Wonderful Summer 4. Oh, Canada!

This weekend we were celebrating 146 Anniversary Confederation of three colonies into a single country called Canada, named Canada Day. It is actually Birthday of our wonderful country. So, we decided to discover more about Canada and were talking about what did happen in Northern North America many years ago, who did live here, what did do first people, how they were looked like, why does Canada have a red maple leaf on the flag. So many questions....we decided to explore many of them during the Summer and Fall up to Thanks Giving Day!!!
So, let's start!

 The red stripes on the Canadian flag symbolize the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, between which is Canada. White square recalls the Arctic snows in the north of the country, and the Maple Leaf, Canada's long-standing emblem - on its vast forests. Canada named the country of Red Maple Leaves, because here is a lot of special kind maple trees which have really red leaves and  in spring people make Maple syrup.

Most common for Canada animals are Moose, Beaver, Raccoon and Skunk. Last one, but not least one presented only in North America, and nowhere else around the world.

May be, I will tell you something interesting about beavers....

                                       

They  have very sharp teeth, so they can break huge trees and build the beaver dam;  Beavers build Dams for food storage and protection. They build a dam to make an artificial lake, and then they proceed to build their lodge nearby. 

The deeper water in a dam allows the beaver to travel near its home protected from other animals and predators. After the dam is built, the beaver will also dig channels leading away from the new dam, to create safe transport channels for when it is gathering more wood to continue building its dam and lodge. Beavers usually use their tail as a paddle when they are swimming, but beaver use their tails to communicate!!!! by using there tails to tell other beavers that they are there or to tell them where the food is or even if there in danger they just slap there tail in water!

Hey! let's try to be beavers! We clapped  with our hands different pattern on the floor and tried to repeat it again! Children even guess that different pattern might have different meaning!!!

First people.... How did they look like? Where did they live?

What is North American Indians Totem Pole?

What is Dream Catcher?

Can we build a Tepee?

There were so many questions...

We solved the puzzle "Red Maple Leaf"

But most interesting was play with rocks. Some rocks I collected during year in stores, but some of they I made by myself in special shape with Air Dry Clay. I needed a few flat rocks...

Who is Inuksuk? 

Imagine walking across the vast tundra, and coming across a human-sized stone structure. Inukshuk (plural: inuksuit) means “likeness of a person” in Inuktitut (the Inuit language), and is a pile of (unworked) stones arranged by the Inuit into the shape of a human being. They are sometimes seen as representing the strength and determination of the Inuit people, who live in one of the Earth’s harshest climates and terrains.Used for thousands of years, the Inuit make Inuksuit to identifying routes, to warn people of impending danger, to mark a place of respect, or to remember a good hunting or fishing spot. Most every Inuit constructs his own stone figure at some point, and they are a distinct feature in the Arctic region. They usually are around the height of a human being (5-7 feet tall). 

(more about Inuksuk  for children here and here)

For younger children who was not able to build 3D Inuksuk we decided to build it on the tray with smaller stones.

The most important for Canada Birthday in our opinion was the red maple leaf, which we made with red Play-Dough

And, of course, we sing "Happy Birthday Canada" and the National Anthem of Canada, together with

Red Deer Children's Choir

We love our country!

Happy 146 Anniversary Canada!

A lot of helpful materials I found here and here.

I would like to share our experience 

with my friends here