This wonderful book unit contains lots and lots of hands on activities linked to the book Katy No-Pocket. A lovely kangaroo themed book unit!
Read More: All of my book units collected into one place – I will be adding to them so please do check back!
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Katy No-Pocket Topic: Kangaroos
This week I created an Adventure Box themed around kangaroos. I do this for each book unit, and the little ones love to have a sneak preview to build up their excitement for the week ahead:
I collected all the books I could find around the house about kangaroos and Australia
Contents of the Katy No-Pocket Adventure Box
Katy No-Pocket Dressing Up
A main stay in the preschool adventure box is always dressing up. On this week, we reused the bear costumes and added a slightly weird kangaroo mask and a kangaroo bouncer so she could hop like a kangaroo:
We also made her an apron to practice being Katy:
Book Led play dough fun
Each morning I put out some play dough at their table with a photocopied sheet of the cover of the book we are studying. They both really enjoy play dough and having different themed cutters and molds each week keeps it fresh and exciting.
Katy No-Pocket Little World Tub
I put together a kangaroo and a joey and popped it into A4′s quiet time box. I had wanted to include all the animals in the box but I couldn’t get hold of an alligator or an owl. A4 didn’t seem to notice or care. This was her favourite toy all week.
Related:Read how we make the most of quiet-time in our home and how it encourages us all to achieve more!
I also managed to get my hands on a kangaroo and joey cuddly toys, from our local charity shop. Everything went into her quiet time basket and she was all set:
Katy No-Pocket Activity Trays
The first set of trays contained books, and animal puzzle and some rainbow paints and colouring sheets. Becs always likes to do anything art related so I knew the rainbow paints would go down a treat. The books were Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too? and Kangaroo’s Can Can Cafe:
The next set contained more books (of course), another animal puzzle and some animal print stamps. The books were Australia ABCs and Kangaroos and Wallabies and I Love You Blue Kangaroo:
Book Themed Hand Made Puzzle
If I can’t buy a commercial puzzle, I print the front of the book and cut it up into different shapes. I pop them into an envelope and then the girls just need to fit them together again to create the book cover!
Colouring In
This is the simplest activity to provide. There is a wealth of printable material out there to print out and colour in:
Mummy and Abigail Activity
Each week I plan at least one activity to do just with one child. This means they get a certain amount of time with me alone, which I think is so important in a big family. This week we made some reelable stickers in the form of a kangaroo:
Kangaroo Themed Snacks
Kangaroo shaped fairy bread.
Fairy bread is an Australian snack which sounds revolting (not to children) but actually tastes not too bad (although not an ounze of goodness in it!!)
To make it, you take a slice of bread, cut it into a kangaroo shape, butter it and sprinkle 100s and 1000s all over liberally, spreading them across the bread with a knife:
Lamingtons
Another well-known Australian snack. It is made by cutting plain cake into squares, dipping the cake into a thin chocolate icing and rolling it in desiccated coconut:
Damper bread
A bread made with out yeast, this is so easypeasy that A4 was able to do it all by herself. And it was delicious. We served it with better and honey. Yum!!
Katy No Pocket Muffin Tin Meal
You know how much I like muffin tin meals! These are some of my most creative work and I seriously dig them! Here, I cut up an apple and sliced the damper bread with some butter and Australian Vegemite:
Kangaroo Themed Films
As always, at the end of the week we had a video night watching some kangaroo themed videos. Skippy was a hit on all fronts and even the older children joined in! And of course, National Geographic is always a huge hit in our house and was a perfect go along to Katy No Pocket:
Finding Kangeroos on the Map
We own a puzzle of the Animals Of The World. We built this up together and searched for any kangaroo pictures. A4 knows her continents fairly well so I asked her which continent the kangaroo was found (exclusively) on. B1 just enjoyed walking, crawling and looking at the map!
This was another great week of book unit learning! Looking for more ideas for book units? Go check out my book unit page!
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We studied kangaroos a few months ago and made pockets out of paper plates, it was a lot of fun.
The sticker thing looks like some of the window cling crafts I’ve seen over here. Supposedly you can make them by adding food dye to school glue, that’s on the list of things Jeff would probably freak over………
Ha, ha!! Our poor husbands!! I’m gonna try the glue thing though- I like the fact these can be made to go with any theme at all!!
I like the mask, tell A4 she doesn’t look like a donkey at all!
Thanks Sarah, she’ll like that!
What are the age’s that you do BFIAR, I’m guessing A4 is 4 years old? I use FIAR for my middle boys and have been thinking of starting BFIAR with my little one’s.
A is 4 and B is almost 2. We do each book twice. The first time for fun (which is what we’re doing now) and the second time a bit more educationally (that will be next year) We love B4FIAR!!
Would you be open to carrying on an email correspondence? I am a grandmother (retired public school teacher) who teaches 4 of my grandchildren – ages 5, 7, 8, and 14. The 14 year old has some medical issues which create some complications to his learning. However, he has always shied away from writing of any kind. I LOVED your informationary and created one for him. We are on our first week of using it. I wondered whether you would mind being a resource for me in my challenges with his writing?
I live in central Canada. If your children would like any information about Canada, or a penpal or two, our little school would certainly love to oblige.
Myra Meyer gwmeyer@shaw.ca
I’m honoured to be asked! I’ll email you.
Wow! What a unit! I love the cooking and art projects .The suit is so cute. I will be sharing this post on Pinterest and Facebook.
Thank you! I must say we particularly enjoy the art and cooking as well. There’s enough time for academics later on!
This is seriously impressive. And I really like the idea of a preschool adventure box. Fun!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! (And such a lovely comment!)
I love how intently A4 is working on that kangaroo.
She’s nothing if not intent when it comes to her school work!
Hey Guys,
It is your cousin Megan from Northern Ireland.
Lovely snacks you made A4 they look scrummy.
Good working together A4 and R1.
Love Megan xxxxx
Thanks Megan for popping by and taking the time to comment. We LOVE comments!! Hope you are all well, take care, with love Auntie Claire (and Uncle Gary, and T11, and L10 and C10, And A4 and B2!!)
Wow! Such great activities!
Thanks Sandy! We do have lots of fun!
You sure do keep busy! Love your theme units. So good.
Thank you. I wish my muffin tins looked as cute as yours though!!
So many great Kangaroo ideas! I do love your kids dressing up though, brilliant.
Thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
Thanks Maggie!
Katy No Pocket is a family favorite story in our house. I love the kangaroo cookies and I think all children who read this story need an apron and lots of little stuffed animals.
Yup, I agree. Apron and stuffed toys absolutely essential!
What a wonderful post! I featured you this week at HammockTracks.
Thank you Savannah! I’m chuffed!