Invite preschoolers to paint pictures of cows on sheets of white paper. Paint brown, red, cream, tan or black cows. Allow preschoolers to paint black and white spotted cows using paint brushes, sponges or their fingers to create the spots. For a fun twist, head outside and place pieces of white paper on the ground. Let preschoolers dip paintbrushes full of black paint, then flick the paint onto the paper to create spots. Cut cow shapes out of the splatter-painted paper.
Have preschoolers try milking a pretend cow. Gather latex or vinyl medical gloves and use a pin to make a hole in the bottom of two fingers. Hang gloves at the top of a water table so spills and splashes land in the basin. Fill gloves with water or milk. Provide small cups for preschoolers to fill as they squeeze the fingers on the gloves. See if preschoolers can fill their cup with the milk or water. Encourage preschoolers to try milking with one hand, and then both hands.
Print out pictures of cows in various sizes, colors and ages. Set the pictures at a math center and invite preschoolers to sort the cows. They can sort by color, size, baby versus adult or even the number of spots on spotted cows. Ask preschoolers to count the number of spots on spotted cows. Encourage preschoolers to put the cows in order by size or count to see if there are more brown cows or tan cows.
Invite preschoolers to make their own butter. Fill a few baby food jars three-quarters full with heavy whipping cream. Place the lid tightly on the jar and have preschoolers shake away. Encourage preschoolers to take turns when they get tired. After about 20 minutes, the cream will form into butter and buttermilk. Pour off the buttermilk, then allow preschoolers to taste-test the butter. Let preschoolers taste different foods made from milk such as cheese, yogurt and ice cream.