Bird Week

We started the week by looking up birds in our encyclopedia.  We talked about the parts of the bird (wings, feathers, talons, beak, etc...), the different types of birds, and where different birds live.  Our encyclopedia had full page pictures of five different habitats each with a few birds from that habitat.  There was also a picture of a bird skeleton (we reviewed the term vertebrate) and a section on the different uses for the different types of bird feet (webbed for swimming, curved for gripping, or sharp for ripping).
On Tuesday we read a book called Beaks! by Sneed B. Collard III.  Each page focused on a different type of beak and what its particular shape and make up are good for.  Some beaks are made for pecking, some for fishing and some for tearing food.  One type of beak is even made upside down.  The end of the book had a little quiz to test our new knowledge of beaks.  Tuesday night Dad and the kids watched a Woody Woodpecker cartoon and talked more about woodpeckers.
Wednesday we combined birds with another theme day - park safety and Dad took the kids to a duck pond for a picnic dinner and to feed the ducks (a nice break for Mom).  The ducks loved the bread and kids were able to share with Dad the parts of the bird they knew and what ducks webbed feet and beak were used for.
Thursday we talked about state birds and the national bird (bald eagle).  We have a flapbook that has the birds listed for each state so we looked up ours (Alabama yellowhammer), grandma's, and some of the other states he knows.  It was a good geography review.

Friday we wrapped up the week by making a bird.  I went to the DLTK site under listings by material type to the toilet paper roll link.  (I use this site all the time since we always have toilet paper rolls around.)  We looked at each of the birds they had on their list and he choose Tweety Bird since it is yellow like the yellowhammer.  So, we watched a Tweety Bird cartoon.  A nice end to a really fun week.

Hope this gives you some good ideas.  Feel free to add some more in the comments and look for more at preschool corner.