It is Rodeo Time in Texas. I love Rodeo time because there are so many fun art activities, songs, games, etc. that preschoolers just love. What kid doesn't like pretending to be a cowboy?
Over the years, I have collected a ton of resources for the occasion. The last week of February is always when we celebrate the time in our class. It seems to be perfect timing as we wind down from the Valentine activities.
As a teacher, I know how important it is to be able to have all the different centers in one resource. Here is the activities I try to accomplish during the week. Feel free to use all or add your own flair. Remember, the more excited about the week you are, the more your kids will get into the swing of things. So get out your cowboy hat and get ready to kick up your boots providing a week of fun for the kids.
Art time
Rodeo art can be simple or complex, but it is always fun. Since the rodeo is so much the identity of Texas, we start the week off by making a bluebonnet (Texas state flower) out of fingerprints. This is a great activity for the younger toddler age even. Just draw a stem then place blue fingerprints on each side.
Bandanas or shirts are also fun to make. I go to the Dollar store and buy bandanas for the kids. Shirts can also be used. I then use a sponge cut in the shape of a horse and some star sponges to dip in paint. We then stamp the bandana. It is a cute memory to wear out of class that day.
Another wearable art project is to make a western vest out of a large paper grocery sack. Cut it up the front and make a neck hole. Cut out arms. Allow the kids to use the stamps or decorate with stickers, markers, etc.
Print out a template of a cow. Give each child a bingo marker or dot paint with black or brown for the kids to dot the cow.
Homeliving
Build a barn for the kids to pretend to take care of animals. Fill it with stuffed animals or play animals. Teach the kids to care for the animals. Pretend to feed and brush horses, pigs, etc.
Making trail mix can be a fun snack time event. Have each child bring a food item from home. Have the parents to sign up to bring raisins, chex cereal, chocolate chips, pretzels, etc. Let each child pour the food item into a big sack or bowl. You can tell them about how cowboys pour it in a big sack and eat it on the trail rides. Make sure each child gets a chance to stir or mix. Then enjoy a nice snack. If the weather permits, go outside for a picnic.
Storytime
Pretend picnic around a campfire is also a fun activity and a fun way to do storytime. Bring a book to read to the kids around the pretend fire. A new book I am going to read this year is Bubba The Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Tale by Helen Ketteman. The kids will like sitting around a campfire and telling stories.
Sand Table
Fill the sand table with mud and place some toy pigs in the table. The kids will love getting messy. Most likely they are not allowed to get messy at home so allow the kids to have some fun! What kid doesn't like playing in the mud?
Music Time
This is probably the most fun activity during Rodeo week. Always have the country music playing when the kids have free play. They will like the change of pace. Be careful, though, no depressing or inappropriate music. There are countless songs that offer a lot of fun for the kids to dance and give up some of that energy. Here is one:
To the Tune of "I'm A Little Teapot
I'm a little cowboy. Here is my hat (point to hat)
Here are my spurs(point to heels). Here are my chaps(hit hands on thighs)
When I get up, I work all day
Get on my horse and ride away (galloping motion)
You can also just blare some Texas music and dance with cowboy hats while swinging bandanas. The kids love being wild.
Games
What day is not complete without games? I bring some stick horses from home. You can make these by gluing a horse head to an old empty roll of giftwrap paper. Then we have races. The kids love running around on the horse.
Be sure and place lots of animals around the room, cowboy clothes to dress up in and anything else that might excite the kids. Enjoy this time of year! Yee Haw!
