Reception Superheroes
Superhero Animals

Animals can be superheroes too. Discover the ways dogs are trained to help people with additional need and find out about horses that work for us. Make your own superhero animal from junk; paint it, name it and give it a super power. Hold a superhero animal show and display your models.

Session 1 Dogs that help us

Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
  • Answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about experiences.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through art and role play.
  • Sing songs and experiment with ways of changing them.

Lesson Planning

Find out about the ways dogs are trained to help people with additional needs & take part in activities blindfolded!

Children will:

  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.
  • Ask and answer questions about dogs that help us.
  • Adapt ‘dogs that help song’ to include their own ideas and experiences.

You Will Need

  • Toy dog and other animals
  • Lego
  • Playdough
  • Collage materials
  • Blindfold
  • Plastic food
  • Camera

Session 2 Rescue pups

Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
  • Answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about experiences.
  • Sing songs and experiment with ways of changing them.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through art and role play.

Lesson Planning

Watch a clip of ‘Paw Patrol’ the cartoon rescue pups. What do the paw patrol pups do? Talk about real life rescue dogs & police dogs.

Children will:

  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.
  • Ask and answer questions about rescue dogs.
  • Adapt ‘rescue song’ to include their own ideas.

You Will Need

  • Paw Patrol pup or toy dog
  • Lego
  • Junk modelling materials for boats
  • Small model houses/cars/people/dogs.

Session 3 Blue horse

Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
  • Answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about experiences.
  • Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
  • Sing songs and experiment with ways of changing them.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role-play and stories.

Lesson Planning

Read Eric Carle’s ‘The artist that created the blue horse. Create your own different horses painted in the wrong colours and find out how horses can help us.

Children will:

  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.
  • Ask and answer questions about horses.
  • Create their own versions of Franz Marc’s blue horse.
  • Adapt ‘rescue song’ to include their own ideas.

You Will Need

  • Coconuts
  • Shoe boxes
  • Obstacles for the outside area
  • Camera, bells, scarves

Session 4 Not an ordinary dog

Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Explore and use media and materials.
  • Sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them.
  • Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through art and role play.
  • Express self effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs.
  • Develop narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.

Lesson Planning

Binkie is not like ordinary dogs. Listen to the story of Binkie and learn about his hidden secret! Use your imagination & roll the superpower story cubes to create super animals stories and junk model animals.

Children will:

  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.
  • Create their own stories about super animals.
  • Adapt super dog song to include their own ideas about their super animals.
  • Make moving part junk model animals.

Provided Resources

  • Messages of help
  • Not an ordinary dog story
  • Animal and story cubes
  • Super dog song

You Will Need

  • iPads
  • Story bags prepared for the activity
  • Selection of non-fiction animal books
  • Junk modelling materials
  • Modelling clay
  • Camera

Session 5 Super animal show

Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Listen attentively in a range of situations.
  • Listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what is heard with relevant comments, questions or actions.
  • Follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
  • Answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about experiences.
  • Express self effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs.
  • Develop narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role-play and stories.

Lesson Planning

Hold a superhero animal show, displaying models. Ask another class to judge the animals on their superpowers.

Children will:

  • Consider and use knowledge about super animals.
  • Answer questions and speak in the role of a character.
  • Participate in the class drama event.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Paw patrol pup or teddy
  • Super animals from session 4
  • Refreshments
  • Award certificates, ribbons, sashes