• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

  • HOME
  • How to
    • Preschool
    • Kindergarten
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Planner
  • Lapbooks
    • Trioramas
    • History Games
  • Shop
  • GET STARTED NOW!
    • Learning Styles
  • 7 Step Planner
    • DIY Best Student Planner
    • Free & Easy DIY Home Management Binder
  • Unit Studies
    • Creation to Ancients
    • Middle Ages to Reform
    • Exploring to Revolution
    • World Wars to Today
    • Science
    • Free Art Curriculum Grades 1 – 8
  • Curriculum
    • More Unit Studies
    • Geography
    • Writing PreK to 12th
    • Geronimo Stilton
  • BootCamp
    • Resources
      • Dynamic Subscriber Freebies
      • Exclusive Subscribers Library
      • Ultimate Unit Study Planner

Welcome

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

December 26, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This is a how to paint cardinal bird tutorial from someone who is not an artist but rather a homeschool mom who knows a few simple tricks. Also, look at my page Beautiful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Fun Unit Study.

You don’t have to be an artist to create and teach your child to create simple beautiful and easily identifiable art projects. 

The best technique I have found is to start with simple shapes and then build on that to get details that make it your own style of art.

Cardinals do not follow a migratory pattern like many other birds do.

Rather they stay close to home all winter long so you have a great chance of spotting them throughout the entire year.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

While there are 9 subspecies of cardinal bird we are focusing on the bright red Northern Cardinal for our painting.

There is a reason that the bright brilliant red cardinal is so popular, what other backyard bird catches your eye the way that flash of red does?

Let’s create a version of this bird that will never fly away and makes a pretty decor piece anywhere in your home while we learn about this winged beauty.

Books about the Cardinal Bird

12 Northern Cardinal Bird Books and Resources For Children

Add a book or two to your unit study or to your learning day. Cardinals are fun to study anytime of the year.

Wild Bird Guide: Northern Cardinal

Packed with information, the writing is clear and direct and accessible to bird watchers at every level.

Backyard Birding for Kids

With bird facts, an identification guide, and how-to instructions, this is a perfect children’s introduction to bird-watching.

Albert

The morning begins like any other. Albert reaches out the window to check the weather. But from the moment a twig lands in the palm of his hand, life is never the same

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

One of my go tos for nature study.

Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more.

Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the

Toy Bird Figures Kids

Because children's thinking is more visualized, the intuitive demonstration of the model can better help children construct in the brain. This birds playset can help children get a more direct understanding of real birds world and stimulate their interest in exploring nature.

Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves

One autumn evening, Little Redbird settled down for one last sleep before flying south for winter. As he slept, a strong gust of wind shook him from his cozy nest . . .

. . . Little Redbird hurts his wing and misses his chance to fly south for the winter. As he searches for a new home amongst the trees, he begins to realize that not all trees are fit for the winter cold. As more and more trees refuse him shelter, too preoccupied with their preparations for the frost, Little Redbird fears the worst. That is, until he comes across a friendly bunch of evergreens.

In the spirit of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves is a timeless story of kindness and why the fir, spruce, and juniper trees are evergreen all winter long. 

Backyard Birding Flashcards: 100 Common Birds

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds is now transformed into 100 easy-to-reference cards housed in one handsome pull-drawer gift box. Divided into one stack of 50 common Western and Eastern North American birds, and one stack of 50 common birds found across North America, each card features precise illustrations and text concerning habitat, behavior, and voice description necessary for easy identification.

Attracting & Feeding Cardinals

The vibrant red of the male Northern Cardinal is stunning any time of year—and nothing is more beautiful than the early spring duets of cardinals singing their hearts out. You love these beloved birds, and you want to see them visiting your backyard or garden. Professional naturalist and award-winning author Stan Tekiela teaches you all that you need to know about cardinals.

Cardinals (Backyard Bird Feeding Guides)

The vibrant red of the male Northern Cardinal is stunning any time of year. And nothing is more beautiful than the early spring duets of cardinals singing their hearts out.

Authentic Bird Sounds, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, Chickadee

Kids and adults of all ages love these birds, and are captivated by their sounds. They also make great baby toys, and sensory toys for kids any age.

Includes 3 Realistically designed bird toys that produce authentic bird calls from the Cornell lab of ornithology archives of bird recordings.

The Burgess Bird Book for Children

The Burgess Bird Book for Children (1919) is a classic nature book by Thornton Burgess, who introduces young listeners to the subject of bird life by means of a series of interviews within a story. Peter Rabbit and Jenny Wren interview Slaty the Junco, Redwing the Blackbird, Melody the Wood Thrush, Spooky the Screech Owl, and many other common birds to learn about their appearance, their eating, mating and nesting habits, and their songs and calls. The text remains popular as an exceptional combination of information and entertainment.

Cardinals (Backyard Birds)

Whos that singing in the backyard? Its a cardinal! Find out where cardinals live, what they eat, and how to identify the birds and their eggs.

Learning More About The Colorful Cardinal Bird

Northern Cardinals are known for their bright red feathers and the little crest at the top of their head, they are easily one of the easiest to spot and identify of all the backyard birds.

While most abundant in the southeast they can be spotted in most parts of the US east of the Rocky Mountains.

One thing you may not have known is that whenever you see this bright red color it is a male, females are a duller brown with a bit of red flush on the crest, wings, and tail.

Like some other birds- flamingos, Blue Footed Boobies, Cedar Waxwings, and a few others, Northern Cardinals get their eye-catching red plumage from the foods they eat.

While they are typically granivorous (grain and seed-eating) cardinals also eat insects and a wide variety of wild fruits like grapes, dogwood berries, and mulberries.

Fruits like these are full of carotenoids that create red, orange, yellow, and pink in bird feathers.

These beautiful birds are so popular that they are the state bird for 7 US States- Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

They are an inspiration for a lot of artwork, have come to stand as a symbol for many things and of course, they inspire unit studies.

Northern Cardinal Resources

You may just want to learn a simple how-to paint a cardinal bird technique, and I have that for you.

But if you are looking to add a little more to it to create a mini study here are some fantastic resources to add to your art project.

  • Do not miss out on this Beautiful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Fun Unit Study to create a fun and full unit.
  • If you need a reference book for PreK-Kindergarten pick up a copy of Cardinals Backyard Birds.
  • I use these Safari Ltd. Toob Birds often in dioramas, to introduce a new unit, with playdough and slime, tucked with blocks to inspire play, and as an art inspiration.
How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids
  • If you are looking for more art ideas you will also enjoy this Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity.
  • Watch All About Cardinals Backyard Bird Series on Youtube.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird

You will need:

  • Watercolor, linen textured paper, or a canvas
  • Acrylic craft paint-red, black, orange, blue, white, brown
  • Paintbrushes in several sizes

Paper plate or paint palette

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

First, determine how large you would like your cardinal to be on your surface.

Mix a tiny bit of light blue paint into white so that it has just a touch of color. I like to use a paper plate as a paint palette because they are inexpensive and always in my craft stash as well as easy to clean up.

Paint an oval on the page slightly larger than you intend for your cardinal to be.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

You can lighten your light blue a bit or leave it as is and paint the remaining surface around your “white” circle to create a sky background.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

Use a flat brush to paint a big fat teardrop shape in red for the body of the cardinal.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

While the paint is still wet, wipe the excess paint off the brush and starting at the top of the head create a little crest by flicking the brush upward.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

Add a little red paint to your brush and paint a little spikey tail with the same technique but going downward.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

Paint on a little branch nestled up against the bottom of the bird from one side of the page not quite across to the other side.

Easy Cardinal Bird Painting Tutorial for Kids

Create wings by making a curve from the shoulder to about where the tear-drop body of the bird begins to narrow off again on the sides, repeat to thicken paint if needed.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

Pick up a little black paint with a small brush after it is dry or while the red is still wet and make a few strokes down the wings and on the tail to add some dimension and detail.

Paint small feet wrapping around the branch.

If you add too much just remove a bit with a dry brush and work some red back in.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

Let the body of the bird dry.

Once dry paint on an upside-down triangle for the beak and carefully surround it with black to create the distinctive cardinal mask.

You can let this dry naturally or use a hair dryer on low to speed it along.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

Add white dots for eyes with large black pupils inside.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

Use a clean paintbrush to add dots for falling snow, you can also flick it to get more natural shapes as well.

How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: birds, cardinal bird, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, life science, painting

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

December 25, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When you are learning about watercraft, ship terminology is an important part of the lesson. Also, you’ll love my post Ship Craft Ideas.

Whether it be battleships, pirate ships, cruise ships, cargo ships, or sailboats, your child will want to learn ship words.

Cruise into some fun lessons on the various types of ships and what they are called, how they are used, and who they are used by.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

I have included ship terminology, some resources, and even an activity to get you going on your study.

Hands-on activities are one of the best ways to learn about a topic.

Besides, I have an inexpensive activity that is so much fun- how to make a kid’s ship wheel.

I found both key parts at Dollar Tree with plenty of leftover craft sticks.

Do not overlook Dollar Tree for school supplies or items for awesome crafts.

They have so much that I never have a shortage of ideas when i walk up and down their aisles.

Books for Kids Who Love Boats, Ships and Sailing

First, look at some of these books about ships and sailing.

17 Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Learning About Watercraft

Add some of these fun books and resources to your learning day about ships.

Stickmen's Guide to Watercraft (Stickmen's Guides to How Everything Works)

How does a giant cruise ship stay upright? Just how big is an aircraft carrier? How are submarines powered? Join the Stickmen for a close look at how watercrafts work, though be careful―you may get into deep water!

The Sailing Frigate: A History in Ship Models

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich houses the largest collection of scale ship models in the world. Many of the models are official, contemporary artifacts made by the craftsmen of the Royal Navy or the shipbuilders themselves, ranging from the mid-seventeenth century to the present day. As such they represent a three-dimensional archive of unique importance and authority. Treated as historical evidence, they offer more detail than even the best plans, and demonstrate exactly what the ships looked like in a way that even the finest marine painter could not achieve. Now available in paperback, this book tells the story of the evolution of the cruising ship under sail. It includes a large number of model photos all in full-color as well as close-up and detail views. These are captioned in depth, but many are also annotated to focus attention on interesting or unusual features. Although pictorial in emphasis, The Sailing Frigate weaves the pictures into an authoritative text, producing an unusual and attractive form of technical history.

Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies

Step aboard, buccaneers and book lovers! On the Salty Carrot sails a wild, rowdy band of Buccaneer Bunnies, led by Barnacle Black Ear, the baddest bunny brute of all time. His son, Henry, would rather read books than shout "Shiver me timbers!" or make prisoners walk the plank, even if it means swabbing the decks as punishment. But when a crashing, thrashing, bashing wildcat of a storm threatens them all, will Henry and his landlubbin’ library save the day?

The Sinking of the Vasa: A Shipwreck of Titanic Proportions

This is the saga of the great Swedish warship, the Vasa. Built to be the crown jewel of the Swedish Navy, the Vasa capsized not a mile into her maiden voyage in 1628―a tragedy resulting in many deaths and great loss. But who was to blame? Award-winning author Russell Freedman explores the history of this ship, and her resurrection from the seas in 1961. William Low’s gorgeous illustrations bring The Sinking of the Vasa to life.

Island Boy (Picture Puffins)

The acclaimed author of Miss Rumphius recounts the lives of four generations living on a New England coastal island and the importance of family ties.The youngest and quietest of 12 children, Matthias grew closest to Tibbets Island, learning its secrets through the years. And though in later years he sailed to faraway places, he always returned to the island he loved.

My Blue Boat

A child journeys from her bathtub on an imaginary ocean voyage. Her blue boat sails across the bathtub, into the harbor, between the whales, under the moon and the stars...until it manages to find its way home. A simple tale and light-filled watercolors together create the voyage of every child's dream.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch:

Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat", an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor's world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn't promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout.? Nat's long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors' Bible"), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.

Battleship With Planes Strategy Board Game

I could hardly talk about a shipping unit without mentioning the classic game Battleship could I?

USS Arizona Battleship Model Military Ship

Complete deck fittings including searchlights, motor launches and whaleboats, rangefinders, ladders, cranes, and tripod masts with observation nests.

Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Man-of-War

Packed with extraordinary illustrations, this history book for children covers everything from warship design to navigation. Biesty's incredible drawings slice through a man-of-war to explore every corner, from the crow's nest to the stinking hold. Packed with fascinating facts and gory details, the pages teem with sailors going about their duties. Find out how gun crews fired a cannon, examine a surgeon's toolkit, and learn the best way to wriggle the maggots out of the ship's biscuits. Look out, too, for the stowaway on every page. He's the one with spiky hair, and there's a reward for his capture!

A Kid's Book on Boatbuilding

As a kid, Will Ansel would spend hours rowing the creeks around Annapolis, Maryland. From his boat he could look down on the wrecks of Chesapeake skipjacks, and watch the turtles sun themselves on deckbeams and the tops of centerboard trunks. He found other types of Chesapeake boats there too, including the old "log" boats. Years later, Will built scaled-down skipjacks, wrote about them, and eventually went to work at Mystic Seaport as a ships' carpenter and boatbuilder. Will now lives in Georgetown, Maine, in an old house built at the water's edge, with a small shop and dock. The inventory of boats and kayaks is currently seven. Besides keeping up, using, and adding to these, he does some writing and painting, and work around a cabin in the woods.

Old Wood Boat

Raise the sails and follow the wind across the green sea in this captivating marriage of lyrical prose and intricate illustrations from a renowned West Coast artist.Old wood boat remembers the wind. Dilapidated and parted from the sea, she remembers and waits as her mast cracks and blackberry vines creep across her deck. But one day, a family tows her home. Scraped, scrubbed, sanded, and varnished, she is made beautiful and seaworthy again. After libations have been poured out, the family casts off, and old wood boat embarks on adventure once more. In this love letter to sailing, heralded artist Nikki McClure tells the story of a restored boat in timeless and reverent prose that perfectly accompanies her stunning cut-paper illustrations. At once delicate and bold, each page is masterful, rendered from a single sheet of black paper with precision and care that is sure to enthrall readers from coast to coast.

Toy Boat

This classic tale makes the perfect gift for children who love adventure!

A little boy has a toy boat that he made out of a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth. The boy and his boat are inseparable . . . until the day the wind pushes the boat out into the wide lake, and the little boat must face fierce waves, a grumpy ferry, a sassy schooner, and a growling speed boat if he is to find his way home. From Randall de Seve and bestselling artist Loren Long, creator of the Otis series and illustrator of The Little Engine That Could, comes a child-friendly adventure sure to inspire imaginative toy play.

Oars, Sails and Steam: A Picture Book of Ships

The evolution of shipbuilding reflects the growth of civilization, and in Oars, Sails and Steam, Edwin Tunis has produced a beautifully illustrated and skillfully
written history of water transport from the dugout to the aircraft carrier. He resents the most interesting and important types of boats and ships in chronological order, revealing each advance that made navigation easier, faster, and more efficient. Every page in this delightful book becomes a new adventure in the story of humanity's progress on traveling across the seas. The Egyptian sailboats that plied the waters of the Nile in 4700 b.c. give way to Phoenician warboats, Greek war galleys and Roman triremes, which in turn are surpassed by Norse long ships, Mediterranean carracks, Elizabethan galleons, and British East Indiaman. The Steam Age is represented by John Fitch's 1787 Delaware River steamboat; the 1807 Clermont, which made five miles per hour against the current of the Hudson; and the Curaçao, which in 1827 became the first ship to cross the Atlantic almost entirely under steam power. Graceful clipper ships, profitable whaling barks, reliable tramp steamers, opulent steam liners, and deadly warships, from destroyers to submarines, round out Tunis's illustrated history.

In addition to his fine drawings of the vessels, Tunis includes a glossary of seagoing terms and detailed diagrams that take readers below decks, up in the rigging, and alongside the gunners of the U.S.S. Raleigh. Remarkable for its clarity and accuracy, Oars, Sails and Steam, first published in 1952, is a treasury for all those who are sailors at heart.

Lightship

 Once, lightships anchored on waters across America, on the oceans, and in the Great Lakes, floating where lighthouses could not be built.

The Little Sailboat

Mr. Small is a sailor in this maritime adventure! Captain Small and his dog Tinker sail and fish together. When a storm comes, Captain Small heads for the safety of the shore. A comforting, nostalgic story full of information about sailing.

Classic Ships, Their History and How to Model Them: Cutty Sark No. 3 (Classic ships: Their history & how to model them)

Next, let’s find out the definition of what is a ship.

Ship- A vessel that is larger than a boat and is used for transporting people or goods by sea. They are classified as a ship based on their size, shape, load capacity, and purpose.

Boats on the other hand are smaller watercraft. And are intended for navigation of coastal and inland waters rather than ocean faring.

Now that we know what defines a ship, we will move on to learning about the various types of ships that are or were used in more modern times

Types of Ship Terminology

Passenger Ships- Before airplanes people used to travel on ocean liners, they had dining rooms and cabins where guests could sleep.

Today big ships used for travel and entertainment are cruise ships. You will find swimming pools, bowling alleys, restaurants, and more onboard these multilevel ships.

Find out about the most famous passenger ship of the past with my RMS Titanic Unit Study and Free Lapbook.

Aircraft Carriers- An aircraft carrier is a warship that is a sea-traveling airbase. These massive ships have tops that are almost entirely a flight deck.

The deck is a landing and take-off point for the aircraft it carries. Aircraft carriers are used by the United States Navy.

There are currently 11 active US nuclear-powered fleet carriers in the water. Learn How to Make an Aircraft Carrier.

Battleship- A large warship that is armored and has large caliber guns. 

The first battleship was the USS Texas in 1892. However battleships are no longer used in war today; they were retired as strictly museum ships following the Cold War in 1992.

They were initially used to attack the defenses of the enemy’s coast in preparation for amphibious assaults.

This model would be fantastic to put together as an art project while you learn about battleships.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Oil Tanker- Like the name implies tankers carry oil in bulk within their cargo spaces. An oil tanker transports crude and refined oil from port to port and some can even refuel moving other moving ships.

Cargo Ships- They are freighters and a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another.

They are massive and carry these items inside thousands of giant containers like the big metal boxes you see semis pulling down the road.

The first container ship appeared in 1956. It could only hold about 1,000 containers; now there is one being built that can hold up to 30,000. This is how we get the majority of our goods from overseas.

You can build whatever type ship you like in a bottle with these Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids.

Submarines- Submersible crafts are considered ships but are referred to as boats.

They are able to dive a minimum of 800 feet below the surface and can stay submerged for 3 months.

Submarines are used by scientists and the military for exploration, patrol, and attack enemy ships in wartime.

How to Make A Ship Wheel With Kids

You will need:

  • Craft sticks
  • Styrofoam wreath form
  • Canning lid (or cardboard)
  • Brown craft paint
  • Gold craft paint
  • Foam brush
  • Hot glue gun/ sticks
How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

First, start by painting your mason jar lid or a circle cut out of cardboard gold, you will likely need several coats to cover it well. Set aside to dry.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Then, push 5-6 craft sticks into the center of the wreath form from the inside stopping before they pierce the other side, securing each place they go in with hot glue to hold them well.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Now push the same number of popsicle sticks through the outside of the round, lining them up with the others but pushing just above or below the other stick so they can go as far in as possible.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Add hot glue at each point where the sticks go into the styrofoam wreath form.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Be sure all your center spikes just overlap in the center, it doesn’t have to be perfect as you will be covering it up.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Paint the entire wreath form and craft sticks with brown paint, it will take at least 2 coats to cover it well, and allow it to dry.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Flip it over and hot glue the painted round over the center, attaching all the sticks to the lid or at least each other.

I think this turned out so fun and would make a great handmade decor item too.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, ships

Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources

December 24, 2023 | 9 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a free Arctic Ground Squirrel lapbook and unit study today. We decided to add to our Arctic and Inuit Unit Study by doing an Arctic ground squirrel lapbook.

Nature study in the winter can be fun and it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Because studying any kind of squirrel can be fun during the fall and winter, we focused on the adorable Arctic Ground Squirrel.

Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources

The Arctic Ground Squirrel lives in the Arctic.

The people of Alaska call it a parka squirrel.

It is beige with tan colored spots.

In the summer, its coat is thin and cool. In the winter, it grows thicker to keep the squirrel warm.

And the ground squirrel lives in the area called the Tundra.

Furthermore, the diurnal Arctic ground squirrel lives on the tundra and is prey to the Arctic fox, the red fox, the wolverine, Canada lynx, Eurasian lynx, the brown bear, and eagle

Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources

The first time they lose their fur, it starts from the bottom first, up to the head. The molting line is clearer.

The second time they molt, it starts at their head. The line is not visible, but it looks more grey.

The arctic ground squirrel is on average 15 inches long and how much it weighs depends on which coat it is wearing.

Additionally, Arctic ground squirrels live in colonies of hundreds of squirrels.

First, grab these resources that I know you’ll love and to help you with a Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook and Unit Study.

Arctic Ground Squirrel, About the Tundra, & Resources

  • Background information. This one will help you to fill out the lapbook.
  • Arctic Ground Squirrel background information.
  • Resilience of the brain of the Arctic Ground Squirrel.
  • Natureworks.
  • Skulls of Alaskan Mammals. 71 page pdf guide with great facts for not just squirrels but other mammals.
  • Furs of Alaska Mammals. 74 page pdf guide
  • Alaska Tundra Wildlife. This is a HUGE 251 page download with pictures, cards, and background information to talk about the tundra.

Trees cannot grow on the Tundra because the ground freezes so much.

Where they live is bare and rocky with only a few plants that grow, such as moss and grass.

The tundra is cold, windy, and empty.

Winter is from September to May and there is no sun in midwinter.

Summer is a busy time. Summer is short, but the days are long. The soil thaws, plants grow, and the animals are active.

Animals that live on the tundra must be able to adapt to very cold temperatures.

They must also be able to raise their young during the very short summer months.

More Squirrel Activities

  • Fascinating Life of Red Squirrels | Paper Plate Squirrel Craft

Squirrel Resources

  • Coloring page for an older child.
  • Craft – make a squirrel from leaves (cute)
  • Squirrel lapbook for younger kids
  • Craft- Squirrel Paperplate
  • Squirrel Poem
  • Origami Squirrel (too cute)
  • Squirrel Dot to Dot
  • Learning Contractions – Match squirrel word cards with the acorn contraction
  • The Busy Little Squirrel Unit Study

Books About Squirrels

Next, add some of these fun books about squirrels to this unit study.

16 Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading About Squirrels

If your child loves reading about all kinds of squirrels, they’ll love reading these books and add some of these fun resources to your unit study.

Arctic Ground Squirrel: Pictures and Fun Facts on Animals for Kids

The Arctic ground squirrel looks small, harmless and innocent. But this little creature survives some of the most challenging weather conditions that occur on the entire planet. It lives in the Arctic, which is literally on top of the world. In the winter it gets so cold that humans couldn't survive in the open!

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (Peter Rabbit)

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is an original classic by Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter's famous tale of a naughty squirrel who loses his tail is as popular today as it was when it was first published over 100 years ago. Join Nutkin, his brother Twinkleberry and all his cousins as they make their way over to Owl Island to gather nuts. See what happens when Old Brown, the terrifying owl guardian of the island decides he has had enough of silly Nutkin's cheekiness! Ouch!! Beatrix Potter is regarded as one of the world's best-loved children's authors of all time. From her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published by Frederick Warne in 1902, she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten. Her humorous, lively tales and beautiful illustrations have become a natural part of childhood. With revenue from the sales of her books, Beatrix Potter bought a farm - Hill Top - in the English Lake District, where she later became a farmer and prize-winning sheep breeder. She launched the now vast merchandise programme by patenting the very first Peter Rabbit doll in 1903.

Perri (Bambi's Classic Animal Tales)

A young squirrel experiences the wonders of forest life and befriends a human toddler in this collectible edition of a classic animal story from the author of Bambi.Perri is a young squirrel living in Bambi’s forest. She grows up, learning about survival, friendship, and love as she observes and interacts with the complicated world around her. Most exciting of all, she meets a three-year-old human girl who can understand and talk to animals!

Gray Squirrels (Woodland Wildlife)

Gray squirrels leap from high heights to move from tree to tree. Discover these delightful rodents' life cycle and lifestyle in the woods.

8pcs,Miniature Animal Squirrel Figures

Fun Toys include 8pcs miniature squirrel figurines in different style. With bright color and cute designs. You’ll certainly be impressed by the amazing level of details of these squirrel character figurines

Life in the Neck Squirrel Trouble

Welcome to a new adventure in the Neck, a beautiful place where animals and humans live together in harmony--most of the time. In this book, a young boy named Eli builds a log fort with his dad, but it's not long before mischievous squirrels Chatter, Whistle, and Squeak move in and take over. As the nuts, acorns, and pinecones pile up inside, Eli realizes he's going to have to get creative to get them out. Will his plan work, or will the squirrels win?

The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel

Author and editor of numerous children's books, Thornton W. Burgess was also a noted conservationist. In writing for youngsters he combined a gift for storytelling with his love of the outdoors, creating an entertaining menagerie of animals whose adventures he skillfully recounted in a series of charming fables. In them, he taught young readers about nature and encouraged them to love the "lesser folk in fur and feathers."In this delightfully told tale, Burgess chronicles the escapades of Chatterer the Red Squirrel, who's known throughout the Green Forest as a mischief maker. Narrowly escaping the clutches of Shadow the Weasel and Redtail the Hawk, the bushy-tailed little fellow decides to leave the forest for a new home, only to learn that curiosity, carelessness, and mistrust can lead to a heap of troubles.

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.

Nuts to You

How far would you go for a friend? In Nuts to You, the funny and moving illustrated novel by Newbery Medalist Lynne Rae Perkins, two squirrels go very far indeed to save a friend who has been snatched up by a hawk. Nuts to You “begs to be read aloud . . . another completely original and exceptional package from Perkins,” said the Horn Book. Nuts to You features black-and-white art by the author on every page, as well as exclusive material original to this edition.

Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. Mysteriously, the hawk has dropped him. They saw it. Jed could be alive. New communities are discovered, new friends are made, huge danger is encountered (both man-made and of the fox and bobcat variety) and the mysteries of squirrel culture are revealed. Nuts to You is wholly original, funny, lively, and thought-provoking. Publishers Weekly said, “Readers . . . will relish the squirrels’ adventures, as well as Perkins’s laugh-aloud illustrations and equally witty footnotes.”

Squirrels

Portrays the physical characteristics, behavior, life cycle, and natural habitat of the small mammals.

Miss Suzy

Miss Suzy is a little gray squirrel who lives happily in her oak-tree home until she is chased away by some mean red squirrels. Poor Miss Suzy is very sad. But soon she finds a beautiful dollhouse and meets a band of brave toy soldiers.

How Miss Suzy and the soldiers help each other makes a gentle, old-fashioned tale that has captured the imaginations of girls and boys alike for more than fifty years. Arnold Lobel’s enchanting pictures are sure to make the kind squirrel and the gallant soldiers the everlasting friends of all who turn these pages.

The Chisel-Tooth Tribe

Here, in a comprehensive and extremely readable volume, the author-artist whose many nature books are favorites with children gives an absorbing account of little animals equipped with chisel-like teeth for gnawing including their habits, appearance, and activities. The world of this army of small mammals is one which most of us could observe for ourselves if we wished to. No one reading these lively chapters about the squirrels, beavers, rabbits, prairie dogs, etc., could ever again take them and their interesting ways for granted.

Gray Squirrel at Pacific Avenue (Smithsonian's Backyard)

Children will enjoy this exciting story as Gray Squirrel darts and dashes away from predators while trying to gather up a tasty meal of bird seed and acorns. Reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution for accuracy, Gray Squirrel at Pacific Avenue is a fun and informative story with beautifully detailed illustrations. Watch your children have a blast reading and learning about the animals that live in an American backyard!

Grey Squirrel 8" Plush

Silky plush and soft huggable bodies

Squirrel (Animal World)

Text and illustrations describe the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of the red squirrel.

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.
Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.

Also, add more resources to go with this lapbook.

More Ideas to Add to An Arctic Ground Squirrel Study

  • How to Make an Easy 3D Tundra Biome Poster Project
  •  Arctic and Inuit Unit Study. Free Lapbook – Hands-on Ideas 
  • How to Make Wooden Peg Easy Arctic Animal Crafts
  • nuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

How to Download the Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook

Now, how to grab the free printable. It’s a subscriber freebie.

When you sign up to follow me, you get access to this freebie.

 1) Sign up on my email list to follow me and get this freebie and many others.
 2) Grab the printable.
3) Last, look for my emails in your inbox as a follower. Glad to have you.

Our Journey Westward

If you’re looking to do any spring nature studies, you’ll want to get a few of the NaturExplorers. I love those studies for multiple ages.

It’s a monthly book club devoted to connecting children to nature.

Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources

The Nature Book Club theme for February: Winter Birds and Nests

The Nature Book Club is brought to you by these 10 nature loving bloggers which are your co-hosts! Are you following them? If you don’t want to miss anything, be sure to follow each one.

Here are the co-hosts, their choices of books, and activities for the month.

Rule This Roost
Build, Beaver, Build! Life at the Longest Beaver Dam – Beaver Habitat Building

Hide The Chocolate
Stellaluna – Bat Online Book Club

Eva Varga
Our Foray into Squirrel Taxidermy –  Taxidermy

Everyday Graces Homeschool
Frederick by Leo Leonni – Watercolor bookmarks and nature notebook page.

If you're studying about the tundra or the Arctic Ground Squirrel, you'll love these fun and easy resources. Get the free Arctic Ground Squirrel lapbook and unit study resources. Click here!!

  • An InLinkz Link-up

Archives

Tina Robertson is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 · 5 TNT LLC · Log in · Privacy Policy