, and clearly cares about the animals in its care.  Of course, ideally I would prefer the animals were free and in the wild.  But most zoos nowadays take injured animals, or animals born in captivity (who would not know how to live without human interactions at that point), rather than taking hordes of them out of their natural habitats for entertainment.  The animals at this zoo are not forced to do certain things, and they only use positive reenforcement in training (which is important, so they can administer medicine, vitamins, and things like that).  I do not agree with cruel treatment of animals, and for this reason do not do circuses, or SeaWorld.  But well-intentioned, conservation-minded zoos - yes!  I love reading all the information on the animals, but it's hard while chasing a toddler.  So, I took pictures of them, to read later. :)

3. Nativity and Baby Jesus

I have a beautiful Willowtree Nativity, which Aidan helped me put out.  Growing up, we each had our own nativity, but I was unable to find a wooden one for Aidan that I liked in time, so I decided to make one.  I found a kids' nativity puppet set, which I printed out.

I don't have a laminator, so I used clear packing tape on either side, and then cut it out again.  Then, I taped them to some wooden clothespins, and there you have them!  Aidan loved playing with them!

Crafts

1. J is for Jaguar

To add to our alphabet book, we made this super-cute J is for Jaguar.  For this, I cut out an orange J, a head and 4 legs.  I helped Aidan glue the pieces on, and then draw rosettes and whiskers.  We also glued on googley eyes.  Duh. :)  It turned out really cute, if you ask me.

2. The Legend of the Candy Cane

Back when I taught VPK (K4), I did a whole week one the legend of the candy cane.  One of my favorite things we did was this candy cane craft.  I wrote a J with a pencil, and then dipped Aidan's two index fingers in red and white paint. I had a real candy cane laid out, and asked him what colors he saw.  Then I (very very basically) explained that it was an AB pattern.  Then I helped him make alternating dots with his fingers along the "J".  As we did it we said "red, white, red, white, red, white", etc.  to help the concept sink in.  I also found this cute poem which talks about how the candy cane points to Jesus, which I cut out and Aidan glued on the page.

3. Coloring pages

 I found a coloring page of the Jaguars logo, which we colored on game day.

I also found one of a jaguar in the jungle, with the word jaguar at the bottom.  I asked him to color the letters, and as you can see, he got REALLY into it, haha!!

Books and Media

We Read:

1. Go, Baby Jaguar! by Kristen Larsen

This was Aidan's favorite of the week, he cried when we took it back to the library.  It's a cute, easy reader, which by the end of the week, Aidan was reciting, and "reading" to himself!  It had great repetition, and a mama jaguar, which Aidan particularly loved!

2. Jag's New Friend by Leann Rimes

Don't bother with this book.  The story was choppy, and didn't make much sense, and had words like "dumb" and "stupid".  I didn't care for it at all, but the illustrations were very cute, so that's redemptive. :)

3. A Boy And A Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz

This book, however is a gem!! I would love to own this one!  It's a boy who stutters, and has a love of animals.  He promises his pets that when he finds his voice, he will help them have one too.  He goes to Belize to study Jaguars, where he is able to convince the government to open the first and only jaguar preserve.  It's a great story about overcoming, and loving animals.

4. Big Cats: Jaguar

This book is geared more towards elementary aged kids, but I wanted Aidan to see actual photographs of jaguars.  What was REALLY cool for us, is that this book actually referenced the jaguar preserve mentioned in the earlier book!  There was a picture of a poached jaguar's skin, which did bother Aidan, and every time he saw it, he said the jaguar was broken, which in return broke my heart.  He has a very tender spirit.

5. We Say, Go Jaguars!

Every 4-year-old in Jacksonville receives a set of books, to encourage early literacy education.  One of these is about the Jaguars.  Obviously, Aidan isn't 4 yet, but I actually found this at a second-hand-store months ago.  

We watched:

1. Wild Kratts Season 2 Episode 9: Shadow: The Black Jaguar - you can find this on DailyMotion or youtube.  In true Wild Kratts fashion, you learn all kinds of new information about jaguars.

2. Elena of Avalor - this new Disney Junior show has magical creatures called "jaguins", that are a cross between a jaguar and a griffin.  Aidan really loves Elena, but not for her jaguin riding skills, haha!  I think the boy has his first crush!

And that's about it!  I hope you enjoyed our jaguar week!  We didn't do any crazy special snacks this week, but I'll try to catch up next week!  Happy New Year, folks!

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