Polar animals are fascinating for students, both young and old. They survive harsh environments and live fascinating lives. Students love learning about animals from all over the world, and the polar regions are no exception!
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Polar Animals Preschool Unit
$10.00Your preschool and Pre-K students will learn all about penguins, polar bears, and more in this complete Polar Animals Preschool Unit that is just right for 3-6-year-olds! The unit includes detailed circle time lesson plans, printable activities, and centers too.
Five Little Polar Bears Poem
Counting poems are engaging tools for practicing simple math concepts, and adorable polar bears only make it better! Mount the polar bears on craft sticks so that the bears can sit on the “ice” – a styrofoam block. Alternatively, this works as a chip clip poem by affixing the bears to clothespins and using a sturdy cardboard piece painted white. Other polar animals can be substituted, such as little penguins, chubby walruses, and barking seals.
Torn Paper Penguins Process Art
Fine motor skills get a workout with this art project! It’s also great gluing practice as well. This project requires a few sheets of construction paper (blue, black, white, and orange) and some glue sticks.
First, students tear the black, white, and orange construction paper into pieces. Next, they glue the pieces on the blue sheet of paper and arrange them to form penguins. Feeling fancy? Add some glitter or google eyes, but keeping it simple looks terrific as well.
Polar Animals Songs
Songs are one of the best ways for students to absorb information. Also, they’re just good plain fun! Using the melody from familiar preschool songs, substitute and change the words to suit the theme. POLAR works well for BINGO, for example. Visuals help students remember what part of the song they are on and provide extra literacy practice.
Polar Animal Sorting
Sorting is a great way to evaluate student comprehension while they play. Students can sort small toy animals or pictures by where they live – land or sea, north pole or south pole, or even in polar regions and warmer habitats. Sorting doesn’t just have to happen at a table either – adding the sorting activity to a sensory table makes it more fun!
Polar Animals Patterns
Patterns are an important early math skill. Recognizing existing patterns is vital for understanding many different kinds of mathematical relationships. Pattern awareness has been described as early algebraic thinking, which involves recognizing mathematical features, and identifying the relationship between two things.
Thankfully, it’s easy enough to have patterns fit into nearly every theme possible in a preschool setting. Pattern strips with the pieces to extend the pattern get double billing when placed in a small bin of sensory material and tongs!
Books about Polar Animals
Animals are a prominent feature of many children’s books, so it is no surprise that some star polar bears, penguins, and other frosty friends. Here are some favorites:
- Polar Opposites by Erik Brooks
- Tacky the Penguin by by Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger
- Penguins Love Colors by Sarah Aspinall
- Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson and Stephen Savage
- What’s That Noise by Naomi Howarth
- Be Brave, Little Penguin by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
Of course, students love the books they can read independently more than anything!
Experiments with a Polar Twist
Many polar animals use the ice for safety, for a place to rest, and sometimes as a place to play. Create ice floes by freezing water in sheet pans and breaking them up. Place them in sensory bins or individual sensory tubs with water and add some polar animals to the bin. Students experiment with the animals and see how many can stay on a piece of ice. After the ice melts, challenge the students to find small items to see if they sink or float in the chilly water.
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Polar Bear Process Art
Process art is the most meaningful way for preschoolers to create, enjoy, and learn from art. This polar bear process art is an easy way to combine process art with any polar animals lesson!
Penguins Love Colors Frozen Paint Activity
Embrace the cold and add some color! Freeze paints in ice cube trays with sticks for some chilly painting fun. Read more about that here!
Additional Resources
This unit goes so well before or after a unit all about Winter, or Animals, or even all by itself. Even if there is no snow, the students will love an Arctic (or Antarctic) blast!
