Kindergarten at Home - Day 25 - Zoo Playdate + Playdough Math

 Had a Playdate at the Zoo today!

We timed it just right and caught the zookeepers feeding and training the Otters!  It was pretty cute to watch because the otters hold their food between their paws in the most adorable way!  The caretakers were training them in a similar way you would with a dog.  They motioned to one side of the pool, and if the otter performed, they got a fish.  Then, they would tap on the water to call the otter forward, and if the otter waited patiently in front of the trainer, they would get a fish.

We got in for free, even though we allowed our zoo membership to lapse, because our friends have a membership that gets guests in for free : )  We really enjoyed our membership because with small kids, it is MUCH more fun to go to the zoo without worrying about seeing everything in one day; you can see a few of the animals, then have a leisurely picnic lunch and play with friends, then see another section of the zoo on the next trip!

Language Arts: Journal Writing.  I explained to my Kindergartner what a journal is, and how it can be great as a memory book, or as a way to write your feelings down on paper.  After showing her that she needs to write the date at the top of the page, I had her dictate to me what she wanted to write in her Journal.  I wrote the letters using a yellow pen, so that my daughter could trace them with her pencil, making her marking the dominate result.  This way, it is easier to see which letters she needs to practice proper formation a little more.   She wrote about her trip to the Zoo today.
Then, we Xactly Xribbled Xx's Xcreaming Xcitedly (ha-ha, I know I cheated there, but each word does have the basic sound X makes! I'm sure I could look up some X words, but I just don't have time right now!)

Math: Addition and Subtraction.  We used play dough to help illustrate the concepts of addition and subtraction visually.  It is easy to see that with addition, you count up everything, and with subtraction, you are taking a certain amount away, and basically counting up what is left.