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Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

October 26, 2022 | Leave a Comment
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If you’re studying pond life for kindergarten you’ll love this activity for your kindergartener to build a beaver dam. Grab my other craft ideas for kindergarten homeschool curriculum.

As the largest rodents in North America and the second largest rodent in the world, beavers are a fun subject to cover.

They go along perfectly with a pond life unit study. They are a vital part of life in rivers, ponds, and lakes.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

I have a fun and inexpensive hands- on activity to share that your little one will love.

It’s a simple invitation to create and learn using items gathered from the yard and few items from the house.

Your child will probably spend the day playing in their little “pond” learning and growing their imagination.

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • Beaver Facts for Kids
  • Pond Life Activities
  • Books About Pond Life
  • Beaver Videos
  • How to Build a Beaver Dam Activity
  • Other Tips and Crafts for Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

Beaver Facts for Kids

  • Beavers don’t actually live in the dams they build; they make them to create a deep pond of water for protection from predators. They live in similar structures called beaver lodges.
  • Beavers build their dams out of trees, limbs, mud, moss, plants, grass, and rocks.
  • When they feel threatened, beavers will slap the water with their tail making a loud noise to warn all creatures in the area.
  • A long time ago beaver fur was commonly used to make hats and clothing. Some people still trap beavers for their fur today.
  • Beaver dams don’t just benefit them, they also help with carbon storage, flood management and drought prevention. They are also helpful in keeping streams cool.
  • Also they create wetlands that house many frogs, fish and invertebrates, and in turn these animals provide food for birds and bats.
  • Beavers can swim underwater for 15 minutes.
  • Some adult beavers can reach up to 55 pounds.
  • Beavers eat the inner bark of trees and woody plants, but they also enjoy soft vegetation like apples, grasses, clover, water lilies, giant ragweed, and cattails.

Pond Life Activities

Before you begin your activity, read about beavers and ponds and choose a video or two to watch together.

If possible visit a local pond or lake that has beavers to observe them in the wild.

This will help give your child a good point of reference for beavers and how and why they build dams.

Also, grab letter tiles you have on hand,

Scrabble tiles are great because you can pick the games up inexpensively at yard sales and thrift stores.

Use them to practice beginning letter sounds or spell out words related to your theme.

For this one you could use:

  • Pond
  • Beaver
  • Fish
  • Turtle
  • Dam
  • Water
  • Frog

Allow your child to build silly words and see if he can pronounce them as well.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

Too, you’ll love adding some of these books to your activity.

Books About Pond Life

This is one in a little series of picture books that are gems with beautiful illustrations and they teach children about the ecology of the pond. Over and Under the Pond goes perfectly with this activity.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

Nature Anatomy is another one. If you don’t know by now I just love this series, they are perfect to add to any nature study that you do.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

This next resources if Natural and Earth Science Educational Flash Cards.

If you enjoy doing earth science with your child this is a great addition. Little cards with everything from beavers to minerals.

Safari LTD North American Wildlife toobs are a great resource for small world play like this, to give children a model to see for art or learning.

Also they can be used in dioramas, or to create an inviting setup for a new unit study.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

Beaver Videos

Finally, here are a few videos that are interesting and will give you and your child a little more understanding of beavers and ponds.

  • Wild Kratts Beaver Lodge
  • All About Beavers For Children
  • Wild Kratts Build a Beaver Pond

How to Build a Beaver Dam Activity

Gather:

  • Sticks and small branches
  • Grasses
  • Leaves
  • Small rocks and pebbles
  • Mud or clay
  • Moss

First, go on a nature walk into your own backyard to gather the above items.

Set out your invitation to play and learn in an inviting way by placing the items neatly on a tray (or cooking sheet like I did).

This makes it more eye appealing than just throwing everything you gathered in a heap.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

Add water to a shallow dish or pan to create a pond.

Encourage your child to create a beaver dam in the pond using all the same items that a beaver would use in the wild.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

Twist sticks together to make it sturdy. Add moss and clay to the openings between sticks, etc.

Continue building until it is heaped up both above and below the water.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

Once they have built their dam in the water, add in a fun little plastic beaver as well as other pond animals.

Now they can have fun exploring inside and outside the dam.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

How cute is this little beaver peeking out from the dam he just built?

Finally, you’ll love these other resources for teaching kindergarten.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

Other Tips and Crafts for Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

  • Easy and Fun Pine Cone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten
  • 4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten
  • Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot
  • 10 Best Homeschool Phonics Curriculum For Kindergarten
  • 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool
  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
  • Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
  • How to Create the Best Homeschool Schedule for Kindergarten (free printable)
  • 60 Favorite Top Homeschooling Materials for Kindergarten
  • 10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum
  • How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life
  • BEST Free Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum With A Gentle Approach (List)
  • Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning
Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Teach Kindergarten Tagged With: beavers, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, kindergarten, life science, ponds, science

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