Tina Robertson

This activity for preschoolers about Make Way For Ducklings is fun to do for a spring theme. Also, you’ll love my Free Bird Unit Study.

Are you looking for an easy but engaging spring lesson to enjoy with your preschooler?

This is a fun way to work on learning without sitting down and “doing school”.

And you can read aloud while your child’s hands are busy.

Grab a copy of Make Way for Ducklings and check out the sweet duck pond activity I have for you.

Make Way For Ducklings is a classic storybook that still holds up today even though it was written over 80 years ago.

It is a fun and simple story about two mallard ducks searching for the perfect place to raise their babies and their adventures once their 8 precious babies are hatched. 

To go along with it I have a 2-ingredient playdough recipe that is so fluffy and smooth to the touch.

It is a fun and unique sensory experience for small hands to mold, flatten, shape, and squeeze,

Add a few pond-themed items and some other little trinkets to it while you read from the story, and you have a wonderful activity for preschoolers up to lower elementary aged children.

Facts About Ducks

But first, here are some facts about ducks that either your preschoolers or older child may enjoy.

• It takes about 28 days for duck eggs to hatch.
• In the wild ducks will usually eat fish eggs, aquatic plants, small fish, worms, and insects.
• Ducklings can fly within 5-8 weeks of hatching.
• Did you know that ducks have 3 eyelids and can see in color?
• There are over 100 types of ducks and all of them have waterproof feathers.
• You can find ducks all over where there are small bodies of water-wetlands, marshes, ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans. 
• To protect themselves ducks can close one eye and put half their brain to sleep while the other half keeps watch. 
• Waterfowl is the term used to describe the group of birds which includes ducks, geese, and swans.
• Also, some ducks eat aquatic plants, seeds from grasses and other plants, snails and other insects and invertebrates.
• Bread doesn’t have good nutritional value for ducks. It can cause health issues if they eat too much.
• A male duck is called a drake.
• A female duck is called a hen.

Then add some hands-on activities.

More Duck Hands-on Activities and Resources

• Head on over and check out this Make Way For Ducklings Unit Study and Lapbook to extend the lessons even further.
• You may like the style of a Make Way For Ducklings FIAR Study.
• Head out to a local pond if you have one and see if you can spot some ducks, take a long a little food if it’s allowed in your area to toss for them. Here is also a recipe for a lovely DIY Duck Food that is duck-safe and nutritious for them.
• Make a paper plate duck, it becomes a great puppet for play.
• Build LEGO ducks with just a few basic LEGO bricks.
• Counting Ducks is a solid early math activity for toddlers.
• How cute are these Rice Cake Duck snacks?
• This big lot of rubber ducks would make fantastic counters for a math activity.
• Make a pond-themed slime in addition to the playdough for an alternative sensory experience.

Too, add more bird unit study resources.

More Bird Craft Ideas and Resources

Also, here are some more fun bird crafts and activities.

• How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock
• Free Bird Journal – Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)
• Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
• Bird Craft For Kindergarten Make an Adorable Fun American Robin Foot Print
• Beautiful Bald Eagle Fun Facts And Torn Paper Bird Craft
• Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
• Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
• Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts
• How to Make a Fun Paper Mache American Robin Bird Craft
• How to Make a Kid’s Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity
• How to Make an Easy Jumbo Stick Bird Feeder with Kids
• Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity
• Hands-On Nature Study: Make a Fun Bird Nesting Bag
• Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
• Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders

Make Way for Ducklings 2 Ingredient Playdough Invitation to Play

You will need:

• ½ cup hair conditioner
• 1 cup cornstarch
• Blue food coloring
• Essential oil-optional

Other fun things to add:

• Pond themed toys
• Sticks and pebbles
• Duck-shaped cookie cutter
• Letter beads or tiles
• Small blue glass beads

In a medium-sized bowl stir together hair conditioner and cornstarch.

You will need to get in it with your hands after the initial mixing to make sure everything is combined well.

The texture should be like a very soft marshmallow, if it’s too crumbly add more conditioner, if it’s too wet add a bit more cornstarch.

Once the texture is good, mix in blue food coloring to get to the color you want.

If you have a light or unscented conditioner you might want to add a few drops of essential oil to give it a calming scent, lavender is perfect for this making it a relaxing activity.

Remove from the bowl and knead for a few minutes to work food coloring through and improve texture further, I highly recommend gloves at this point.

To create a duck pond invitation to play, gather pond-themed toys such as these cute little ducks and fun things right from the yard like pebbles and small sticks.

Put them in a small, divided container such as a muffin tin and set them out with your 2 ingredient playdough for a fun sensory and imaginative playtime.

Your child can recreate the story, make up a new one, or just enjoy the simple playtime with this soft dough and add-ons.

Depending on the age of your child you can also add letter beads or tiles to practice beginning letters for things like duck, pond, hatch, egg, etc. or to spell out the words for older children.