About Dairy Farms & Milking Cows: Kindergarten Farm Lesson Plan
Wednesday
In today’s lesson, the children will learn about dairies and the skill of how to churn butter. In order to present today’s lesson effectively, you will need the following items:
- Colored photos of dairy farms and cows
- Small resealable containers (such as baby food jars)
- Heavy whipping cream
- Latex glove
- Needle or straight pin (keep out of reach of children)
- Reproducible picture of a cow
- White construction paper
- Round sponges
- Black paint
- Small dish (one for each child)
- Ruler or Measuring tape
- Pancakes For Breakfast by Tomie de Paola
Circle Time Discussion
Discuss a dairy.
Show a book of colored photos of a dairy, found in your local library.
Teach:
Dairies raise cows that give milk to make foods like butter, cheese, yogurt, cream.
Discuss all of the products made from milk. Make a list of dairy foods on a chart or on the board.
Explain the process of churning butter, the old fashion way.
Visit the link provided to teach the children how to make butter.
Activity
Milking a Cow
You will need:
- Latex glove
- Needle or straight pin
- Small bowl
- Water
Using a needle, poke a hole in each fingertip of the latex glove.
Fill the latex glove with water.
The water filled glove will resemble a cow’s utters.
Teach the children to “milk the cow” by pulling on the “utters”.
Art
Sponge Painted Cow
You will need:
- Reproducible picture of a cow
- White construction paper
- Round sponges
- Black paint
- Small dish (to put paint in)
Enlarge the reproducible picture of a cow to fit the full sheet of construction paper.
Copy reproducible picture of a cow onto the white construction paper.
Provide each child with a small dish of black paint and a round sponge.
Instruct the children to apply black dots to the white cows.
The end result will be Holstein cows, which are common on the dairy farm. This project will enhance the fine motor skills of the children.
Math Skills
Measurements
You will need:
- Measuring tape or rulers for each child
Provide each child with a measuring tape of a ruler.
Instruct the children to measure items in the room.
Record and compare all measurements. Ask: Which is larger? Which is smaller?
Language Skills
Pancakes For Breakfast
Examine the picture book Pancakes For Breakfast by, Tomie de Paola.
Encourage children to provide words to the story.
Write the story on the board and retell the story in its entirety by looking at the picture book again.
Suggested Reading
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
The Cows Are In The Corn by James Young
This post is part of the series: Kindergarten Farm Unit
This is a five part series lesson plan designed for the kindergarten classroom. It this unit, children will learn fun facts about farms through discussion, pictures, art, hands on activities, math skills and language skills.
