Bring Your Animal-Themed Units to Life…with These Center Ideas!
Little learners love animals…and who doesn’t? Get kids excited about learning – and incorporate literacy, math, science, and more – with these fun center/small-group activity ideas:
Start by introducing the unit to your whole class of course. Show them a region on a globe and discuss that environment and habitat. Tap into prior knowledge by asking children which animals they think might live there and why. Engage kids with a fun verbal quiz using some fun facts from either the fact sheets that come with our Animal Magnetism Magnetic Wildlife Map Puzzles or the animal fact cards included with every other Animal Magnetism product. Next, split children into small groups and have them visit centers around the room, including:
- DRAMATIC PLAY – Provide plush animals, puppets, and costumes corresponding to the animals that live in the region or habitat you’re studying. Consider decorating the walls of your dramatic play center with posters/images from that region as well.
LITERACY – Create your own Elkonin box activity using our free, downloadable masters! Set out some animal picture books (we love real-life photos too) and encourage your students to sound out words from the books as they place a manipulative—such as one of the animal-themed magnet marbles in the Animal Magnetism kits—in each of the small sections in the Elkonin box. More advanced children can even begin phonics/spelling and handwriting by writing the corresponding letter(s) in each small section of the Elkonin box.
MATH – Show your students how to use the “mama” magnet wands to pick up the matching “baby” and “play food” magnet marbles from our Animal Magnetism Magnet Friends Big Packs. Then have children sort, count, and record their data, following the directions in the included activity book.
SCIENCE – Challenge your students to place the magnetic pieces on the Animal Magnetism Magnetic Wildlife Map Puzzle corresponding to the region you’re studying, noting the fascinating animal facts as they go.
Advanced students can also read and review the animal fact cards included in the Animal Magnetism Magnet Friends Big Packs, while students who are not ready to read can match mama animals to their babies on our free, downloadable Mama and Baby Masters.
Animal Magnetism Magnet Friends Big Packs come in two favorite themes: Wildlife and Farm. Each pack includes enough cool, animal-themed magnets (giant horseshoe magnet, mini horseshoe magnets, and magnet wands) and accessories (activity booklet; safe, low-power magnet marbles; animal fact cards, and free downloadable mini-books and masters) for your early learning centers.
And, Animal Magnetism Magnetic Wildlife Map Puzzles are a great way to reinforce your lessons, while providing beautiful, hangable décor for your classroom. Go wild today, with Animal Magnetism! 
Tags: classroom centers , classroom magnet products
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