Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand basic arithmetic concepts related to hibernation and animals in winter.

Materials and Prep

• Paper
• Pencil or crayons
• Counting objects (e.g., buttons, small toys)

Prior knowledge required: Basic counting skills (1-10) and recognition of numbers.

Activities

1. Counting Hibernating Animals: Draw pictures of hibernating animals (e.g., bear, squirrel, hedgehog) and ask your child to count how many animals are shown. Write the corresponding number next to each animal.
2. Addition and Subtraction: Using the counting objects, create simple addition and subtraction problems related to hibernation. For example, if there are 5 bears and 2 wake up from hibernation, ask your child how many bears are still hibernating.
3. Hibernation Patterns: Discuss hibernation patterns with your child. Ask them to identify the number of months animals typically hibernate and write the numbers down. Then, ask them to order the numbers from least to greatest.
4. Counting Winter Foods: Talk about the types of food animals store for winter. Create a list of winter foods and ask your child to count how many items are on the list.

Preschool Grade Talking Points

• "Hibernation is when some animals sleep through the winter."
• "Animals like bears, squirrels, and hedgehogs hibernate."
• "Let's count how many hibernating animals we can see in the pictures."
• "If we have 3 bears and 2 wake up from hibernation, how many bears are still sleeping?"
• "Animals usually hibernate for a certain number of months. Can you tell me how many months they sleep?"
• "Let's write down the numbers of months animals hibernate and put them in order from least to greatest."
• "Animals store food for winter. Can you count how many winter foods we have on our list?"