July 15 is Cow Appreciation Day. Here are some fun activities to incorporate into your child care program that involve cows.
- “Milk” Cows – Fill latex gloves with milk and tie them shu. Poke small holes in the fingers of the gloves. Hang the gloves under a small folding table or chair with a bowl underneath. Have children squeeze and pull the fingers to get the milk out, and they will see how it is to really milk a cow.
- Udder Painting – Fill latex gloves with black paint. Poke a small hole in one of the fingers. Place white paper on the table, and let children squeeze out the paint from the ‘udder.’
- Cow Spots Sponge Painting – Have children dip shower loofahs into black paint and dab on white paper.
- Favorite Milk Graph – Talk about how milk comes from cows and create a class graph of favorite flavors of milk: plain, chocolate, or strawberry.
- Make Ice Cream in a Bag – Use milk along with the other ingredients listed here, to make ice cream in a bag. Since July is National Ice Cream Month, it is also a good tie-in during Cow Appreciation Day!
Cow Facts (thanks to Kids Play and Create)
- Cows are also known as cattle.
- Cows are herbivores meaning they eat grasses, plants, corn. They do not eat meat.
- There are many types of cows.
- Cows are smart and intelligent animals.
- They are also social animals and interact with other cows.
- Cows say “moo” as a way to communicate.
- A male is called a bull.
- A female who has given birth is called a cow.
- A female who has not given birth is called a heifer.
- A baby cow is called a calf.
- There are over 1 billion cows that live in the world!
- Cows live on every continent except Antarctica.
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