Welcome to our “Circus Week” – an at home camp filled with days of relaxed learning and fun activities all themed to the oh-so-fun circuses and carnivals! After all, what better way to get them to keep learning than to pick a theme they already think is fun!
For this day, we turned our attention to Fabulous Ferris Wheels! We dove a bit deeper into the history of ferris wheels, learned about their inventor, and created a few ferris wheels of our own! Read on to check out a fun filled day of learning, reading, crafts, and activities all on ferris wheels!!
A TYPICAL DAY
All kids are different and you can definitely vary your day with whatever works for you 🙂 Our relaxed & learning fun day kicks off with an introduction to the day’s theme. Then, we move onto videos and themed activities (reading, writing – or story telling – time, crafts, food crafts/snacks, and games or experiments). Feel free to pick and choose whatever works for you 🙂
INTRO
Have your little ones ever been on a Ferris wheel – or at least seen them in person or on TV? If so, then they’re already familiar with what a Ferris wheel is. Maybe they’re even excited to learn more about them! If they haven’t or aren’t familiar with this incredible invention, these sites are great introductions with interesting facts, images, and related content! They’re perfect for providing a brief intro for your little ones (or to gather up some knowledge as well!)!
- Ferris Wheel Facts for Kids by Kidz Search Encyclopedia
- Ferris Wheel by Kiddle
- Ferris Wheel Facts Worth Knowing by kidadl
WHAT TO WATCH
We find that mixing in a short video themed to our day is a great way to add some learning fun! We try to pick informative videos OR mix in a cartoon favorite (where they don’t even realize they’re learning). Below are some of the videos we picked from for the day:
- A, B, Circus! | Episode 4 | History of Balancing Acts by Cirque du Soleil (6m)
- A, B, Circus! | Episode 5 | History of Aerial Acrobatics by Cirque du Soleil (6m)
FOOD CRAFTS / SNACKS
What’s more fun than taking a break and having a simple snack??? Including the snack in your theme of the day! We find that our kiddos are more than happy to eat the snacks they create especially when they can arrange them into fun shapes and scenes!
We happened to have a Ferris Wheel Snack Caddy from a previous Circus Party, so we brought it out to serve up some healthy snacks! And if you can’t pick up a Ferris Wheel Snack Caddy, you could definitely create & craft your own (see the Craft Section for some links to tutorials!
READING
It’s no secret that reading is an important part of learning, which is why we pick out a handful of books that are fun and filled with some learning tidbits. For our older ones, we have them fill out some worksheets (or let them create some of their own comics) to describe what they read and/or learned! These are a few we picked from for the day:
- Sky High: George Ferris’s Big Wheel (Step into Reading) by Monica Kulling (Author), Gene Barretta (Illustrator)
- Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis
WRITING & WRITING PROMPTS
Just like reading, writing is a great way to keep kids learning by both encouraging their creativity and thought process as well as helping them practice their motor skills and penmanship.
If you’ve got a little one, have them trace words related to the theme: CIRCUS, CARNIVAL, FUNFAIR, FERRIS WHEEL, ENGINEER
If you’ve got older children, have them write a sentence or two up to a page or two (depending on their age). Encourage them to be creative AND give reasons for why they made certain choices. This was our writing prompt of the day (and we offered up some examples as well) but definitely pick something your kiddo might be interested in writing about!
- Do you think Ferris Wheels are fun? What is your favorite part?
- Why do you think ferris wheels were also called observation wheels? What are you able to observe?
- Is being on a ferris wheel like any other experience you’ve had (or that you can imagine)? If so, describe the similarities and the differences?
CREATE & CRAFT
If you’ve got a crafty little one, a simple craft is a great way to keep them interested in the topic. While their creative juices are flowing, you can also chat about what they’ve learned so far or ask them what else they’re excited about learning! Below are some of the crafts we looked at:
- Easy Coffee Filter Ferris Wheel Craft for Kids by LOOK We’re Learning
- Paper Ferris Wheel by To Made It!
- DIY Ferris Wheel Craft by Project Kid
STEM & STEAM ACTIVITIES
While crafting and writing get their creativity and imagination flowing, we also like to add in an activity that gets them thinking along the lines of science, technology, engineering, or math! These engaging activities or experiments are a great way to keep them learning!
- Lego Magical Ferris Wheel and Slide
- STEM Activity for Kids: Popsicle Stick Ferris Wheel by ABCmouse.com by ABCmouse.com (1m)
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you for checking out our at home learning fun article! If you enjoyed this post, please let us know what you think in the comments below and/or follow us on Pinterest
Also, if you haven’t already, check out some of our other Circus Week days, Circus and Carnival Ideas, as well as our DIY At Home Camps!
Happy Learning!
