Kindergarten on the Farm

Again this year I am doing a farm theme with my kinder classes. I know sometime during the year they will talk about it in class and it gives me a good starting place for the beginning of school.

I try to always do a drawing lesson then some cut paper or painting for the follow up lesson. It works well for me because on the drawing day I really emphasise this is "practice" day. Draw as many as you can and don't worry about erasing because this is "practice" day. I use manila paper and show them over and over how to draw______, what we are working on, this time horses.
I have my classes for a short 35 minutes and the timing goes something like this once they find their seats-

• Introduce the theme 2-3 minutes
• Pass out paper and encourage writing their own names. If they can't I always say I will come around later and help them with it.
• Use my ELMO to demo draw the horse one step at a time
• Lay your hand in the middle of the paper, hold your pencil up straight, and trace around just the thumb and fingers (quick look around to see if they are done)
• Have them turn the hand print around 180 degrees so the fingers are pointing down now
• Demo how to make the ears at the top of the thumb, then down the neck, across the back to meet the other side where the tail goes.
• Add tail, mane, eyes, nostril, mouth, hooves any details they want to give their own horse.
• Give them a few minutes to work while you walk around and help with drawings and writing names.
• Then as they start to ask "Can I color it?" suggest adding things that tell where your horse is- barn, fence, field, parade, rodeo.
• Then they can add color, if time allows if not I tell them they are taking them home and can color it there if they want to.

The next 35 minute class I review how we drew the horses and either draw a "final" draft of our horses in a field or rodeo their choice, or make a construction paper horse and glue it to paper and add details. I decide which to do by how well the class did on the first day. So need more practice than others.

Notice some kids wrote "horse" on their paper, I always try to remember to write the word on my paper and tell them they can write it too if they want. Love these! Coming soon BARNS!