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CANADA THEME
I am Canadian! EH! (Sorry - couldn't help it! I'm Proud!)

CRAFTS:

Beavers
We cut little beavers out of brown fun foam. Cut a hole on his stomach and we glue a Canadian nickel in the hole so the picture of the beaver is showing.

Canadian Flag
The flag is red and white, with a stylized 11 point maple leaf in the centre. It is symmetrical, with  the two red sides equaling the size of the white piece in the middle. The flag should be two by length and one by width. 
5 yr old - Materials: 1 diagram of Canadian Flag per Child, red crayons, tape, pieces of doweling
Directions: Kids colour their flags appropriately. When completed, they can tape them onto  pieces of doweling for waving about.
6 yr old - Materials: 1 diagram of Canadian Flag per Child, scissors, red construction paper, pencils, glue, white bristol board, tape, pieces of doweling
Directions: Cut out the pieces of the flag. Trace them onto the red construction paper, and cut them out. Glue them onto the white bristol board to make a flag. Tape their flags onto lengths of doweling, so Kids can wave them about.
7 yr old- Materials: 1 diagram of Canadian Flag per Child, scissors, red and black fabric paint, old white T-shirt
Directions: Cut out the pieces of the flag. Trace them onto the old white T-shirt using the black fabric paint. Colour the parts with the red fabric paint, to create a flag on their shirt. 

Canada Day Hat
Materials:  Foam visor (white or red),  Red (or white, opposite from the color of your visor) foam for cutting out a maple leaf ,  Package of stick on foamie shapes (pre cut) that you think might interest your group of kids,  Scissors ,  Glue 
Directions:  Cut maple leafs from the piece of foam.  You may want to complete this step ahead of time if you are working with young children. Glue the maple leaf to the front center of the visor.   Allow the children to decorate the rest f the space on the visor with the stick on foamie shapes. 

Canadian Coaster
Materials: a printer,  paper,  some crayons, paint, markers or pencil crayons (if using B&W template),  scissors,  glue,  CD, margarine container lid or cardboard, and clear contact paper 
Directions: Cut out a maple leaf (in red) or colour it red, Cut out a circle same size as the CD and colour it. Glue the maple leaf into the center of the circle.  Let the glue dry.  Trace around the CD onto the contact paper and cut out (a bit larger than the CD). Cover CD with contact paper... trim as necessary)

Canadian Stamp Map
Cut out a small shape of Canada on a piece of cardboard. Then glue lots of Canadian stamps on it. Then modge-podge it to seal it.

Canada Flower Colouring Book
Materials:  copy of provincial/territorial flowers, 3 hole punch, book
What to do: Photocopy enough copies of the provincial/territorial flowers so that each Child gets a complete set. Scatter them around the meeting place, and have the Children gather them up, just like a bouquet of flowers! Provide a three-hole punch so that they can hole punch their pictures and put into a duo-tang folder for colouring at home.

Canada Puzzle 
Materials: outline of each Province, scissors, crayons, markers, tape, pencils What to Do: Use a photocopier to enlarge the outline of each province/territory from a map. Working in groups, the Children trace the outlines onto the cardboard and cut them out. Colour each province/territory a different colour, using blue to show the major rivers and lakes. When completed, assemble the puzzle on the wall for all to see.

Canada Collage
Materials: Ask Children to bring in newspaper/magazine pictures of Canada and Canadian life; gather crayons and markers; glue; a piece of poster paper
What to do: Outline a Canadian flag in the middle of your paper and get Children to colour it in for you. They can then choose the pictures they like best and glue them in a collage around their flag. Encourage them to draw on the collage other things that remind them of Canada.  Try to display your collage in a school, shopping centre, or other public place in your community!

Canadian Flag
Provide the colors and shapes from construction paper to make the Canadian flag and let the children assemble and glue together. Add a paint stirrer for the flagpole.

Make a Canadian Flag
Materials: straw or thin stick for flag post , construction paper or craft foam, (optional)  something to color with, stapler, glue, maple leaf template (to demonstrate what a maple leaf looks like)
Directions: Either the lead precut this or if children are older - they can cut this out themselves: - one red maple leaf, two red rectangles. One a white piece of paper the red rectangles are glued on both ends, the leaf is glued into the middle. (if in doubt what the Canada Flag looks like - google it!!!) Then staple the flag part to the stick.
Variation: Instead of the leaf - have the child trace their hand and cut it out of red paper and glue it in place of the leaf

Maple Leaf
We cut out a maple leaf out of orange fun foam. Then cut a larger red maple leaf for the back. Cut a hole in the orange leaf then glue a Canadian penny in the hole with the maple picture showing. Then glue the red maple leaf to the back.

GAMES & ACTIVITIES:

Canada, Canada
Materials: none
How to Play: Play this game the same as Duck, Duck, Goose - only substitute the names of the Provinces/Territories. The Kids sit in a circle. One Child is chosen as IT, and walks around the outside of the circle, touching the other Kids on the head or shoulder saying "Canada" each time. At some point around the circle, IT says the name of a province/territory and starts to run around the circle. When this happens, the youth who has been tapped jumps up and runs around the circle with the Child that was IT trying to race him/her back to the space in the circle. Whoever is left standing becomes IT and the game continues. 
 
 

SONGS:

Land of the Silver Birch
Land of the silver birch
Home of the beaver
Where still the mighty moose
Wanders at will
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom
High on a rocky ledge
I¹ll build my wigwam
Close to the water¹s edge
Silent and still
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom
My heart grows sick for thee
Here in the lowlands
I will return to thee hills of the north
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom
Land of the silver birch
Home of the beaver
Where still the mighty moose
Wanders at will
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom

O Canada! 
O Canada!
Our home and native land! 
True patriot love in all thy sons* command. 
With glowing hearts we see thee rise, 
The True North strong and free! 
From far and wide, 
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. 
God keep our land** glorious and free! 
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. 
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

STORIES:

Canada's Birthday
Canada s National day is like a giant birthday party, celebrated all over the country on July 1. The first Canada Day was celebrated on July 1, 1867. How old does that make Canada this year? The ways that we celebrate Canada Day vary throughout the country. Some of the more common ways are parades, sports days, street dances, community centre activities, and watching fireworks. But there are also many other different ways to celebrate. Richmond, BC holds a Salmon Festival; Eston, Saskatchewan has a Gopher Race; Flin Flon, MB holds a trout fishing festival; Liverpool, Nova Scotia holds a Privateer Days festival; these are just a few of the many different kinds of celebrations. What is the most unusual or exciting Canada Day party the Kids have been to? Ask them to share their ideas. Of course, no party is complete without fireworks. To celebrate Canada Day in 1981, about 300 boxes of fireworks and 50 cannons were sent to 16 Canadian cities. That's a lot of fireworks! Did you know that Canada even has an official birthday cake? It's made with maple syrup and baked in a special maple leaf cake pan. Why not make one to share with your Group?
 

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

Canada Flag Cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Line bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan with pound cake slices. Prepare 2 pkg each JELL-O Strawberry Jelly Powder according to “30 minute Set Method.” Stir in 2 cups crushed or sliced strawberries. Spread over cake slices. Spread thawed Cool Whip topping on top of jelly mixture. Chill for 2 hours. Garnish with additional sliced strawberries arranged to resemble Canadian Flag. Makes 15 servings.
TIP:Cut out pattern of maple leaf. Place in centre of cake and trace leaf pattern using a toothpick. Place a strawberry tip in each leaf point and arrange remaining strawberries to fill in leaf space.

Beaver Tails
Yeast Mixture:
1 tbsp. White sugar
½ cup warm water (120F)
1 package (or 1 tbsp.) Dry yeast
Dough:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
21/3 cups warm water
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp. White sugar
5 to 8 cups flour
Dissolve & mix together the ingredients for the yeast mixture in a small bowl and set aside. Mix other ingredients in a large bowl (except flour), then add yeast mixture and mix. Add flour 1 cup at a time until a smooth dough forms. Knead dough, then let it stand (covered with a tea towel) for 1 ½ hours so dough can rise. Form dough into balls about the size of eggs, then roll flat, making ovals about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Heat oil to 350F in deep fryer, pot or electric frying pan. Fry”Beaver Tails” one at a time until light brown on both sides. Place on paper towels to drain, then sprinkle with white sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice while still hot - and ENJOY!

TIPS/NOTES: