Amazing!!!!!! The one theme that I love the most is attached to such a harsh and cruel past. Just watch The Disney Dumbo Cartoon or the Remake, or even Water for Elephants. Truth it is the Classic‘s is our home to animal cruelty.
The truth is that most of you don’t know me is the truth of my personal opinion. I am not a big fan of animals in captivity. Certain zoos I approve of and certain zoos I don’t. The Phoenix zoo being one of the ones that I approve of because it’s a nonprofit organization that runs it, so all my animals are being taken great care of.
However if I could have it my way there wouldn’t be any zoos anywhere. All the animals would go back into the wild where they belong. Course that’s not really realistic considering 90% of all animals in captivity were born in captivity.
Thankfully most of those cages today are beinf turned into actual exhibits, habitats, or sanctuaries. Vs the old way which is just a small little area for them outside and a small back area.
One of the saddest stories of our Phoenix zoo up until recently was our elephants. Three grown women retirees and they had to share one pen because they didn’t get along they had to rotate in and out of the back area. The zoo raised money and finally built them a bigger enclosure and all three girls will be able to be out at once.
The fundraising at our zoo is in full swing for our Pride Campaign. If I had the money I would help.
Now back to circus. Since the beginning of any Circus they were made up of live animals because it was a way to show off animals people had never seen outside their country, and zoos weren’t a thing back then.
I still will teach that to my kiddos, but I will also teach why they don’t have them anymore. That they found better homes. The perfect example is “The One and Only Ivan” movie. The kids loved watching it and were so happy Ivan and the other animals got their new homes with family in the end.
For at home circus though, I will use the theme to teach and play using the other types of things that were at any Circus. The Acts. The People part of the show . Balancing acts, Juggling, Fair Games, etc.
Today we went to Party City and found a circus game and some clown noses to use for juggling. I also have class dancing scarves to use for juggling as well.
Tomorrow we’ll do the juggling practice and Wednesday we will start balancing acts. For that I am going to get a huge piece of wood, and having the kids balance in it. Easy and not expensive at Home Depot. Have to go there anyways to get a few more boxes to replace a few that we lost in the move and mattress bags. For the move back.
Now here is a fun activity, FOR OLDER KIDS, and if we had already moved home, I would have done this. Still might to use the boxes. Make your own fair games out of cardboard. My 4-5th graders didn’t it as I mentioned before in another blog. It was an arcade challenge and my class did a hell of a job on them too.
It was based on this one kids idea and he became famous for it. Canes arcade.
https://pbskids.org/designsquad/blog/cardboard-arcade/.
Don’t know if that link will work. If not, go to YouTube and look up canes arcade. The kid is a genius.
So for circus week, get creative and make your own fair games. Plus learn to make balloon animals. Some things are very easy to make .
I’ll keep you posted how this week goes.
Wish me luck.
The TAWL Mom 