First-School.ws
Dog Theme · Paper Crafts · Pets Preschool Lesson Plan Printable Activities

Tribute to the Dog our First Pet and Domesticated Animal!

Discuss some of this information with the children and adapt to the age group. Dog, dogs, dogs! Yes, dogs are believed to be human's first domesticated animal and pet. The dog has been given the title of: "Honorary Human" Why?

Dogs and human beings started a wonderful friendship more than 14,000 years ago! That was a long time ago! For this reason we will start to celebrate the joy of pets and the joy they bring to us by paying tribute to them, since they have certainly earned that right. Dogs have an endless list of good attributes and help human beings in almost every area. In the beginning they started helping us search for food, later they gave us many other gifts: friendship, unconditional love, protection, safety, search and rescue, safeguarding liberty, helping the disabled population, and because of their love and companionship they help us live longer and healthier lives! Again this is just a fraction of what they have done and do for us. Online resource > Dog at Wikipedia.org

Below are a series of activities to chose from. You may want to extend the dog theme over a three day period or more with breaks in between.

Holidays > Chinese New Year > The dog is one of the twelve animals represented in the Chinese zodiac.

Literature / Literacy > It is important to include related literature to the activities review suggestions in the dog theme.

Activity > Dog Crafts
There a number wonderful crafts and coloring page activities to choose from. To motivate and keep the children interested you may want to choose the craft based on what type of dog the child likes or has at home. Also, children may prefer to choose a famous book character or TV/cartoon character.

Here are some suggestions to help you choose a craft or coloring page activity.

Generic Dog Crafts: A generic dog craft works well with large groups so everyone is doing the same craft and easier to manage by the educator or child care provider. The easiest is the first - a paper bag puppet but it can also be attached to two craft sticks (3 pieces). The other crafts require a toilet paper tube or print on card stock and you can still roll the template to form the cylinder shape:

• Dog or Puppy with a Bone Craft (5 pieces)
  This is a very easy craft for young children.
• Dog or Puppy Paper Bag Puppet Craft - Easy 3-piece
  Matching Alphabet Letter D Dog printable support materials.

• Dalmatian dog craft -- this is a good choice to pay tribute to dogs that assist Firefighters and to discuss fire safety.
• Alphabet Buddy - Doctor Doggy Craft - Community helpers > doctor or veterinarian Ages 2+ and older

1. Children will love these coloring page images and can also be used for display during presentation of the theme, decorate a bulletin board, use as the front cover for a homemade coloring book, or as an award.
2. Supply a number of materials other than crayons to decorate them. Fill the tails of other parts of the dogs body with yarn, or thin strips of tissue paper, raffia or left over ribbon to simulate hair. Use watercolors, sponges, or edible finger paints for the younger crowd.
3. Surprise the children with a coloring book with 4 to 5 pages as the grand finale of the dog theme activities.

Letter D Dog printable activities


Letter P Puppy printable activities


Dog online jigsaw puzzle

Refer to activities for printable dog crafts.


Dog coloring pages [many breeds]
*paper, card stock or
construction paper
*coloring tools
*glue or glue stick