September Ideas and Activities around the Theme “Animalia”
For this entire year I’ve been doing an at home curriculum with the family (Lucy 6, Hattie 3, Beatrice 10 months). Tim and I call the project “Abacus” and we’re sharing it each month for the fun, challenge, and community of it. Each month we choose a theme and then come up with a bunch of activities around that theme.
Read all about how to use this list and our heart behind this project here.
Explore past months themes here.
Growing up we had this book as a kid by Graeme Base called Animalia. It’s the basic idea of an ABC book taken to the next level – as many things that start with a letter as possible entertwined together on one page with catchy alliteration poetry. My dad and I would play a game where we would see how many things we could find that started with the letter on each page. It would be in the hundreds per page. Inspired by that book, this month’s theme is “ANIMALIA” – think the animal kingdom, animal alphabets, zoology, fables and more
September Dates to Take Note of:
September 7th –Labor Day
September 13th –Grandparents Day
September 19th –Talk Like a Pirate Day
September 21st – International Peace Day
(We also have two little cuties who have September birthdays)
Local: Greeley, CO events:
September 12th –Chalk-a-Lot at UNC (a fun family art event – they will be trying to break the world record for longest continuous chalk drawing)
September 12th –Potato Day at Centennial Village (one of my favorites)
September 19th – Poudre River Trail-a-Thon – we haven’t ever been to this, but it sounds great!
List of Ideas and Inspiration for ANIMALIA:
FILMS:
There are so many good family movie nights here…
Dr. Doolittle (I prefer the old one of course)
Milo and Otis
We Bought a Zoo
Babe
Homeward Bound (Old version is called the Incredible Journey)
Gorillas in the Mist
BOOKS:
Animalia by Graeme Base
Animalium by Katie Scott & Jenny Broom
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
…and oh so many other great books from the perspective of animals (Redwall, Wildwood, Charlottes Web, etc…)
SCIENCE & NATURE:
Learn about animal taxonomy (remember “Kings Play Cards On Fat Green Stools”?)
Animal tracks – maybe make plaster casts of them
Learn about endangered and extinct animals – could make little clay models of them
ART:
Funny animal combinations
Painting and drawing animals – there are some great books on this. Learning how to simplify to basic shapes is a great lesson.
Help the girls Sew little felt animals
OUTINGS:
Take a trip to the Zoo (or wild animal sanctuary)
LITERATURE:
Read animal fairy tales – three little pigs, billy goats gruff, etc.
Learn about Aasops Fables
MUSIC:
Listen to and talk through the Carnival of Animals by Saint-Saëns – also this Ap might be a fun add on too
DRAMA:
Play Animal charades
Put on a play of one of Aasops Fables or a Nursery Rhyme
Make animal hand shadow puppets
Love these ideas, thanks for sharing!