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My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

March 23, 2023 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love this Little House on the Prairie Unit Study and fun punched tin lantern. Also, grab more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies page.

If you are anything like me, you grew up watching or reading about Laura Ingalls and her family’s adventures traveling westward from their first home in the little house in the big woods of Wisconsin. 

I spent many hours imagining I was Laura with my trusty guard dog Jack, running along the banks of Plum creek, going into town, and feuding with Nellie Olsen.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

If you too are eager to begin a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study with your kids, I have tons of great ideas to get you started.

Whether you settle in the prairie for a week or submerge yourself in all things Ingalls for a month or more you will find plenty here to keep you busy.

5 Little House on the Prairie Facts You May Not Have Known

  1. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s first book wasn’t published until 1932, 65 years after she was born.
  2. Laura was only 4’ 11” tall when she was fully grown, not particularly short for women of that time period, but it explains why Pa called her his” little half pint of cider half drunk up”.
  3. Laura’s first attempt at book writing about her life experiences was called Pioneer Girl, and it was initially rejected by publishers. Her daughter Rose suggested her mother rewrite it for the children. Clearly, it worked.
  4. Her longtime Missouri home, Rocky Ridge Farm, was turned into a museum.
  5. Laura’s father Charles was part of the Delano family. You might recognize the name – Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Laura was the fifth cousin once removed to FDR and a third cousin once removed to Ulysses S. Grant.

Pioneer Crafts and Activities

  • How To Make A Rag Doll With Strips Of Fabric
  • 11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft
  • Step Back in Time with These 12 Little House on the Prairie Gift Ideas
  • Unleash Your Creativity with Buffalo Painting: Easy Prairie Crafts

Then, add these books for beautiful literature.

Little House on the Prairie Unit Study Resources

Add some of these fun resources to ignite a love for learning about the Little House on the Prairie.

Image for The Little House (9 Volumes Set)

The Little House (9 Volumes Set)

The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s real childhood as an American pioneer, and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier, and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family.

Image for Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Readers around the world know and love Laura, the little girl born in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and raised in covered wagons and on wide open prairies. Now Little House fans can learn more about the remarkable story of the pioneer girl who would one day immortalize her adventures in the beloved Little House books in this, the first picture book biography book of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Image for A Little Prairie House (Little House Picture Book)

A Little Prairie House (Little House Picture Book)

With the My First Little House picture book series, the youngest readers can share in the joy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books in these illustrated adaptations of the beloved series! 

Laura, Pa, Ma, Mary, and baby Carrie have traveled from the Big Woods to the prairie in their covered wagon, driving through tall grass until they found just the right spot for their new home. With the help of their kind neighbor, Mr. Edwards, Pa builds a snug little house for the family in the middle of the wide-open prairie.

Image for Farmer Boy (Little House, 2)

Farmer Boy (Little House, 2)

The second book in the treasured Little House series, Farmer Boy is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved story of how her husband, Almanzo, grew up as a farmer boy far from the little house where Laura lived. This edition features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams. 

The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America’s frontier history and as heartwarming, unforgettable stories. The Little House series has captivated millions of readers with its depiction of life on the American frontier.

While Laura Ingalls grows up on the prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Here Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Time for fun comes when the jolly tin peddler visits, or best of all, when the fair comes to town.

Almanzo wishes for just one thing—his very own horse—and he must prove that he is ready for such a big responsibility.

Image for The Little House Cookbook

The Little House Cookbook

With this cookbook, you can learn how to make classic frontier dishes like corn dodgers, mincemeat pie, cracklings, and pulled molasses candy. The book also includes excerpts from the Little House books, fascinating and thoroughly researched historical context, and details about the cooking methods that pioneers like Ma Ingalls used, as well as illustrations by beloved artist Garth Williams.

Image for Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?

Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, based on her own childhood and later life, are still beloved classics almost a century after she began writing them. Now young readers will see just how similar Laura's true-life story was to her books. Born in 1867 in the "Big Woods" in Wisconsin, Laura experienced both the hardship and the adventure of living on the frontier. Her life and times are captured in engaging text and 80 black-and-white illustrations.

Image for Laura Ingalls Dress Up

Laura Ingalls Dress Up

  • Three Piece Set: Kid girls colonial dress, attached apron and bonnet.
Image for Little House Coloring Book: Coloring Book for Adults and Kids

Little House Coloring Book: Coloring Book for Adults and Kids

A beautifully designed coloring book featuring classic artwork by Garth Williams and quotes from all nine original Little House books. Perfect for at-home creative time—return to the world of Little House with your kids...or enjoy on your own!

Join Laura Ingalls, her Ma and Pa, and her sisters, Mary, Carrie, and Grace, on their travels across the frontier as you color in your favorite pioneer characters and scenes and revisit this beloved series.

This 96-page coloring book offers hours of relaxing, stress-reducing pleasure.

Also, it’s fun learning about Laura’s life through the pages of her books, but here are some facts too.

About Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the Little House on the Prairie series of children’s books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood in a settler and pioneer family.

Moreover, she was born in Pepin, Wisconsin in the “little house in the big woods” in 1867.

She lived through huge changes in America. Her family moved several times traveling by covered wagon.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Little House books

The eight original Little House books are:

  1. Little House in the Big Woods (1932)
  2. Farmer Boy (1933) – about Almanzo Wilder growing up in New York
  3. Little House on the Prairie (1935)
  4. On the Banks of Plum Creek (1937)
  5. By the Shores of Silver Lake (1939)
  6. The Long Winter (1940)
  7. Little Town on the Prairie (1941)
  8. These Happy Golden Years (1943)

Moreover, there are many topics and words for your child to learn about pioneer life in America.

I’ve listed some below.

Vocabulary Words

Although it’s important to understand the words used, I wanted my kids to love learning about the expansion in American history; And to see history unfold through the eyes of a child.

However, I’ve listed some below to add another language arts element.

  • wandered
  • massacre
  • scorched
  • huddled
  • brindle
  • papoose
  • trotted
  • beholden
  • staggering
  • rummaged
  • yonder
  • molasses

Next, look at these hands on fun ideas.

15 Little House on the Prairie Unit Study Hands-on Ideas

Play the Oregon Trail Online Game to give your child an idea of the route and the hardships those moving westward faced.

Make a Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll just like little girls like Laura played with during those times.

It makes a lovely handicraft activity as well as a sweet keepsake of your study.

Create Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls to represent each of the characters in the book.

Try your hand at Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing using the same things that the pioneers would have to color fabric.

Make Maple Snow Candy and enjoy a taste of those days.

In addition, history overlaps quite a bit and though the original is tied to Daniel Boone you can recreate this Edible Log Cabin as an art project and a yummy snack.

Learn how to make soap.

Create a Native American cradleboard or papoose.

And make buttermilk biscuits.

If you really want to get a taste of pioneer history, Make Butter and Hardtack to sample.

Do a Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft.

Grab these fun 10 Westward Expansion History Fun Coloring Pages

  • 0. Westward Expansion History Fun 10 Coloring Pages

    0. Westward Expansion History Fun 10 Coloring Pages

    $1.75
    Add to cart

Enjoy a picnic outdoors with a lunch pail- wrap sandwiches and other items in waxed or brown paper, tie it up with a string, and carry it out in a tin bucket. Spread out a colorful piece of fabric or a quilt to enjoy your supper.

Learn the information on the Free Westward Ho History Cards

Do your lessons on small personal blackboards just like the girls did at home or in their little one-room schoolhouse.

Look at pictures of a pioneer house then and compare them to how we live today.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

In addition, look at some more unit studies and topics which go along with this theme.

More American History Unit Studies

Next, these unit study ideas either happened at the same time Laura lived or before her birth so your child understands this period in American history.

  • BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Lewis and Clark Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Native Americans The Plains Indians Unit Study & Lapbook
  • The Trail of Tears 1820 – 1845 Unit Study & Lapbook
  • Daniel Boone – North American Explorer

Too, not only does Laura describe terrifying events about wolves, but there would have been plenty of wildlife to learn about.

More Best Homeschool Unit Studies

  • Volcano Unit Study and Fun Apple Volcano
  • Solar System Unit Study and Hands-on Planets Activity
  • Charlotte’s Web Homeschool Unit Study and Fun Hands-on Ideas
  • Homeschool Unit Study Ideas | Lewis and Clark Exploration Lapbook
  • Mushroom Unit Study and Kids Learning Activities
  • Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Wildlife on the Prairie

Look at this list of wildlife to learn about.

  • Coyotes
  • Bison
  • Wolves
  • White tail Deer and grab my Deer Unit Study Ideas.
  • Black Bear and grab my ideas here Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop.
  • Beavers and grab my ideas here Build a Fun Beaver Dam.

Moreover, look at my Lewis and Clark Unit Study which has more information about the flora and fauna along the route.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Finally, look at this next hands-on idea to add your fun Little House on the Prairie Unit Study.

How to Make a Punched Tin Lantern

Supplies needed:

  • A clean empty vegetable can
  • Hammer
  • Nails of a few different sizes
  • Small hand towel
  • Dry erase marker
  • Wire
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Battery-operated candle or small glass votive
Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Directions:

First, check to be sure that there are no sharp spots on the lantern where the top was removed.

Trim them off by going over the edges with a can opener again or with a metal file.

Also, if there is any remaining adhesive, you can remove it by running a hot blow dryer over the spot and pulling it off while it is still warm.

Fill the tin can with water and freeze until completely solid.

Draw out your design on one side with a fine-tipped marker like a sharpie.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Carefully tape a nail through the lines of your design with the hammer and continue all over the design placing holes around ¼” or less apart.

You can also use a Phillips head screwdriver or an awl if you have one for something with a handle.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Flip and repeat your designs on the other sides the same way wherever you would like it.

Punch a hole through on either side near the top for the handle.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Take a strand of jewelry wire and double it for added thickness.

Run it through one hole and twist the ends around the wire with needle nose pliers tucking in the sharp ends.

Next, run the wire as high as you would like the handle to be upwards and then down to the other side. Push it through and twist the wires again to close.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Allow the ice to melt but you can speed this process up by running hot water in and over the lantern or placing it outside in the sun.

Dry the lantern and add a candle to the inside. What do you think, ready to start your own unit study?

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

3 CommentsFiled Under: My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: american history, crafts, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history resources, homeschoolhistory, pioneer, pioneer crafts, unit studies, unit study, westward expansion, westwardho

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

March 18, 2023 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your child will have fun learning about Daniel Boone hunting with this quick deer unit study. Look at more ideas on my page Daniel Boone – North American Explorer and for my unit studies on best homeschool unit studies.

If you are trailblazing through the woods exploring about Daniel Boone, you may want to head into learning about Daniel Boone hunting.

Back when people were moving westward and setting out on new trails the wild game was plentiful in the woods.

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Daniel Boone would have no doubt encountered deer, squirrel, bear, fox, raccoon, rabbit, beaver, and wild turkey.

I have gathered up plenty of resources for you to focus on a deer unit study.

Boone was a very gifted hunter and deer were a plentiful and common target for the woodsman.

Ideas for a Deer Unit Study

You will find books, games, and hands-on ideas.

I will walk you through a fun art project focusing on the deer’s antlers.

If your family are hunters your child is no doubt already immersed in the world of the hunt.

But if they are just starting out there are a lot of great resources to introduce them to deer, their habitats, their place in the food chain, and more.

10 Fun Facts About Deer

Next, look at these fun facts about deer.

  1. Deer can reach short distance bursts of speed up to 30mph and jump over 10 feet.
  2. One in 30,000 deer are albino, the absence of pigment, which gives them white fur and pink eyes.
  3. There are more than 40 different species of deer in the world.
  4. A moose is actually a member of the New World deer subfamily.
  5. Male deer shed their antlers once a year. Males grow antlers from March – September. The antlers are shed in late winter.
  6. On rare occasions, a female will grow antlers.
  7. A common deer in North America is the white-tailed deer.
  8. A male white-tailed deer is called a buck, a female is called a doe and the young are called fawns.
  9. White-tailed deer are herbivores. They eat twigs, buds, and leaves of a wide variety of plants.
  10. Deer antlers are the fastest growing bone known and can grow as much as a ½ inch a day.

Then, look at some of these fun resources to learn about deer.

Deer Unit Study Resources

Add these books for a fun deer unit study or to learn about animals encountered along the trails of the Westward Expansion.

Image for The Lost Deer Camp

The Lost Deer Camp

I found this interesting looking hunting series of chapter books; The Lost Deer Camp (Hometown Hunters) would fit perfectly with a deer unit study.

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

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

While Nature Anatomy does not have a ton on deer specifically it does have a small section on antlered animals including deer, and it gives a simple illustration of the Lyme Bacteria cycle that often plagues deer and gives another take on deer. There are also other common animals of the forest as well as information on the habitat.

Image for MEROCO Forest Animal Track Game Flash Cards

MEROCO Forest Animal Track Game Flash Cards

Animal Track game is a educational game that will teach kids how to match animals with their tracks and where to find them!

Most animals do not want to come in close contact with humans, but if you learn to notice and recognize their tracks, you will be able identify which animals visit your neighborhood or like to walk along the same trails as you do. Animal tracks can become a window into an otherwise hidden world-the presence and habits of wild animals.

Image for Tracks, Scats and Signs (Take Along Guides)

Tracks, Scats and Signs (Take Along Guides)

Become a nature detective with this illustrative, engaging and fun Take-Along-Guide. You may not know where to look, or what to look for, but animal signs are everywhere and this guide will help you learn how to read them. 

Image for Deer Hunting for Kids (Into the Great Outdoors)

Deer Hunting for Kids (Into the Great Outdoors)

You’re perched in a tree stand when a huge whitetail walks below you. You raise your gun to aim. Do you have what it takes to bag this trophy buck? Now is your chance to learn what you need to know about deer hunting history, gear, techniques, safety, and more.

Image for Late for the Sky Hunting-opoly Board Game

Late for the Sky Hunting-opoly Board Game

The board game classic with a Hunting twist

Choose traditional play or one hour version

Opoly-style play

Player pieces consist of crossbow, shotgun shell, backpack, boot, shed, binoculars

Image for Tracker

Tracker

For John Borne’s family, hunting has nothing to do with sport or manliness. It’s a matter of survival. Every fall John and his grandfather go off into the woods to shoot deer and put meat on the
table over the long Minnesota winter. But this year, John’s grandfather is dying, and John must hunt alone. John tracks a doe for two days, but as he closes in on his prey, he realizes he cannot shoot
her. For John, the hunt is no longer about killing, but about life.

About White-Tailed Deer

Deer are ruminant mammals which means it has a four‐chambered stomach.

In addition, deer are browsers which means they eat leaves and buds which are not easily digestible.

Their name white tailed deer comes from the fact that when they are in danger their white tail stands upright like a flag.

Too, antlers are grown by only male deer called bucks. However, both male and female reindeer have antlers.

Antlers are made of bone and is covered by a substance called velvet which is full of blood vessels to supply nutrients to the bone.

In addition, no doubt when Daniel Boone was hunting, he was familiar with the diet and habitat of the white tailed deer.

For example, they like open woods, old fields and anywhere along water sources. Deer use the wooded areas for cover and food.

And deer feed on nuts, berries, woody shoots and stems, acorns, honeysuckle, and poison ivy.

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

If food is planted like corn, soybeans and decorative shrubs they’ll eat that food too.

Next, deer normally make three different sounds which are maternal, reproductive and alarm.

Moreover, I have some fun deer notebooking pages to add to this unit study.

Deer Notebooking Pages

Further, your child can do his own research about deer and add his own notes or use some facts off my post here.

Grab the notebooking pages below.

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Also, add in some fun hands-on activities.

Hands-on Deer Activities

  • This Easy Hands-on Science: Animal Camouflage Activity Hunt is a great introduction to understanding animal camouflage for younger children.
  • Grab this White Tailed Deer Print Out for younger kids to see the different parts of a deer as well as a footprint.
  • Make a hand craft deer for the littles.
  • If you have the opportunity to use some you have or borrow some antlers from a hunt or shed, let your child explore them by touching and seeing what they feel like, count the tips, and make other observations.
Fun Learning About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Quick Deer Unit Study
  • Turn a few fun deer toys into a wonderful activity by adding a little sand, moss, rocks, and sticks to a tray or bin to turn it into a deer themed sensory activity. Use a small piece of paper to give the woodland clearing a pond.
Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • Discuss the differences between antlers and horns and if you have some let your kids explore how they are the same and different. Additionally, measure them and learn about math measurements.
  • Get outdoors with a field guide to locate wildlife and learn about when is the best time to view deer.
  • Learn how colonists and early Native American used parts of the deer in everyday life.
  • Further learn and match animal tracks.

Daniel Boone Hunting and Life Resources

Next, look at these other the life of Daniel Boone hunting and about his life resources.

  • Free Fun Daniel Boone Quotes for Beginning Cursive Copywork
  • Daniel Boone Facts For Kids About Colonial Life and Fun Kids’ Games (DIY Button Whirligig)
  • 10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve
  • Make a Fun and Easy Salt Dough Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Map
  • What Did Daniel Boone Wear And Easy Fringe Shirt Activity for Kid
  • 30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone
  • Daniel Boone Explorer Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop
  • Daniel Boone Activities Cooking Easy and Delicious Johnny Cakes on the Trail
  • Daniel Boone – North American Explorer
  • Amazing Daniel Boone Explorer Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study
  • Daniel Boone American Frontiersman History Lesson.
  • Daniel Boone Exploration DIY Easy Compass Activity and Survival Ideas.

Finally, I am going to walk you through creating your own multimedia deer art project.

We are going to focus on the antlers.

It makes a good springboard to talk about deer antlers, why they have them, and why they fall off.

This will be the easiest way anyone has brought home a 10 point buck.

Deer Art Project

You will need:

  • 11×14 canvas
  • Sticks and twigs of various sizes
  • Hot glue gun/glue sticks
  • Acrylic paint
  • pencil
Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Before you begin, sketch out the top of your deer head onto paper until you are happy with your design.

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Retrace the design onto the canvas with a pencil.

Don’t worry about getting it perfect.

We are making our deer just peek over the edge and focusing on those antlers.

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Water down blue paint and paint all around the drawing. But do not paint to the edges of your drawing.

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Crumple up a rag or paper towel and pat the blue all over to lighten the paint.

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Allow the blue paint to dry to the touch, it shouldn’t take long since you removed all the excess paint.

Begin painting to fill in the outline of the deer with brown paint and add details with black and light brown for highlights.

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Let the paint dry completely and lay out the sticks until you are satisfied with your antlers.

Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Lastly, hot glue each piece down

How to Get the Free Deer Notebooking Pages

This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to this freebie.

 1) Sign up on my list.

2) Grab the freebie instantly.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

2 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: deer, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, historyspine, homeschoolhistory, notebooking, unit studies, unit study

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

March 17, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun tips on how to plan an easy gardening unit study. You’ll love more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies and Easy Seeds and Gardening Unit Study for Kids (Middle – Upper Elementary) pages.

My favorite place to start with a unit study is with fun hands-on activities.

Besides, getting their hands dirty, in this case literally, is a wonderful way to make sure that the information sticks.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Second, books are also a great learning tool and go hand in hand with more involved activities.

I have gathered up for you plenty of gardening unit study ideas.

From books to manipulatives, and videos to hands- on activities, there is plenty to give you a start.

6 Things Your Kids Learn Through Gardening

Additionally, there is so much that your child learns through gardening.

Look at what your child learns by researching about gardens.

1. Preparing soil

2. Sketching beds

3. Weeding

4. Harvesting

5. Preparing the harvest

6. Eating the harvest

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

There is science, math, history, reading, and many life lessons bundled into what seems to be an ordinary task.

While I am all for hands-on activities which allow kids to dig into the topic (literally in the case of gardening) sometimes you need a break from the heat.

Whether it’s raining or for a change of pace, games keep your kids learning.

Games About Gardening

 Games help teach reading skills, following directions, strategy, cooperation, strengthen working memory, math, and so much more.

Next, look at some fun gardening games I rounded up.

Gardening Unit Study Games

Grab one or more of these fun gardening games to change the pace or to reinforce the concepts your kids are learning.

Image for Buffalo Games - Planted

Buffalo Games - Planted

Test your green thumb in this great plant growing game

Use resource cards to ensure your plants are given the proper food

Who's home will be best deocrated with houseplants?

Image for Strawberry Sunset: A Sweet & Simple Card Game

Strawberry Sunset: A Sweet & Simple Card Game

Easy to carry; Ideal for spontaneous game sessions
Light strategy game for 2 to 4 people
You will have until sunset to grow as many strawberry plants as you can before the sunset

Image for Veggie Farm Sorting Set

Veggie Farm Sorting Set

HELP kids grow color recognition, matching, and early counting skills with this garden themed sorting set.

Fill bushel baskets with figures representing veggies, from corn and broccoli to onions and pumpkins

Playmat with farm signs includes images of essential colors and shapes

Image for Garden Game

Garden Game

Cottage Garden is based on the game Patchwork, but adds much additional game play and a wider range of player count.

Image for 16 Pairs Garden Harvest Memory Games for Kids

16 Pairs Garden Harvest Memory Games for Kids

The illustrations are identical and beautifully colored with bright colour and cute animals. This memory matching game can help children develop early cognitive ability, attention, observation, problem solving skills, hand-eye-brain coordination & logical thinking.

Image for Outset Media Guacamole Game

Outset Media Guacamole Game

EASY TO PLAY: Players must use critical thinking to collect the ingredients for their guacamole recipes.

FAMILY FUN: This lively family card game is perfect for kids to spice up their day or for contemplative adults.

Image for Gathering a Garden Board Game

Gathering a Garden Board Game

SCREEN-FREE FUN: For over 25 years, eeBoo has created wholesome, educational games and activities that cultivate conversation, socialization, and skill-building while introducing our world.

Books and Curriculum for Garden Unit Study

Moreover, you can totally create your own unit study about gardens from scratch using a few books l list below.

But if you want a little help and maybe you also want to learn alongside your child, I can’t recommend the Do-It-Yourself Garden Research Handbook by The Thinking Tree enough.

The Garden Research Handbook is full of graphs for your child to plan their own garden, terms to research and words to define, good bugs vs. bad bugs, garden types, soil quality.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

It is meant to be used as a workbook textbook.

However, while it does offer some structure and specific assignments it is still very open ended.

It leaves plenty of room for creative outlet through drawing and coloring as well.

I think that the Garden Research Handbook would be fantastic for unschoolers or those that love unit studies.

Why?

Because it puts the responsibility in your child’s hands and that gives you a break as well as helping your child retain more information.

My favorite part about the book is that it covers so much information and makes a fantastic keepsake.

You can turn your book in as part of your portfolio if you have to use one at the end of each year for your homeschooler.

Next, look at some of these other books to add to your unit study which I found helpful.

11 Gardening With Kids Books & Fun Resources

As a true bibliophile no unit study would be complete without a strong list of books to support a topic. Here is a great list for everyone in the family.

Image for Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

Learn the difference between a farrow and a barrow, and what distinguishes a weanling from a yearling. Country and city mice alike will delight in Julia Rothman’s charming illustrated guide to the curious parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from the shapes of squash varieties to how a barn is constructed and what makes up a beehive to crop rotation patterns, Rothman gives a richly entertaining tour of the quirky details of country life. 

Image for The Garden Classroom: Hands-On Activities in Math, Science, Literacy, and Art

The Garden Classroom: Hands-On Activities in Math, Science, Literacy, and Art

Packed with garden-based activities that promote science, math, reading, writing, imaginative play, and arts and crafts, The Garden Classroom offers a whole year of outdoor play and learning ideas—however big or small your garden.

Image for Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt:

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt:

Explore the secret realm beneath the dirt that brings the world of nature to life: Follow a young girl and her grandmother on a journey through the year planning, planting, and harvesting their garden—and learn about what's happening in the dirt to help make it all happen.Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt exists a busy world—earthworms dig, snakes hunt, skunks burrow—populated by all the creatures that make a garden their home

Image for Gardening Lab for Kids: 52 Fun Experiments to Learn, Grow, Harvest, Make, Play, and Enjoy Your Garden

Gardening Lab for Kids: 52 Fun Experiments to Learn, Grow, Harvest, Make, Play, and Enjoy Your Garden

A refreshing source of ideas to help your children learn to grow their own patch of earth, Gardening Lab for Kids encourages children to get outside and enjoy nature. This fun and creative book features 52 plant-related activities set into weekly lessons, beginning with learning to read maps to find your heat zone, moving through seeds, soil, composting, and then creating garden art and appreciating your natural surroundings.

Image for The Ultimate Guide to Gardening: Grow Your Own Indoor, Vegetable, Fairy, and Other Great Gardens

The Ultimate Guide to Gardening: Grow Your Own Indoor, Vegetable, Fairy, and Other Great Gardens

Whether inside or outside, decorative or edible, this book is full of gardening projects large and small. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions are accompanied by photographs that guide the aspiring gardening through planting all kinds of gardens.

Image for Kids Gardening Set

Kids Gardening Set

MONTESSORI FOR TODDLERS: Our gardening tool set encourages kids to play outside & learn about plants, nature & sustainability. Perfect for the yard and sand box.

OUTDOOR LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Our Kids Garden Set is great for Occupational Therapy & Developing Fine Motor Skills. Suitable for Boys and girls.

Image for Do-It-Yourself Garden Research Handbook - The Thinking Tree: How to Design, Plant, & Care for Your Own Garden! Homeschooling Science, Nature & Home Economics

Do-It-Yourself Garden Research Handbook - The Thinking Tree: How to Design, Plant, & Care for Your Own Garden! Homeschooling Science, Nature & Home Economics

A Gardening Research Workbook & Planning Guide for Teens, Kids and Families! Perfect for Homeschooling Science, Nature Study, Botany and Home Economics!

Designed for teens, but perfect for Ages 9+ (Younger students will need some extra help).

Image for Raised Garden Bed Wood Planter Boxes Outdoor for Kids with Legs

Raised Garden Bed Wood Planter Boxes Outdoor for Kids with Legs

{Raised Garden Bed for Kids} We designed the children raised garden bed carefully, so that your children can feel the happiness of plant growth and the magic of natural life. Our raised garden bed deep enough to provide your plants and vegetables with ample room to breathe and grow healthy.

Image for From Seed to Plant

From Seed to Plant

Flowers, trees, fruits—plants are all around us, but where do they come from?  With simple language and bright illustrations, non-fiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination.  Important vocabulary is reinforced with accessible explanation and colorful, clear diagrams showing the parts of plants, the wide variety of seeds, and how they grow.  The book includes instructions for a seed-growing project, and a page of interesting facts about plants, seeds, and flowers.   A nonfiction classic, and a perfect companion for early science lessons and curious young gardeners.

Image for National Geographic Readers: Seed to Plant

National Geographic Readers: Seed to Plant

Kids see plants, flowers, and trees around them every day. In this lively and educational reader, they'll learn how those plants grow. Kids will take this magical journey from seed pollination to plant growth, learning about what plants need to thrive and grow with the same careful text, brilliant photographs, and the fun approach National Geographic Readers are known for.

Image for Oh Say Can You Seed? All About Flowering Plants

Oh Say Can You Seed? All About Flowering Plants

An easy and fun introduction to plant biology! With the able assistance of Thing 1 and Thing 2 - the Cat in the Hat explores the world of plants. Kids will learn about the various parts of plants, seeds, and flowers; basic photosynthesis and pollination; and seed dispersal.

Hands-on Gardening Activities

Now to get our hands dirty.

Besides the obvious, starting seeds and planting a garden there are so many wonderful activities that can reinforce and teach all things gardening.

  • You can Plan A Garden With LEGO.
  • Include my Seed and Gardening Unit Study along with the book
  • Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost
  • Kinder Gardening to Celebrate Nature and Science
  • Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Gardens Fun Activity

Also, add this graph paper gardening planning.

Graph Paper Garden Planning

One activity I like to start with in gardening is drawing the bed.

Whether you are planting directly in the soil, in a raised bed, or container it’s a good idea to know what is going where.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Too, research what plants work well next to each other, which ones don’t, and how much space each bed needs.

I also use the graph paper to help them create pages to put together a logbook for watering and other garden details.

With these simple activities your child is already working on math, planning, research, and basic life skills of gardening.

You need:

  • Graph paper
  • Colored pencils

The first thing you want to do is decide how large your space is and outline that on your graph paper.

An 1×1” graph paper is perfect for this. Use each square to represent 1 square foot of space in your garden. 

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Let them go crazy drawing the items they intend to plant in each box.

In addition, extend this activity by also have your kids log the dates that seeds were started, plants, planted, the first harvested item, etc.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Also, another way to use graph paper is to create a calendar for watering to help your child remember to water every day.

They can color in the square completely or draw in a raindrop to log watering days.

How to Plan an Easy Garden for Kids

Now you are ready to gather up some supplies to start things that you will start from seeds.

You can find seeds, gardening tools. soil, and seed starting trays at Dollar Tree to keep your costs way down.

I have had great success with their gardening items

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

If this is your first-time gardening, you might want to start with some easier things to grow.

Finally, use those that mature quickly so your child does not become discouraged (which can also be a valuable lesson).

Here are some tried and true favorites.

  • Radishes
  • Sunflowers
  • Snap peas
  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
  • Pumpkins
  • Parsley
  • Watermelon
  • Cantaloupe
  • Squash

Actually, some libraries also have a free seed library for patrons to get packets of different seeds.

What a great low-cost option. Look at the some of the packets we have picked up.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: garden, gardening, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, spring, unit studies, unit study

Fun Homeschool Pirate Unit Study Ideas and Free Pirates Lapbook

March 16, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I have a pirate unit study and free pirates lapbook. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my pirates page. Also grab more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies page.

Who hasn’t heard of pirates? They conjure up in our minds scenes of swashbucklers and wealth of hidden treasures untold.

Pirates have had an enormous impact on world history whether they were destroying civilizations or lurking along trade routes to attack ships.

Fun Homeschool Pirate Unit Study Ideas and Free Pirates Lapbook
  • Who were these pirates?
  • What lured them to the sea and where were they?
  • How long have they been at sea?

Sea raiding started early with the Egyptians making the first seaworthy ship.

Around 1200 BC, Phoenicians, who lived at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea were some
of the most successful seafarers in the ancient world.

One of the main trading ports was in the city of Tyre, now modern-day Lebanon.

Facts about Pirates

Pirates were people who attacked and robbed ships.

During war, sailors called privateers raided enemy ships.

In peacetime, these privateers turned into pirates and began raiding all ships found on the open sea.

The crew of these ships would elect a captain. The captain and crew would then agree upon a code to follow.

This code would set the rules, punishments and distribution of loot.

And pirates made their own flags to fly on their ships. The original pirate flag was red and was called the Bloody.

More Hands-on Activities Learning About Pirates

  • Blackbeard the True Story YouTube
  • Free Printable Pirate Board Game: Rounding To the Nearest Ten
  • How to Make a Giant Cardboard Box Pirate Ship
  • Cute David Rovics – Pirate Song YouTube for the littles
  • 5 Pirate Myths that are Actually True YouTube
  • Nice. Activities from elementary to high school from the New England Pirate Museum.
  • Also at the The Museum of Unnatural Mystery look at the Golden Age of Piracy.
  • Make a pirate’s treasure map.
  • Free Printable Pirate Mad Libs Template
  • Ideas for a 10 day unit study
  • Discover the Fun: How to Make Beach Sand Slime at Home

In addition, the Golden Age of Piracy was from about 1500 to 1700 when famous pirates raided ships in the Caribbean Sea.

Although pirate life may seem glamorous there were times that the adventure meant many uncomfortable times and even death.

More Pirate Unit Study Resources

Additionally, add a few of these books to your unit study.

Books for Multiple Ages About Pirates and Fun Resources

Add a few of these books about pirates to your history, science or pirates unit study.

Image for The Ballad of the Pirate Queens

The Ballad of the Pirate Queens

Recounting the stories of two legendary women pirates, a ballad about Anne Bonney and Mary Reade describes their desperate 1720 evening battle with the governor's men while the rest of the crew remained below.

Image for A Pirate's Life for Me! A Day Aboard a Pirate Ship

A Pirate's Life for Me! A Day Aboard a Pirate Ship

Ahoy, matey! Did you ever wonder what life was like on a pirate ship? Join this pirate crew for a day and see for yourself. Hoist the Jolly Roger as the pirates prepare to attack a merchant ship and you'll earn a share of the loot. Sing a sea chantey as you help wind the capstan. And after you climb down the ratlines from the crow's nest, you can feast on salmagundi. From Spanish galleons to stinkpots, from treasure maps to desert islands, for a pirate it's all in a day's work!

Image for One-Eyed Jake

One-Eyed Jake

One-Eyed Jake was the most despicable pirate to ever sail the seven seas. The cook, the bo'sun, and the cabin boy were desperate to escape Jake's evil clutches and live quiet, law-abiding lives--and one day they get their chance. "Buried treasure reluctant beginning readers need."--School Library Journal. "Illustrated with bouncy bravado."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.

Image for Treasure Island: The Original 1883 Edition With Complete Illustrations

Treasure Island: The Original 1883 Edition With Complete Illustrations

"For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From the moment young Jim Hawkins first encounters the sinister Blind Pew at the Admiral Benbow Inn until the climactic battle for treasure on a tropic isle, the novel creates scenes and characters that have fired the imaginations of generations of readers.

Image for Mystery History:Pirate Galleon (Mystery History Series)

Mystery History:Pirate Galleon (Mystery History Series)

Describes life aboard a pirate ship. Includes games, puzzles, and mazes.

Image for Little Children's Pirate Activity Book

Little Children's Pirate Activity Book

An action-packed, write-in activity book for little children, full of lots of different things to do. There are things to spot, mazes to follow, colouring, drawing and lots more. Factual information about the
life aboard a pirate ship are incorporated into the activities.

Image for The Pirate's Handbook: How to Become a Rogue of the High Seas

The Pirate's Handbook: How to Become a Rogue of the High Seas

Presents facts about the lives of real pirates, and provides ideas for how to become one with instructions for making pirate shoe buckles, a treasure map, pirate flag, and pieces of eight

Image for The Book of Pirates: by Howard Pyle with Original Illustrations

The Book of Pirates: by Howard Pyle with Original Illustrations

Rarely have the exploits of marauding pirates and buccaneers of the Spanish Main been more vividly recounted than in the stories of author and illustrator Howard Pyle. Possessed of a unique talent for recapturing the flavor of bygone eras, Pyle wrote and illustrated these highly readable sagas of the sea wolves who sailed under the dreaded black flag.

Image for Pirates (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)

Pirates (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)

When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #4: Pirates Past Noon, they had lots of questions. Did pirates really make people walk the plank? What was life like on a pirate ship? Is there any buried treasure around today? Argh! How do you talk like a pirate? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts.

Image for The Stowaway: A Tale of California Pirates

The Stowaway: A Tale of California Pirates

When a pirate terrorizes the 1818 California coast, a brave young boy summons up the courage to defend his Monterey home from a savage attack. By the author of Jimmy Spoon and the Pony Express.

Image for Pirates: Robbers of the High Seas

Pirates: Robbers of the High Seas

Full-color artwork and a simple text chronicle the world of the pirates, detailing the exploits of such famous villains as Captain Kidd and Blackbeard, their battles on the high seas, and their lives aboard ship.

Image for Treasure Island (Signet Classics)

Treasure Island (Signet Classics)

For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From young Jim Hawkins’s first encounter with the sinister beggar Pew to the climactic battle with the most memorable villain in literature, Long John Silver, this novel has fired readers’ imaginations for generations. A rousing tale of treachery, greed, and daring, Treasure Island continues to enthrall readers of all ages.

Image for Who Was Blackbeard?

Who Was Blackbeard?

Though much of his early life remains a mystery, Blackbeard most likely began his life as Edward Teach in the sailing port of Bristol, England. He began his career as a hired British sailor during Queen Anne’s War. He eventually settled in the Bahamas under Captain Benjamin Hornigold who taught the young sailor to go "a-pirating." Soon enough, Blackbeard was commanding his own fleet and stealing ships around the Caribbean and up and down the Eastern seaboard. Known for his thick, black beard and fearsome reputation, the legend of Blackbeard has influenced pirate legend and lore for over 300 years.

Image for Pirate Fluxx

Pirate Fluxx

Play Pirate Fluxx, boardgames are always a good addition to any study.

Image for How I Became a Pirate

How I Became a Pirate

When Braid Beard’s pirate crew invites Jeremy Jacob to join their voyage, he jumps right on board. Buried treasure, sea chanteys, pirate curses—who wouldn’t go along?

Soon Jeremy Jacob knows all about being a pirate. He throws his food across the table and his manners to the wind. He hollers like thunder and laughs off bedtime. It’s the heave-ho, blow-the-man-down, very best time of his life. But then Jeremy Jacob finds out what pirates don’t do. . .

Image for Bucket of Pirate Action Figures

Bucket of Pirate Action Figures

BUCKET OF PIRATES: Ignite your child's imagination with this bucket of pirate action figures playset! Includes 8 detailed pirate figurines, boat, ship, treasures, and more for epic battles and treasure hunts. Let their creativity soar!

Minibooks about Pirates

Lastly, look at these notebooking pages and minibooks to use in your pirate unit study.

Also, on most of my lapbooks I normally create more minibooks than will fit into one file folder. This gives you choices for topics which interest your children.

Fun Homeschool Pirate Unit Study Ideas and Free Pirates Lapbook

Use what works for covering the topic right now and save the rest fo another time.

  • Golden Age Pirates Cover
  • Ancient Seafarers Cover
  • Egyptian Vessels
  • History of Piracy
  • Phoenician Sailors and Tyrian Purple
  • Treasure of the Whydah
  • “Yarr” Words Vocabulary and Pocket
  • Lives of pirates Blackbeard and Henry Morgan
  • Brethen of the Coast
  • Queen Elizabeth 1 Pirate Queen
  • Ships of the Past – Caravel and Galleon
  • 4 Notebooking pages

HOW TO GET THE FREE PIRATES LAPBOOK

Now, how to grab the free lapbook. It’s a subscriber freebie. And I have a list of links for this unit study included in the download.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE
2) Grab the freebie instantly.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Lapbooks, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

January 5, 2023 | 6 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love this free bird unit study and dynamic bird lapbook. Be sure to grab my other lapbook ideas and Best Homeschool Unit Studies on my page.

And a great way to begin this unit study is to make a delicious and fun edible bird nest.

This one is a great addition to this bird unit study.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

It’s easy, adorable and tasty.

Make these edible bird nests together with your budding ornithologist as part of a bigger study.

This unit study comes just in time for National Bird Day on January 5th.

First, begin with some of these topics to cover in the bird study.

  • Common Species
  • Feathers
  • Beaks and their uses
  • Migration
  • Nests
  • Eggs
  • Calls

In addition, here are two more facts:

  1. All birds have feathers, but not all birds can fly. For example, penguins do not fly.
  2. And all birds lay eggs, breathe air, and are warm blooded.

Bird Watching Questions

Next, when we learn about birds, I find a list of questions helps to identify what type of bird we’re looking at.

These same questions can be used in your nature walk or just looking in your backyard.

  1. What is the bird doing? (Answer: Flying, perching, hopping, in water, climbing,etc.)
  2. What shape is the bird? (Answer: Look at bird head size to body proportion. And beak size to bird head. Notice the bird’s overall body size.)
  3. How big is it?
  4. Explain what are field markings. For instance, stripes, colors, patches and patterns are field markings. So then ask what field markings do you see?
  5. Are the wings round or pointed?
  6. And what shape is the bill?
  7. How is the bird behaving? (Answer: What is the feeding style, how is it moving and is it with a flock or alone,)

I would highly recommend a field guide and binoculars to do research in real life

More Hands-on Bird Activities

  • How to Make a Chalk Pastel Bird Nest Easy Drawing
  • How To Make A Blue-Footed Booby Bird Craft
  • How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan
  • American Robin Free Printables, Resources and Crafts
  • The Colorful Blue Jays Winter Food | Make Fun Seed Slime
  • How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders With Kids
  • Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

Free Bird Teacher’s Guides and Lesson Plans

In addition, here are some fun and free educator guides and lesson plans about birds.

  • A Teacher’s Guide To Hawaiian Birds This has a nice glossary for vocabulary words and pictures too.
  • Lesson Plan for the lower grades.
  • Lesson Plans for middle school.
  • High School Ideas. Citizen Science has some ideas for projects like tracking sightings, nest watch,

  • Beak Variations
  • Migration Challenge. Why do bird migrate?
  • Learning About Bird Migration
  • Preschool to Kindergarten age Lesson Plan

  • What’s in a Bird Song
  • Free Bird Coloring Pages
  • Another lesson plan for early learning.
  • Students examine historical examples of art with birds as the subject. High School
  • Name That Bird Middle to High School

Moreover, research about different types of bird nests.

5 Common Types of Bird Nests

Also, when your child knows how to observe the types of nests, then it helps to match them with type of bird.

Besides many animals build nests and birds are some of the most expert builders.

Most birds’ nests fall into 5 main types of nests.

  1. cupped (or half-cupped). Used by songbirds and are round with a dip in the center. And swallows use half-cupped nests which adhere to a surface.
  2. cavity. Woodpeckers used cavities in a tree.
  3. Pendulum or Pendant. Baltimore Orioles use suspending type sac-like nests.
  4. Scrape. Used by ground-nesting birds in open habitats. Killdeer make scrape nests.
  5. Burrow. Burrowing Owls make burrow nests.

Cupped nest. A cup nest is cup-shaped and can be made with a variety of materials such as grass, moss,
lichen, or spiderweb

Cavity nest: A cavity nest is a hollowed-out opening in the trunk of a tree.

Pendulum or pendant nest: A hanging sac-like shape, usually suspended from a small tree branch.

Scrape – A type of nest without much material and are shallow ground impressions.

Burrow – This is either a hole burrowed or borrowed from another animal.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Lastly, think about the type of materials a bird collects to build a list. Have your child collect some of them to build his special nest.

  • dried grass
  • twigs
  • green grass
  • feathers
  • hair
  • mud or dirt
  • leaves
  • bark
  • pine needles
  • straw
  • shredded plant stems
  • animal hair
  • moss
  • old spiderwebs
Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Check out some of these resources to help you cover every aspect of birds you might want to learn about.

Bird Books, Activities, and Resources

Then, add in some of these fun books and resources.

17 Books, Resources, and Activities About Birds

You'll love these fun resources if you're studying about birds. Besides, you can study about birds anytime of the year.

So, add one or two of these to your unit study, nature journaling, or just fun for the day.

Image for 1. A Place for Birds

1. A Place for Birds

In simple yet compelling language, Melissa Stewart showcases twelve North American birds, from the familiar eastern bluebird to the rare Kirtland's warbler. Her clear narrative shows the threats these birds face, and informative sidebars describe a wide variety of efforts to save them. In addition, remarkable full-color illustrations vividly and accurately depict the birds within the ecosystems that support their survival. Range maps and additional bird facts are also included.

Image for 2. Feathers: Not Just for Flying

2. Feathers: Not Just for Flying

Young naturalists explore sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many, remarkable uses of feathers. A concise main text highlights how feathers are not just for flying. More curious readers are invited to dig deeper with informative sidebars that underscore how feathers of all shapes and sizes help birds with warming or cooling, protect them from the sun, help them swim, glide or even
dig.

Image for 3. A Nest Is Noisy (Family Treasure Nature Encylopedias)

3. A Nest Is Noisy (Family Treasure Nature Encylopedias)

This gorgeous and informative look at the fascinating world of nests, from those of tiny bee hummingbirds to those of orangutans high in the rainforest canopy.

Image for 4. Big Book of Birds (The Big Book Series)

4. Big Book of Birds (The Big Book Series)

The book draws in children and parents alike with captivating information about and charming illustrations of hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, puffins, red-crowned cranes, and more. The book also invites young bird-watchers to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird-friendly. The text is chatty, funny, and full of remarkable facts.

Image for 5. Peterson Field Guide To Birds

5. Peterson Field Guide To Birds

For decades, the Peterson Field Guide to Birdsof Eastern and Central North America has been a popular and trusted guide for birders of all levels, thanks to its famous system of identification and unparalleled illustrations. Following the Spring 2020 update to Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, this guide will feature updated text and range maps, and art updated to reflect current knowledge in ornithology. 

Image for 6. How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-by-Step Guide for Kids

6. How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-by-Step Guide for Kids

How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-by-Step Guide for Kids is the perfect resource for beginners who are young (and not so young) to discover the joy of attracting birds to your yard. Bird lover and expert Chris Earley wants to share his passion for our colorful singing and flying neighbors with the whole family.

Image for 7. Wingspan Board Game - A Bird-Collection, Engine-Building Game

7. Wingspan Board Game - A Bird-Collection, Engine-Building Game

Competitive, card-driven, engine-building board game.

Challenging strategy game recommended for those ages 14 plus

Game includes 170 unique bird cards, 26 bonus cards and 16 Automa cards, 103 food tokens and 75 egg miniatures, 5 custom wooden dice and 5 player mats, 1 birdfeeder dice tower and 2-piece Game Trayz custom tray, 1 goal mat and 8 goal tiles, 1 first-player token and 40 action cubes, 4 clear plastic resource containers, 1 scorepad, and 3 rulebooks.

Image for 8. Beaks!

8. Beaks!

Young naturalists explore a variety of birds, their habitats, and how their beaks help them build, eat, and survive. From the twisted beak of a crossbill to the color changing bill of a seagull, readers will learn fun facts about how beaks are designed and used as tools by birds of all shapes and sizes.  Bright, bold cut-paper illustrations create amazingly realistic tableaus of birds in their natural
environments with their beaks in action.

Image for 9. Bird Figurine Toy Birds for Kids Realistic Bird

9. Bird Figurine Toy Birds for Kids Realistic Bird

Set of bird figurine toys, which contains 7 different small plastic birds. The weight of bird figure toy is 96G / 0.2LB. The set of small plastic bird contains 7 pecies of toy birds,such as robin, bluebird, oriole, woodpecker, etc. Please refer to the picture for the actual size and color.

Image for 10. Professor Noggin's Birds of North America Trivia Card Game

10. Professor Noggin's Birds of North America Trivia Card Game

PLAY & LEARN: Professor Noggin’s series of educational card games encourages kids to learn interesting facts about their favorite subjects.

FUN FACTS: Everything young birders need to know about the most common and interesting Birds of North America. Learn to identify different species and discover fascinating facts about their habitat and behavior.

CARD GAME: Each of the thirty game cards combines trivia, true or false, and multiple-choice questions. A special three-numbered die is included which adds an element of unpredictability.

Image for 11. Audubon's Birds of America Coloring Book

11. Audubon's Birds of America Coloring Book

Including the red-winged blackbird, painted bunting, wood duck, great blue heron, ruby-throated hummingbird, purple finch, and blue jay, 46 different species of birds from all parts of the United States are included in this book. The pictures have been faithfully redrawn by Paul E. Kennedy from originals by John James Aububon (1785–1851), the most famous American painter-naturalist.

Image for 12. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon

12. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon

If there was one thing James loved to do more than anything else, it was to be in the great outdoors watching his beloved feathered friends.In the fall of 1804, he was determined to find out if the birds nesting near his Pennsylvania home would really return the following spring. Through careful observation, James laid the foundation for all that we know about migration patterns today.

Image for 13. Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: 536 Ways To Turn Your Yard and Garden Into a Haven For Your Favorite Birds

13. Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: 536 Ways To Turn Your Yard and Garden Into a Haven For Your Favorite Birds

Enjoy your home and garden as never before when you have a yard that's filled with colorful birds and bird songs as well as flowers. This A-to-Z guide includes:Terrific tips and plans for building bird feeders, birdbaths, and birdhouses.Recipes for making bird food that is sure to be a hit with your feathered friends--including Chickadee Doughnut Delights and Easy Bird Treat Mini-Muffins.The 25 best plants to grow to attract birds to your yard--including columbine and honeysuckle, hummingbird favorites.How to identify and attract goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals, and more than 50 other favorite birds to your yard. Plus, you'll learn what their songs and antics really mean.

Image for 14. Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds

14. Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds

Describes all species found in the North American region and offers information on breeding cycles, nesting habits, and provides pictures of nestlings and eggs

Image for 15. What's That Bird? Teacher Guide

15. What's That Bird? Teacher Guide

This study guide accompanies What's That Bird? published by Storey Publishing in 2005, incorporating facts to know, comprehension questions, and characteristics of specific birds. Sections include: 'Meet the Bird', 'How Birds Live', and 'The Wider World of Birds'. Student Book and What's That Bird? sold separately.

Image for 16. Paint by Sticker: Birds: Create 12 Stunning Images One Sticker at a Time!

16. Paint by Sticker: Birds: Create 12 Stunning Images One Sticker at a Time!

Nature's Masterpieces—ready for paintingPeel the sticker,Paint the sticker, And watch your painting come to life.Paint by Sticker: Birds celebrates the rainbow of colors and shapes of the avian world: a red-headed woodpecker, a blue jay, an orange and black Baltimore oriole, an electric bright hummingbird.

Image for 17. Sibley Backyard Birding Flashcards

17. Sibley Backyard Birding Flashcards

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. Edited with the backyard birder in mind, each bird card is accompanied with a regional map as an additional guide to migratory patterns.

Delightful Birds Lapbook

Also, you’ll love this fun delightful birds lapbooks.

It’s geared toward upper elementary to middle school-ish but of course grades are selective.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Awesome Features of the Bird Lapbook

  • You get this SAME lapbook TWO different ones. One lapbook has a facts filled in each minibook and the other lapbook has minibooks with all blank inside pages.
  • Because I use a combination of cursive and print fonts, I aim my lapbooks toward upper elementary up to high school. 
  • This lapbook is aimed at upper elementary to middle school-ish.
  • However, because one lapbook is BLANK you can use it for any age.
  • This is a .pdf instant downloadable product and not a physical product.
  • You are paying for the printables, the lapbook.
  • You can use any reference materials, books, or online resources to complete the lapbook.
  • I don’t provide links in the lapbooks for filling in the information. This keeps my prices low for my products, but I do provide free links and unit studies on my site as I can.
  • My printables are very flexible. You decide which topics you want your children to research.  Also, you can mix and match filled in and blank minibooks of your choice.
  • Dynamic Delightful Bird Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Delightful Bird Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Additionally, here are more bird unit study activities.

Bird Unit Study Resources

  • Free Bird Journal
  • Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
  • How to Make a Fun Paper Mache American Robin Bird Craft
  • Why Bats Are Not Birds Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook
  • 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
  • Easy and Fun Nature Study: Beautiful Birds
  • How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders

Too, let’s make a fun hands-on edible nest to go with this unit study.

How to Make Edible Bird Nests

You will need:

  • 2 cups pretzel sticks
  • ¼ cup butterscotch chips
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips
  • mm’s
Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Directions:

Lay out a piece of waxed paper on the counter.

Place both kinds of chips in the microwave in a heat safe bow and heat in 20 second increments until completely melted.

Stir well to combine.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Pour pretzels into a bowl of melted chocolate and stir gently until all pretzels are completely coated.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Encourage your child to build a bird’s nest by creating a base of a few flat pretzels and then stacking to build up the sides into a cup shaped bird’s nest.

We found this recipe made about 4 good sized nests.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Add a few m & ms as eggs to the nest.

Let the nests sit until the chocolate has hardened, about an hour or so if your kitchen is not warm.

You can also harden it quicker by placing them in the fridge for a bit.

Once your nest has solidified you can enjoy eating it!

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

6 CommentsFiled Under: My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: birdjournal, birds, cardinal bird, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, lapbook, lapbooking, lapbookresources, lapbooks, life science, science

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