Hibernating Animal Fun: Chipmunk Lesson

Hibernating Animal Fun

A unit of preschool ideas 

for different hibernating animals

Welcome to the final week of my Hibernating Animal Fun unit.

Each week there will be books I recommend to go with each topic, a craft or two, songs, and motion rhymes/finger plays. 

This is the schedule:

Week 1: Bears

Week 2: Dormouse

Week 3: Chipmunk

We continue to start each class with the song "Good Morning to You" plus the snowy songs/fingerplays I found in a book I reviewed last year called I'm a Little Teapot!: Presenting Preschool Storytime compiled by Jane Cobb. 

We sang: 

Snowflakes

(to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb)

Snowflakes whirling all around,

all around, all around

Snowflakes whirling all around,

They are covering the ground.

(The original last line was, "Until they cover all the ground," but it didn't sound quite right to me, so I changed it. We fluttered our fingers all around through the song and spread our arms out for the last line.)

And of course our poem/finger play:

The Snow Fell Softly

The snow fell softly all the night

flutter fingers downward

It made a blanket soft and white

spread arms out

It covered houses, flowers and ground,

make pointed house, finger flowers, flat hands

But never made a single sound

get quieter and put finger in front of mouth

The children love this poem.

Then we got into the actual lesson.

Chipmunk Lesson

Our book for the class was:

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner follows a father and daughter as they travel over the snow on skis while discussing the animals that are hibernating under the snow. I decided to do the chipmunk craft because it shows that some animals wake up and eat before going back to sleep in the middle of winter. So, our chipmunk is awake in our craft, snacking on an acorn.

Paper Plate Hibernating Chipmunk

You can find the details for this craft over in my Littles Learning Link Up Paper Plate Hibernating Chipmunk Craft post.

Songs

Yes, we are still singing "Did You Ever See a Brown Bear?" which I patterned after my "Did You Ever See a Polar Bear?" song which is featured in my Arctic Animal Fun posts. In fact, we are going to be singing that song, as well as reciting "The Snow Fell Softly" during our end-of -year program. As I did with the Polar Bear song, I added verses for each new animal. 

Did You Ever See a Brown Bear?

(To the Tune of Did you Ever See a Lassie?)

by Karen Waide

Did you ever see a brown bear

a brown bear, a brown bear

Did you ever see a brown bear

Sleeping til spring?

Sometimes he's snoring,

And sometimes he's yawning.

Did you ever see a brown bear

sleeping til spring?

Shrug shoulders with hands raised as in questioning for the first three lines.

Fold your hands together with flat palms and place them to the side of your tilted head.
After singing "yawning" pause to make a big yawn and tap your mouth with your hand.

Go back to shrugging and then place hands at the side of your head again.

Did you ever see a dormouse

a dormouse, a dormouse

Did you ever see a dormouse

Curled up in a ball?

Snuggled up in a ball here

Snuggled up in a ball there

Did you ever see a dormouse

Curled up in a ball?

Shrug shoulders with hands raised as in questioning for the first three lines.

Curl up in a ball
Pretend to roll from side to side

Go back to shrugging and then curl up in a ball again.

Did you ever see a chipmunk

a chipmunk, a chipmunk

Did you ever see a chipmunk

Waking up for a snack?

Eating this snack and that snack

Eating this snack and that snack

Did you ever see a chipmunk

Waking up for a snack?

They're Going to Hibernate

(to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)

by Karen Waide

They're going to hibernate

They're going to hibernate

hi ho the derry-o

They’re going to hibernate

March in place.

The bear is in the cave

The bear is in the cave

hi ho the derry-o

The bear is in the cave

Arch your hands above your head, joining fingertips, making it look like a cave.

The mouse is in the hole

The mouse is in the hole

Hi ho the derry-o

The mouse is in the hole

They'll sleep all winter long

Cup your hands in front of you, fingertips touching to form a ball.

The chipmunk has a snack

The chipmunk has a snack

Hi ho the derry-o

The chipmunk has a snack

Fingers in front of mouth, pretending to eat.

Do they sleep all winter long?

Do they sleep all winter long?

hi ho the derry-o

  

Do they sleep all winter long?

Fold your hands together with flat palms and place them to the side of your tilted head.
Then for the last line, lift both hands to the side of your head and shrug shoulders.

And here is our third song:

I am Sleepy

(tune of Frere Jacque)

by Karen Waide

I am sleepy, I am sleepy

Hibernate, hibernate

I’ll wake up in springtime

I’ll wake up in springtime

When it’s warm, when it’s warm

First two lines, fold hands to the side of head and tilt like sleeping

Second two lines, reach arms above your head and stretch.

Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping

in a cave in a cave

He’ll get up in springtime

He’ll get up in springtime

Stay away, stay away!

First line, fold hands to the side of head and tilt like sleeping

Second line form arch over head with fingertips touching

Third and fourth line, crouch down to the floor and spring up (do it for each line).

Final line, hold index finger up and shake for emphasis on each syllable.

Mouse is sleeping, mouse is sleeping

In a hole, in a hole

He’ll get up in springtime

He’ll get up in springtime

Let him rest, let him rest!

First line, fold hands to the side of head and tilt like sleeping

Second line, form hole with hands cupped in front of you, fingertips touching

Third and fourth line, crouch down to the floor and spring up (do it for each line).

Final line, hold index finger up to mouth.

Chipmunk is sleeping, chipmunk is sleeping

Under the snow, under the snow

He will wake up early

Then go back to sleep

Eat a snack, eat a snack!

First line, fold hands to the side of head and tilt like sleeping

Second line, crouch down and place hands over head

Third line, stand back up, reach and stretch
Fourth line, fold hands back to side of head like sleeping

Final line, fingers in front of mouth, pretend to eat

Extra craft

We ended our class by finishing the extra craft we started the previous week.

Here is our 

Hibernating Environment Lift-the-Flap Poster.

That is the end of our Hibernating Animals lessons Stop by next week for my Frog Life Cycle lessons post. I haven't decided if I am going to share these in a series or as just one post.

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