I looked back through my posts and every day starts with "Happy" sooooo .....Happy Friday!!  In a few weeks, I will celebrate Happy Friday, too!! I go back to school for a workshop July 30 th, then workshops the first three days of school, that starts August 1st for me.  Boy, do I love workshops!!!! (not)
Think we should start with the ABC's and Numbers again today!   :)
                 and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCuZBILuebI      ABC SONG
 


   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLnr77uyl0c&feature=relmfu  Number song




If your child is starting to color and draw - that is fantastic!! Make sure your child does NOT start at the bottom and write up.....teachers really don't like that.  It is so hard to break them of that habit , impossible really.  ALWAYS start at the top and write down.  You can use salt or sand to practice writing in.  Put either in an empty shoe box and use your finger, end of a pencil, or whatever to practice writing.  When you write, teach your child to write both letters (UPPER and lowercase at the same time - to begin with.)  Not in  their name of course,  make sure you only use the first letter capitalized in their name.)  If your child has never written, start with one letter at a time in the salt first, shake, try again.  Always write it on paper first so they have something to look at and go by.


Going to talk about the elephant today!!  I am so in love with the elephant, so strong and HUGE.
      

                          

  Facts About Elephants!

Elephants are wonderful animals! They are the largest mammals in the world that live on land. There are two kinds of elephants; African and Asian. Asian elephants have smaller ears and shorter tusks than African elephants. The African elephant is bigger and taller than the Asian elephant.

Do elephants live together?

Elephants live in families. Several families live together in a "herd." The leader of the herd is usually the oldest female elephant. She is called the "matriarch." All the babies and other females follow her.

What do elephants eat?

Elephants are plant-eaters. Because they are such big animals, they need to eat large amounts of leaves, grass and tree bark. They spend as much as twenty hours a day eating! A full-grown African elephant can weigh more than 10,000 pounds!

Teeth and Tusks

Elephants have four teeth and two "tusks." The tusks are the long horn-like parts that come out the sides of their mouths. These tusks grow about seven inches a year, and can get up to twenty feet long! The tusks are made of ivory, which is very valuable.

The elephants four teeth are molars. About every four years, the molars fall out and are replaced by new ones. The molars of an adult elephant can be up to ten inches long!

An elephant only has 4 teeth!!!!

---

---

Ears and Trunks

The ears of a full-grown African elephant are about five to six feet long and four feet wide. They sometimes flap their ears to cool themselves.

An elephant's trunk is actually part nose and part upper lip. Elephants can breathe through their trunks. They can also smell and pick up things with it. They can use it to put food into their mouths, and can even spray water with it! The trunk is used to feel things, too!

How do elephants cool themselves?

When it is hot, elephants like to get into water and mud. They also use their trunks to spray water and dust on their bodies. Wrinkles on their skin trap the water and help with the cooling.

How do elephants talk?

Elephants talk to each other by making sounds called "tummy rumbles." They also make a "trumpeting" sound to call to each other.

How long do elephants live?

Elephants can live as long as eighty years!

**********

You can see elephants in zoos. Many zoos work hard to keep the elephants happy, by providing them with the kind of habitat they would have if they were out in the wild.

Elephants should be treasured. They are the "gentle giants" of the animal kingdom!

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/mammals-animals/elephants/elephant_african_baby/

Make a paper plate elephant:
Color a paper plate gray, then print out or draw for your child the following, help them cut and glue. The elephant ears are the tracing of your feet (with shoes.)



I LOVE elephants.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP-AY3Q1iHc

Did you know you can watch live elephants on video cams at different zoos around the US?


http://www.sdzsafaripark.org/video/elephant_cam.html  San Diego


http://www.elephantswithoutborders.org/web_cam.php  Africa


http://www.elephants.com/elecam/ Elephant Sanctuary

Sometimes you have to wait for the elephants to walk in front of the camera!!
Enjoy!