D is for Dogs

• DIY Dog bone manipulatives
1. I bought a box of dog bone treats at the Dollar Tree. At home I sprayed each of them with a clear coat spray paint (mainly to keep the kids from eating them, but also to keep them cleaner. I didnt want them crumbling or have our hands smell like dog treats!)
2. After they dried, on 26 of them I wrote one letters of the alphabet on each bone with a sharpie. I also kept a bunch blank for math and counting.
• OPTIONS: you could paint them different colors, not just clear.
• Write numbers, shapes, or specific letters on the bones (vowels, just D’s and d’s), etc.)

• Dog Bone Letter match
• With our alphabet of dog bones, we matched them to lettered dog bones on paper
• (you could also simply write the alphabet on a piece of paper and have them match the letters on the bones to the letters on the paper).

• Dog Bone Alphabet sort
• We also put the dog bones in order of the alphabet.
• Then sang the ABCs while pointing to each letter on the bones.

• Tally Counting Dogs
• On a piece of paper, have your preschooler write DOGS at the top. Put the paper on a clipboard (or hard cover book).
• Go on a walk around your neighborhood, and count the dogs your see.
• As you count them, use the tally system for counting. Teach your preschooler/s when they get to 5, they use one line to cross out the other 4 tallies.
• When your walk is over, count the tallies and write the total at the bottom.

• Dog Bone Math
• With a veggie tray (aka: sorting tray) and the blank dog bone treats, I wrote out numbers, tallies or simple equations and the answer in dog bones would go in the tray.

• DIY Plastic Dog Manipulatives
• At the Dollar Tree I found some packs of plastic cats and dogs (yes, they come together…save the cats for C week!). I pulled out the spray paint and painted each one a different color.
• Let them dry, then use in sensory bins, with the next activity (Go, Dog, Go!) or any pretend play!

• Read Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman
         Lots of fun to be had with this book!
• Use the spray painted dog manipulative toys from above, an updated colored tree and dog printable, and the book, particulary the page that says, “A red dog on a blue tree. A blue dog on a red tree. A green dog on a yellow tree.”
• Options:
• Copy the book and have your preschool put a red dog on the blue tree, a blue dog on the red tree, and a green dog on a yellow tree.
• Tell your preschooler which dogs go in which tree.
• Match the color of dog to the color of tree.
• Have your preschool put any dog on any tree and have them tell you what color dog is on what color tree.
• Roll two dice (with colors, not numbers). One is the dog color die, and the other is the tree color die. After they roll, put that color dog on that color tree.

• “Go, Dog, Go!” Opposites
• I scanned the book and printed out cards of the opposite things the book talks about.
• ie: Up & Down, In & Out, Dark & Light, etc
• Play memory style to match the opposites
• Hold up a card and have your preschooler tell you what it is and what the opposite it (or find the opposite card).

• Read “Dog’s Colorful Day” by Emma Dodd
• I cant remember where I found these printables (google search "Dog's Colorful Day Preschool activities" and I'm sure you will find it! Let me know if you do!!)
• You will need glue sticks, scissors, and dot stampers (or crayons/markers).

• Dog Suncatcher
• This is hit and miss at the Dollar Tree, but if you find a dog suncatcher, it is a great activity to talk about primary and secondary colors (as it only comes with primary colors).

**For more Dog activities click HERE, for more Letter D preschool ideas click HERE**