In kindergarten, we love to celebrate in style! Each year we countdown to the last day of school along with the alphabet - but, we go backwards! From Z to A we have themed days for the kids planned and so far it's been such a great time and it's something that helps keep the kids engaged right up to the last day.
Today, we're celebrating with the letter J and it's a JEEP drive-in! The idea took a minute to come to fruition, but I'm so glad my teammate suggested JEEPs for this day. Here's what we're up to!
Planning for JEEP Day
A few weeks after sharing the Countdown to Summer calendar with families (it outlines all of the themed days for the final 26 days of school), I sent home a separate flyer that gave student families the directions to creating their cardboard Jeeps along with ideas to get them started. Giving families enough of a heads up is vital and helps with participation.
This is our first year doing this and I have to say how impressed I am with the JEEPs that came in!
JEEP Day
To start, I designated an area of the classroom a "Parking Lot" where the JEEPs can be stored and kept safe. When it was time for our movie, I arranged the JEEPs so the kids could see without being blocked. I decided
JEEP Duckies
The phenomenon that is "getting ducked" by JEEP enthusiasts is something I shared with the class. I wanted to give them some background knowledge about the duckies and where it started. I found this news segment that explains the ducks and keeps the explanation short and sweet for my students.
We chatted a little afterward about the significance of the ducks and how the act of "ducking" is out of kindness to strangers - and how it took off to be a global movement!
Next, I gave students a blank duckie template where they designed their own JEEP duckie. When they finished coloring, they cut them out and glued them to their JEEPs.
It ended up being such an easy way to take part in the fun that is being a JEEP owner!
Fun Jeep Read-Alouds
Of course we can't have JEEP Day without fun read alouds! Here are a few of my favorite titles to read:
Sheep in a Jeep
My Daddy's Jeep
This is a fun story that explores vintage Jeeps all the way to more modern models through storytelling from around the world. The reader gets to see how Jeeps have evolved over time and enjoy seeing them go on different adventures!
The Little Jeep Who Couldn't Beep
This is a special story inspired by real US Army Jeeps that were driven during the war in Vietnam. After the war, and the Jeep's job was done, it was left to rust in a cold, dark shed....that' is until someone rescued him. It's such an endearing story and one I enjoyed sharing with my students.
There are so many cute ways to bring JEEP Day to life and I'm so happy with how it turned out! Here's to just 7 days left of school!
