For Children’s Book Week this year we are celebrating with the theme Discover Something New! All week this blog will host activities giveaways and fun book facts for kids, parents and teachers.
In addition to the activities we are offering a free paperback with any online store order! It’s a grab bag, so you may just find something new from Arbordale!
Everyone Loves a Charade
Today is the perfect day to discover how animals stay cool in the hot summer months. Because we celebrated 
mothers yesterday and we are headed toward the dog days of summer what could be better than learning how animals keep cool in the summer with a game of charades!
In A Cool Summer Tail, animals ask their mothers how humans stay cool in the summer. A fun way to learn more about animal adaptations is by acting them out.
Divide the group into two teams.
Print out the animal names and adaptations below. Cut them into strips and place those in a bowl. Make sure to mix them up.
For the first 30 seconds they must act out the animal adaptation. Understanding that growing hair, and sunning 
yourself may be a little difficult to act out after those 30 seconds are up they may act out other traits of the animal or try to get the group to guess the name of the animal. After the animal is guessed announce the adaptation to the group as well as the animal name.
In case you have forgotten some of the symbols used in charades here is a helpful guide:
- Number of words in the title: Hold up the number of fingers.
- Which word you’re working on: Hold up the number of fingers again.
- Number of syllables in the word: Lay the number of fingers on your arm.
- Which syllable you’re working on: Lay the number of fingers on your arm again.
- Length of word: Make a “little” or “big” sign as if you were measuring a fish.
- “The entire concept:” sweep your arms through the air.
- “On the nose” (i.e., someone has made a correct guess): point at your nose with one hand, while pointing at the person with your other hand.
- “Sounds like”: Cup one hand behind an ear.
- “Longer version of :” Pretend to stretch a piece of elastic.
- “Shorter version of:” Do a “karate chop” with your hand
- “Plural”: link your little fingers.
- “Past tense”: wave your hand over your shoulder toward your back.
- A letter of the alphabet: move your hand in a chopping motion toward your arm (near the top of your forearm if the letter is near the beginning of the alphabet, and near the bottom of your arm if the letter is near the end of the alphabet).
Squirrel – They lick their forearms where the hair is thinner and the saliva evaporates to keep them cool.
Black Bears – They lie on their backs exposing their bellies where the fur is thinner
Painted turtles – They go to the cool water of the ponds lakes and streams to stay cool
Black-capped chickadee – They hide under the shade of leaves, stand in puddles of water or open their beaks to breathe quickly
White tailed deer – They shed their winter hair, and grow a new coat of fine red hair that allows air to move better.
Honeybees – They fan their queen to cool her by hanging upside down on the hive and fan it inside the hive.
Garter snake – the coil up in a den during the day and come out at night to eat.
People – They live in air conditioning, wear light clothing, and swim in pools to stay cool
Black swallowtail – They use the warmth of the sun and shade their bodies with their wings when they get to hot.
Red Fox – They pant or breathe very fast across their damp tongues to evaporate the heat from their bodies.
Costa’s hummingbird – They fly long distances to find the cool weather that is just right
Wood frogs – They dig under leaves and sticks to keep their skin moist.
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