Songs, Fingerplays, and Grouptime Information

Seals provide Eskimos with much of their food and skins for their clothing.

 meat and skin is very valuable to the Eskimos. Their tusks provide the ivory for crafts of scrimshaw and carving.

Eskimos are a warm and gentle people. Common names for Eskimo children are Ootah, Nathlook, Inatuk, and Akoik. Eskimos wear fur jackets called parkas.

Polar bears provide food for the family. Their fur is used to make the warm clothing needed in the winter.

Mukluks help keep their feet warm in the cold winters.

is a small one man boat made of driftwood and seal skin. It is extremely light and waterproof.

Igloos are temporary homes made of blocks of snow. The Eskimo men build igloos when they are on long hunting trips.

Sleds pulled by huskies are used to travel great distances across the snow.

Polar Bears Standing height : 8-11 ft.   Weight: 880-990 lb, females about 100 lb less. The polar bear is the largest bear in North America.Conservation projects and regulated hunting exit in all countries where polar bears are found. Polar bears eat vegetation but they mainly feed on seals. They have a keen sense of smell and can sniff out a seal den 20 miles away! Polar Bears are strong swimmers. They cruise through the water at speeds of up to six miles per hour, using their front legs to propel them, with their back legs trailing behind. They close their nose when diving in the water but leave their eyes open. They can remain submerged for two minutes, when they resurface they immediately shake the water off their coat so that it doesn’t freeze. On smooth slippery slopes, the polar bear frequently slides down on his belly. When walking on the ice, he may appear bow-legged – that helps him maintain his balance without slipping. Mating season is March -June. In Oct-Nov., they carve out big dens in the snow, which are used for giving birth. They usually have two cubs who stay with their mother into the third spring of their lives.

Marco the Polar Bear…
Marco the Polar Bear,(make circle in front of body with arms)
White as the snow,(extend out arms proudly)
Sat down on the ice (sit down)
Near the cold water’s flow.(shiver)
“Lunch! I need lunch” he said;(rub stomach)
“I’ll make a wish.” (put hands together to make wish)
He stuck in his paw(put right hand down) And came up with a fish!(hold up right hand and smile)

I Wish I Were a Walrus…
I wish I were a Walrus A waddling on the shore.
I’d say, “Move over, here I come!” And bellow out a “ROAR!”

I wish I were a Walrus A basking in the sun. I’d flap my flippers, oh so loud
To show I’m number one!

I wish I were a Walrus A strutting all my stuff. If anybody picked on me I’d show them my big tusks!

I’ve Got Whiskers…
I’ve got whiskers, Long front flippers! I’ve got ear flaps,Can you tell me what I am? (CHILDREN RESPOND: Sea Lion!)

I’ve got whiskers, Long white tusks. Lots of blubber, Can you tell me what I am? (CHILDREN RESPOND:  Walrus!)

Bounce like jelly, On my belly. You won’t hear me, Can you tell me what I am? (CHILDREN RESPOND: Seal!)

On the ice, I will bellow Near the North Pole, Can you tell me what I am? (CHILDREN RESPOND: Walrus!)

I’ve got whiskers, Short front flippers. Got no ear flaps Can you tell me what I am?   (CHILDREN RESPOND: Seal!)

Walk on all fours, On rocky shores. Barking loudly, Can you tell me what I am?   (CHILDREN RESPOND: Sea Lion!)

Five Little Eskimos…
Five little Eskimos by the igloo door. One went out to feed the dogs, then there were four.

Four little Eskimos rowing out to sea,   One jumped on an iceberg,then there were three.

Three little Eskimos making fish stew, One burned his finger,then there were two.

Two little Eskimos hunting for fun, One chased a baby seal,then there was one.

One little Eskimo all his work done,   Went home to supper,then there were none.

My  Igloo…
My igloo is round with a tiny door.   (Make circle w/hands then hold hand low to ground.)
It’s made of cold ice & snow. (Pretend to shiver.)
The inside is covered with blankets & fur. (Spread hands over wide area.)
So it’s warm when the winter winds blow. (Hug self to keep warm.)


Polar Bears…
Cut out the shape of a polar bear and glue on cotton.  Glue coconut onto the cotton as fur.

Eskimo Sled…
Taki needs a sled to carry food and supplies over the ice and snow. Cut a small pudding box at an angle. The bottom half will be the sled. Paste two ice-cream bar sticks to the bottom of the sled for runners. Then tape two straws on the sides for handles. Tuck a napkin into the sled for a warm blanket. Taki is ready to skim over the frozen snow!

Tape a strip of construction paper around a cardboard tube (from a roll of T.P.). Draw a smiling mouth and two dots for eyes at the top of the tube. Now cut two small pieces from the bottom of the tube to form two wide legs. Paste some cotton around the top and the bottom of the construction paper and draw some black boots with a crayon. For the hood, cut a corner section from an envelope, and paste some cotton around one open end. To finish, paste the hood on his head.

Igloo Model…
Mix up whipped snow recipe but use less water so the mixture is thicker. Tape small shoe box and a toilet paper tube together to make igloo shape. Let the children spread the whipped snow around the structure thickly piling it up for the dome look.  Leave a hole for the tunnel opening.

Stuffed Kodiak Bear and Polar Bear…
Use brown bags and white bags.  Cut two bear shapes for each child.  Staple the bear shapes together along the edge, leaving the top of the head open.  Have the children stuff the bears with newspaper or tissue paper.  After the bears are stuffed, staple the top of the heads shut.  Add facial features with a block crayon.   Some children can use the brown grocery bags and make Kodiak bears and the other children can use the white bags to make polar bears.  You can also staple a brown bear to a white bear and make a reversible Kodiak/Polar Bear.

Water and Ice…
Paint with ice cubes by freezing ice cubes with tempera paint added for color.


Dog Sledding…
Here is an idea for the children to pretend to play in the snow or they can use this idea outside. Cut one sheet of cardboard from a box for each child. Let them pretend that the cardboard sheets are dog sleds. Tie cord to  one end of the cardboard so that the children may pull the sleds. Have the children place a stuffed animal, plastic animal if going out, on the sled and let them pull the sled around.

Help the children to create the image of an igloo by placing 2 or 3 small cartons, or a large plastic bowl on top of a card table or other table, and then place a large white sheet over the top of the table. To create the entrance of the igloo cut out the bottom end of a cardboard carton and place the carton, with the sides horizontal, on the floor, so that the children can crawl through it into the igloo. Place a white sheet over the entrance to the igloo too. For the floor on the inside of the igloo, provide a furry rug or blanket of some type which is similar to fur which Eskimos would use for covering their floor.

Ice Fishing…
Prepare paper cut-outs of fish.  Make the fish all different sizes and colors. Place a paper clip on each fish.  Put the fish in a box with a hole in the top.  The children are going to go ice fishing.  Place a magnet on a string to fish with.Have the children describe the fish that they catch.

Ice Cave…
Turn the block center into an ice cave for the children. Hang long pieces of white butcher block paper around the edges of the center. Put blue butcher block paper on the walls. Then add blue and white streamers hanging from the ceiling. Put blue nap mats on the floor. Painted some of the blocks white or wrap them in white paper (the kids love to build igloos) Add cotton balls and added stuffed polar bears, seals, fish, penguins etc.


Blubber Experiment…
Take two small plastic bags turn one of them inside out and place it inside the other bag. Spoon Crisco shortening in between the two bags and seal them together. This makes a blubber mitten and the kids can insert their hands into the mitten and put their hand into icy water and see the difference that the blubber makes in keeping warm.


Binky Polar Bear Puppet Information and Animal Pictures from the Arctic