Yes, yes you can host a stuffed animal day from your new virtual classroom! If you are reading this I am betting that you have found yourself setting up a virtual classroom in some corner of your home. We as teachers and parents have had to quickly redefine what our daily life looks like. We have had to switch to home learning activities instead of traditional classroom work. With that said, I wanted to share one of my favorite digital activities from my classroom. This blog post describes how I use stuffed animal day activities in my classroom, but it can easily be used in a distance learning situation. You can get your FREE copy of the activity at the end of this post.
Stuffed animal day at school is one of our favorite days of the year. Our school celebrates Stuffed Animal Day in September and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Who wouldn’t want to start a new school year by bringing their favorite stuffy to school?
Stuffed Animal Day Reading Activities
Read a louds and stuffed animals? It’s like PB and J-you cant have one without the other. Some of my favorite read alouds for Stuffed Animal Day are:
- Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
- Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator by Mo Willems
- Where’s My Teddy by Jez Alborough
- Bun Bun Button by Patricia Polacco
- Harry and Horsie by Katie Van Camp
Stuffed Animal Day Craft Activities
Have you noticed that a major theme in the stuffed animal world is the trauma of losing a fuzzy friend? There are books, poems, songs and not to mention our own flashbacks to a time of stuffy loss. Every stuffed animal needs an identification tag- its time to put an end to the heartbreak of stuffy loss!
Stuffy ID tags can be made easily with Shrinky Dinks and Sharpies. I cut the Shrinky Dink plastic with the 4-inch circle die cut machine at my school. That seems to be a good size for the students to decorate and they shrink to a good stuffy size. DO NOT FORGET TO HOLE PUNCH THEM prior to baking (just saying). We attach our tags with yarn, ribbon, thread and even floss. Basically, I use whatever I have on hand. ADORABLE and a fun keepsake!
Stuffed Animal Digital Activities
Another of our favorite activities on Stuffed Animal Day is completing a Stuffy Slide Show. Students complete a biography of their furry friend, as well as to measure and weigh their stuffy. There is a spot to take selfies with their stuffy and a page for students to brainstorm adjectives that describe their stuffy. I think my favorite is the slide where the students can insert a video of them reading to their stuffy. Cuteness overload!!
If you would like a FREE copy of my Stuffy Slide Show- just click HERE!
If you are looking for more digital activities click here!
