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CATS THEME

CRAFTS:

Cat Prints
Make paw prints using a raw potato cut to resemble paw prints and tempera paints. These prints can also be scattered around for a "follow the paw" obstacle course game or hide a stuffed cat somewhere and the children have to follow the prints to find the cat.

Cat Puppets
Make sock puppet cats using felt for ears and quilting or heavy thread for whiskers. Use marker pens for eyes and any other decorations.

Calico Cats 
Supply your students with large textured, striped, and patterned wallpaper pieces to make calico cats. Cut out of large construction paper a cat silhouette. Have each child place the cat on the wallpaper of their choice and trace around the cat shape. Glue eyes, nose, whiskers and a tail with construction paper, yarn, or curling ribbon.

Cat Collage
Have children make a cat collage from pictures cut from a magazine. 

Cat Handprint 
Use a wallpaper sample book to let the children cut out a rug for their cat to sit on. Then put their handprint upright on the "rug" (fingers together, thumb outstretched a little becomes the tail). Use the top of a liquid detergent cap to make a circle at the top of the handprint (to become the cat's head). Add facial features, whiskers, etc.

Cat Suit
Cut construction paper into strips and a variety of triangular and circular shapes. Invite each child to glue two ear shapes to a strip to make an ear headband. Carefully staple the finished headbands around each child's head. Help children use washable markers or eyebrow pencils to draw whiskers on their faces. Use safety pins to attach yarn tails to their clothing.

Kitten Pattern
Materials: poster paints (blue and green), 9 x 12 white vellum paper, pre-cut kitten pattern, assorted construction paper (brown, grey, white, etc.) Directions: Pre-fold vellum paper in half lengthwise - or draw line through center of paper. Demonstrate how to paint the bottom half of vellum green and the top half blue (to the line). While paint is drying, demonstrate how to trace and cut out kitten pattern and then glue on picture. Tape divider is to separate materials. Marker is to draw face on kitten. Tray is to collect scraps from cutting.

Kitty Cat Yarn Designs
Give each child a sheet of dark construction paper and several pieces of yarn in a variety of colors and sizes. Invite children to dip the yarn in the glue and place the yarn on the colored paper to make creative designs.

Kitten Baskets
Give each child a small cardboard box and a cat shape cut from posterboard or calendars to fit inside the box. Set out materials such as construction paper scraps, felt tip markers, cat stickers, cotton balls, fabric pieces and glue. Then let the children decorate their cardboard boxes and line them with soft materials to make sleeping baskets for their kittens.

Kittens Masks
Using paper plates or paper bags, have the children make cat masks.

Kitty Collage
Let Children find and cut or tear out pictures of cats from greeting cards and magazines. Paste their cats on pieces of constructions paper.

Pound Cat
Using faux fur from a craft/fabric store have children/adult cut out cat shapes, children can glue on button eyes and have a pet of their own. Use yarn and a piece of fancy paper to make a license/nametag. Write out adoption papers with child's name, cat's name and date of adoption.

Yarn Mitten 
Make a yarn collage, the older children may be able to manipulate the yarn to make pictures! Cut out two matching mittens per child from either different colors of construction paper or different patterns of wallpaper, mix them up and have children match up the correct pairs. ** If using wallpaper, play a form of Memory Game, having children try to remember which mittens match when placed face down on a playing surface.

GAMES & ACTIVITIES:

Bean Bag Toss
Make a cat shape on plywood or a big piece of heavy cardboard, with holes of different sizes cut out. The children can try from varying distances to throw bean bags through the holes.

CopyCat
Have one child be the cat and clap a rhythm for the group. The other children listen and then be the copycats. They clap the same rhythm as he cat did. Another child now becomes the cat and creates a rhythm for the copycats to imitate.

Cat and Mouse
Cut and glue together a simple cat shape from black paper. Cover a coffee can- the mouse hole- with another piece of black paper. Make up enough small mice out of felt by cutting them out in teardrop shapes. Add a pompon and length of yarn for the tail. Glue sequins on for eyes or draw them on with markers. Next, turn a coffee can on its side and place it on top of a table. Place a dozen crackers leading up to the mouse hole. Have each child choose a mouse and the teacher picks the cat. Then let each child roll the die and move his or her mouse or cat that number of crackers. Let play continue, encouraging the children to try to move their mice into the mouse hole before the cat gets there. Game ends when the cat reaches the mouse hole or when all mice have safely entered.

Cat Stretches
Have your children get on their hands and knees. Tell them to slowly "walk" their arms out in front of them, one at time, until arms and upper body are fully extended. Have them stretch like cats by leaning each shoulder one way, then the other.

Cat Treasure Hunt
Have a 'treasure hunt' where the children have to search for things to do with cats (e.g. Jingle balls, Catnip mouse, etc). Thread a string through them all and make a Cat mobile.

Cats in the Neighborhood
Go for a walk around the neighborhood looking for cats and cat pawprints.

Cat Puzzles
Cut large cat shapes out of posterboard. Cover the shapes with clear self-stick paper and cut each one into several large interlocking puzzle pieces. This activity is perfect for small fingers. For older children, increase the difficulty by cutting each puzzle into smaller pieces.

Matching Mommy & Kitten
Make about 10 sets of cats and kitten pairs. Each pair should be a different color. For example a cat and kitten that are red and a cat and kitten that are blue, etc. Glue the cats to the file folder and laminate for durability. Have the children match the same color kitten to it's mommy cat.

Yarn Ball Toss
Set up baskets at varying distances from a masking tape line on the floor. Toss yarn balls into the baskets.
 

SONGS:

I Know A Cat
(Sung to "Bingo")
I know a cat with perky ears,
And kitty is her name-o.
K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y,
And Kitty is her name-o.
She makes a sound and it's "meow,"
And Kitty is her name-o.
K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y,
And Kitty is her name-o.

I'm A Little Cat 
(Sung to "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'm a little cat.
Soft and furry.
I'll be your friend.
So don't you worry.
Right up on your lap I like to hop.
I'll purr, purr, purr and never stop.

Lonely Kitten
I'm just a lonely little kitten, as lonely as can be
(make fist of left hand, thumb for head and little finger for tail)
Won't somebody come and be a friend to me?
(right hand moves toward left with walking motion of index and middle fingers. When they meet, enclose fist in right hand)

My Kitten 
(Sung to "Sing a Song of Sixpence")
I have a little kitten,
She's black and white and gray.
When I try to cuddle her,
She always wants to play,
So I drag a piece of yarn
Across the kitchen floor.
She thinks it is a little mouse
To chase right out the door.

My Kitty Cat
I have a kitty cat named Puff. (hold up one thumb)
He's round and soft as a ball of fluff. (make a circle with finger and thumb of other hand)
Each day he laps up all his milk.
And his fur is soft as silk. (stroke thumb with other hand)
When he's happy you will know,
For his fluffy tail swings to and fro. (wiggle little finger)

Soft Kitty 
(Make fist of left hand for kitty. Pet kitty with right hand)
Soft kitty, warm kitty
Little ball of fur.
Lazy kitty, pretty kitty,
"Purr, purr, purr.."

This Kitty
(Start by holding up all 5 fingers. At each line take one away.On the last line have the final finger run through a hole made by the left hand.)
This kitty said, "I smell a mouse,"
This kitty said, "Let's hunt through the house."
This kitty said, "Let's go creepy creep."
This kitty said, "Is the mouse asleep?"
This kitty said, "Meow, meow, I saw him go through
This hole just now."

STORIES:

Storytime Kitties
Let children act out the story THREE LITTLE KITTENS. Let all children pretend to be kittens and crawl to the play area.
 

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

Cat Snack
Use cookie cutters to cut toast into bone shapes for "doggy snacks" and fish shapes for "kitty snacks."

Cat Face 
1/2 Peach (head), almonds (ears), cherries (eyes), raisin (nose), stick pretzels 
(whiskers) Create cat faces using the ideas above or a variety of other items. 

Cat Face Sandwiches 
Let the children make cat face sandwiches for snacktime. Give them each a slice of bread and let them spread on peanut butter. Let them place raisins in the centers of their toast to make eyes and noses. Then give them thin slivers of pickles to add for whiskers and grated carrots to sprinkle on for fur.

Kitty Warm Milk 
Heat a panful of milk, until is just warm. Pour a small amount into a bowl for each child. Invite children to sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon over the warm milk. Have the children in lap up the milk with a spoon.

TIPS/NOTES:

Cat Sounds
Discuss the different sounds that cats make and what their sounds tell us about them. Imitate the sounds a cat makes when happy, contented, angry, frightened, hungry. Stress the differences in cat's moods and why it is important not to tease an angry or frightened cat. Act out cats as they might behave in these various moods. Point out that lions and tigers are members of the cat family. Ask the children. "How would you like to meet an angry lion? How would you feel if you met a hungry tiger?" 

Helping Special Cats
Plan a field trip to the local SPCA and take bags of kitten food and bags of litter to be donated.