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elementary science

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

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

I’m sharing plant life in the Amazon rainforest facts and we’re making a giant rafflesia arnoldii craft. And I have more ideas on my pages Rain Forest – Amazon, Rain Forest – Animals of the Amazon, and Rainforest Amazon Activities for Kids.

The plant life in the Amazon Rainforest is beautiful and often unbelievable.

For example, the gorgeous bright Rafflesia arnoldii that looks like it’s straight out of science fiction and smells like rotting meat.

I couldn’t resist turning it into a craft project for our study on plant life in the Amazon Rainforest.

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

It turned out to be a super fun and colorful craft.

And we learned a lot about plant life in the Amazon Rainforest as we worked on it.

It was low budget and easier than it looks, my kind of project.

The hardest part of it was waiting between the drying sessions.

10 Facts About Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest

  1. The Amazon Rainforest is home to more than two-thirds of the world’s plant species.
  2. The Rafflesia arnoldii is the biggest single flower found in the entire world at more than 3 feet across and its home is the Amazon Rainforest.
  3. The bloom of the arnoldii lasts just a little more than a week.
  4. The Kapok tree is the largest and most important species in the Amazon rainforest.
  5. All members of the genus Rafflesia produce huge flowers, the smallest still being the size of a dinner plate.
  6. More than 60,000 species of plants grow in the Amazon jungle.
  7. Many plants have adapted and developed drip-tip leaves that funnel water off themselves to prevent rotting and fungus growth.
  8. There are many plants that are used for medicinal purposes like fighting cancer to soothing asthma. Plants like the coca plant, White trillium flower, Sodo, and the Cinchona tree are so important to medicines.
  9. Jungle soil is shallow. Some of it’s like 4 inches deep yet some of the tallest trees in the world grow in it.
  10. Emergent trees as high as 200 feet and the crown of the emergent tree can spread to be the size of two football fields.

Then add some plant life in the Amazon rainforest hands-on activities.

Hands-on Activities Amazon Rainforest Plant Life

  • This gorgeous puzzle that is filled with rainforest plants and animals is a great way to practice visual discrimination, fine motor skills, short-term memory, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning.
  • Older students can dive more in-depth into the plant life of the Amazon rainforest in Chasing Plants: Journeys with a Botanist through Rainforests, Swamps, and Mountains.
  • While the entire book does not just cover the rainforest, I found the beautiful vintage artwork for my inspiration for this activity in Botanicum which does cover environments, and rainforest plants like orchids, parasitic plants, and carnivorous plants.
  • Encourage your child to research additional plant life in the Amazon rainforest like orchids, rubber trees, the passion fruit flower, poinsettias, the bird of paradise, and others. You can find many of these for sale at your local home and garden store. Take a field trip and see how many rainforest plants you can find and identify.
  • The Leaf Detective tells all about Margaret Lowman and her work studying the natural world of the Rainforest.
10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

Also, add some of these Amazon Rainforest books.

21 Rain Forest Animals For Kids Books and Resources

Add these rain forest animal books, games, and toys to round out your study of the animals of the rain forest.

Wildlife Animal Model Toy Red Eye Tree Frog Figure

It is a great way to expand the growth with children through physical science.

All the Way Down: Amazon Rainforest

This book explores the rainforest layer by layer and the creatures that make their home in each part of the rainforest.

Rainforest Animals (Who Am I?)

Which rainforest animal is a frog that uses its eyes to help it swallow its food? Which rainforest animal is a bird with a big, colorful bill? Let's learn more about rainforest animals such as sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and more! Read With You's Who Am I? series encourages children to be more curious about the world around them as they learn fun facts about animals from across the globe.

Over and Under the Rainforest

Part of the critically acclaimed Over and Under series that includes Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and Over and Under the Snow!Under the canopy of the rainforest hundreds of animals make their homes, but up in the leaves hides another world. Turn the pages of this beautiful and educational book to discover in words and mesmerizing illustration:

Animals like the slender parrot snake and the blue morpho butterfly.

The canopies where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call.

Capuchin monkeys who swing from vines and slow-moving sloths who wait out daily thunderstorms.

Wild Animal Jungle Sloth Toy Figurine

Sloth Toy Figurine

In the Rainforest (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

The rainforest is home to millions of plant and animal species. Some animals live high up in the trees, some crawl across the forest floor, and some tunnel underground, but they all depend on one another and the rain to survive. With colorful illustrations and fascinating diagrams from author-illustrator Kate Duke, In the Rainforest is a lively look at the most vibrant ecosystem on our planet. 

Anacondas (Rain Forest Animals)

This book introduces readers to the largest snake in the world: the anaconda. Readers learn about the life cycle, behavior, physical characteristics, and habitat of anacondas

Learn to Draw Rainforest & Jungle Animals

Expanding the popular collection of animal books in the Learn to Draw Series, Learn to Draw Rainforest & Jungle Animals will teach kids how easy it is to draw a variety of exciting and exotic creatures from around the world. Each project starts with a basic shape and progresses with simple-to-follow steps to a finished realistic final colored artwork. While they’re learning, kids will also discover fun facts about each featured animal.

The Rainforest Grew All Around

Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life in this clever adaptation of the song “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” The jungle comes alive as children learn about a wide variety of the animals (jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats) and plants (kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads) living in the lush Amazon rainforest. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the three-page “For Creative Minds” educational section.

Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals around the World

While it covers more than just the rainforest this is a fabulous resource to have on your shelves. You will find plenty of great pictures and information on many animals that live there- crocodiles, harpy eagles, monkeys, tapir , sloths,Jaguarundi, and the food web.

Rainforest Glow-in-The-Dark Puzzle, Rainforest Animals, Birds, Plants and More

COLORFUL ARTWORK: Kids will love the colorful puzzle artwork showing the animals, plants, trees and birds that call the rainforest home. The storage box shows the completed puzzle artwork and is an ideal place to keep pieces safe and free from damage.

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest

Tells a story of a man who came to cut down a kapok tree and encounters many of the beautiful and exotic native creatures who make their home in the Amazon Rainforest.

Professor Noggin's Reptiles and Amphibians Trivia Card Game

FUN FACTS: How about Reptiles versus Amphibians?!  That's just one of the topic cards in this kids card game.  Find out more fun facts from Eggs to the Komodo Dragon!

Rainforest Gummi Frogs Candy

How fun!

FRESH & FRUITY: Fruidles single-flavor gummies pack giant taste into one delicious flavor. After one bite of these fruity gummies, you'll taste the difference of giant fresh fruit flavors & a deliciously soft chew you won't find with other gummy candies.

Hello, World! Rainforest Animals

This bright and exciting Hello, World! board book teaches toddlers all about the amazing world of a rainforest—with easy-to-understand facts about the incredible animals who make their home there.

Where Is the Amazon?

Human beings have inhabited the banks of the Amazon River since 13,000 BC and yet they make up just a small percentage of the "population" of this geographic wonderland. The Amazon River basin teems with life—animal and plant alike.

Canopy, Card Game, Features 25 Unique Species of Rainforest Animals and Plants

Compete to grow the most bountiful rainforest! Carefully select what grows in your forest, and give rise to a thriving ecosystem.

LEGO Creator Rainforest Animals

Features a frog, a fly and a parrot with articulated wings and tail, opening mouth and rotatable eyes 3-in-1 model: rebuilds into a chameleon or a tropical fish

Afternoon on the Amazon

Vampire bats and killer ants? That's what Jack and Annie are about to run into when the Magic Tree House whisks them away to the Amazon River. It's not long before they get hopelessly lost. Will they be able to find their way back to the tree house? Or are Jack and Annie stuck forever in the rain forest?

Red-eyed Tree Frog (Scholastic Bookshelf)

NatureI n a tropical rain forest in Central America, a red-eyed tree frog spends the night looking for food while avoiding potential predators. Award-winning photographer Nic Bishop's larger-than-life, gorgeous images document the hunt, which ends happily with the frog settling down in the leaves to spend his daylight hours sleeping! Joy Cowley's simple, readable text makes the frog's story fun, interesting, and accessible to young readers.

Protecting the Amazon Rainforest (Saving Earth's Biomes)

Explores the richness of the Amazon rainforest, how humans have damaged it, and efforts being taken to protect it. Clear text, vibrant photos, and helpful infographics make this book an accessible and engaging read.

More Rainforest Activities for Kids

  • Fun Easy Amazon Rainforest Crafts and Make a Bubble Wrap Pattern Anaconda
  • Learn About Mammals In The Amazon Rainforest & Make an Adorable Sloth Craft
  • Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft
  • Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa
  • Creating Fun Red Eyed Tree Frog Manipulatives for Rain Forest Math
  • Cute Colorful Toilet Paper Roll Rainforest Frogs for a Rainforest Frog Craft
  • 18 Rain Forest Animals For Kids Books and Fun Resources
  • Beautiful And Colorful Amazonian Rainforest Animals Lapbook For Kids
  • 100+ Best and Free Tropical Amazon Rainforest Educators Resources
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Flora and Fauna of the Amazon Rain Forest
  • 3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids
  • Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
  • Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium
  • Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

Finally, look how to make this giant Rafflesia Arnoldii flower craft.

How to Make a Paper Plate Giant Rafflesia Arnoldii Craft

You will need:

  • 7 paper plates 
  • Red craft paint
  • White craft paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

Cut out the center of one plate.

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

You don’t have to go all the way to the edge but you want a large enough opening you can see well inside of it.

Take 5 plates and cut the rippled edge off along the bottom of the plate and then some up the sides to create a basic petal shape.

After I did the first one, I used it as a template to cut the other one so they were the same.

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

Leave the last plate intact.

Paint all plates red, allow them to dry, flip and paint the other side. Dry well again.

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

Add a little pink or another light accent color to the center of your intact plate and let it dry.

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

Flip over the full plate and hot glue each of the petals around the back side.

I put them about ⅓” from the edge all the way around.

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

If you want, use craft glues but I think hot glue is a better option for this project as it is rather heavy and hot glue dries quickly.

Flip the plate back over and hot glue the plate with the center cut out to the main center plate.

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

Draw little spiked shapes inside the center plate to create the center disk of the plant.

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

Finally use the back end of a paintbrush dipped in white paint or a white paint pen to create the dots all over the plant.

These are called warts. What do you think? Just too fun!

10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: amazon rain forest, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschoolscience, life science, paperplate, plants, rainforest, science

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

May 23, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today we’re learning about Blue Morpho Butterfly adaptations in the tropical rainforest and making a fun symmetry craft. And I have more ideas on my pages Rain Forest – Amazon, Rain Forest – Animals of the Amazon, and Rainforest Amazon Activities for Kids.

And look at my page Free Kids Insect Unit Study for more hands-on activities.

If you have ever seen a book, video, or an image of the Amazon Rainforest chances are you have seen the bright flitting wings of the Blue Morpho in action.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Besides the fact that they are beautiful, the Blue Morpho butterfly adaptations in the tropical rainforest are an amazing design. 

From egg to full-grown glorious butterfly the Blue Morpho has developed ways to protect itself in all its stages.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest

Look at the adaptations.

Egg stage- Pale green blends into the leaf it’s been laid on.

Larval stage-Patches of bright yellow/green with patches of purple and large tufts of hair break up the shape of the larva and make it less of a target for predators. Too, the hairs on the caterpillar are irritating to potential predators. Also, they can adapt to eating different types of plants so if one is scarce, they don’t have to go hungry, and will sometimes eat poisonous plants to make themselves inedible.

Pupal/chrysalis- During this vulnerable stage the pupa turns to light or dark green to blend in with the leaves surrounding it.

Adult- The bright blue wings have several adaptations. When fluttering the flash of color startles possible predators and when at rest the wings are closed showing the dull brown underside. The dull underside helps to camouflage them. They are also very powerful and erratic fliers, helping them to avoid predators. Finally, they can lay a large number of eggs, ensuring their numbers increase.

Isn’t that amazing? No wonder it is one of the most represented creatures of the Amazon Rainforest.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

We had to create a craft to highlight this beautiful insect so we are going to make a Blue Morpho that can also be a lesson in symmetry as well.

8 Blue Morpho Butterfly Facts

  1. The Blue Morpho is one of the largest butterflies in the world and their wingspan is from five to eight inches.
  2. Only the males are blue and the females are generally various shades of brown, yellow, and black.
  3. The underside of the Blue Morpho Butterfly is a dull brown color with eyespots. This protects them by camouflaging them from predators when the wings are closed.
  4. Blue Morphos are severely threatened by the deforestation of tropical forests, habitat fragmentation, and by collectors.
  5. When the wings open and close in flight it looks as if the blue morpho is appearing and reappearing as it flashes from the bright blue to the dull brown underside.
  6. Blue Morpho butterflies’ diet depends on the life stage it is in. Caterpillars enjoy a variety of leaves but prefer plants from the pea family. However, the adult butterfly uses its proboscis as a drinking straw. It is used to sip the juice of rotting fruit, the fluids of decomposing animals, and tree sap.
  7. The Blue Morpho will fly through all layers of the forest from the forest floor all the way up to the emergent layer.
  8. The lifespan of this beautiful butterfly is just 115 days.

Also, look at these fun books and resources to study about the rain forest.

21 Rain Forest Animals For Kids Books and Resources

Add these rain forest animal books, games, and toys to round out your study of the animals of the rain forest.

Wildlife Animal Model Toy Red Eye Tree Frog Figure

It is a great way to expand the growth with children through physical science.

All the Way Down: Amazon Rainforest

This book explores the rainforest layer by layer and the creatures that make their home in each part of the rainforest.

Rainforest Animals (Who Am I?)

Which rainforest animal is a frog that uses its eyes to help it swallow its food? Which rainforest animal is a bird with a big, colorful bill? Let's learn more about rainforest animals such as sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and more! Read With You's Who Am I? series encourages children to be more curious about the world around them as they learn fun facts about animals from across the globe.

Over and Under the Rainforest

Part of the critically acclaimed Over and Under series that includes Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and Over and Under the Snow!Under the canopy of the rainforest hundreds of animals make their homes, but up in the leaves hides another world. Turn the pages of this beautiful and educational book to discover in words and mesmerizing illustration:

Animals like the slender parrot snake and the blue morpho butterfly.

The canopies where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call.

Capuchin monkeys who swing from vines and slow-moving sloths who wait out daily thunderstorms.

Wild Animal Jungle Sloth Toy Figurine

Sloth Toy Figurine

In the Rainforest (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

The rainforest is home to millions of plant and animal species. Some animals live high up in the trees, some crawl across the forest floor, and some tunnel underground, but they all depend on one another and the rain to survive. With colorful illustrations and fascinating diagrams from author-illustrator Kate Duke, In the Rainforest is a lively look at the most vibrant ecosystem on our planet. 

Anacondas (Rain Forest Animals)

This book introduces readers to the largest snake in the world: the anaconda. Readers learn about the life cycle, behavior, physical characteristics, and habitat of anacondas

Learn to Draw Rainforest & Jungle Animals

Expanding the popular collection of animal books in the Learn to Draw Series, Learn to Draw Rainforest & Jungle Animals will teach kids how easy it is to draw a variety of exciting and exotic creatures from around the world. Each project starts with a basic shape and progresses with simple-to-follow steps to a finished realistic final colored artwork. While they’re learning, kids will also discover fun facts about each featured animal.

The Rainforest Grew All Around

Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life in this clever adaptation of the song “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” The jungle comes alive as children learn about a wide variety of the animals (jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats) and plants (kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads) living in the lush Amazon rainforest. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the three-page “For Creative Minds” educational section.

Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals around the World

While it covers more than just the rainforest this is a fabulous resource to have on your shelves. You will find plenty of great pictures and information on many animals that live there- crocodiles, harpy eagles, monkeys, tapir , sloths,Jaguarundi, and the food web.

Rainforest Glow-in-The-Dark Puzzle, Rainforest Animals, Birds, Plants and More

COLORFUL ARTWORK: Kids will love the colorful puzzle artwork showing the animals, plants, trees and birds that call the rainforest home. The storage box shows the completed puzzle artwork and is an ideal place to keep pieces safe and free from damage.

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest

Tells a story of a man who came to cut down a kapok tree and encounters many of the beautiful and exotic native creatures who make their home in the Amazon Rainforest.

Professor Noggin's Reptiles and Amphibians Trivia Card Game

FUN FACTS: How about Reptiles versus Amphibians?!  That's just one of the topic cards in this kids card game.  Find out more fun facts from Eggs to the Komodo Dragon!

Rainforest Gummi Frogs Candy

How fun!

FRESH & FRUITY: Fruidles single-flavor gummies pack giant taste into one delicious flavor. After one bite of these fruity gummies, you'll taste the difference of giant fresh fruit flavors & a deliciously soft chew you won't find with other gummy candies.

Hello, World! Rainforest Animals

This bright and exciting Hello, World! board book teaches toddlers all about the amazing world of a rainforest—with easy-to-understand facts about the incredible animals who make their home there.

Where Is the Amazon?

Human beings have inhabited the banks of the Amazon River since 13,000 BC and yet they make up just a small percentage of the "population" of this geographic wonderland. The Amazon River basin teems with life—animal and plant alike.

Canopy, Card Game, Features 25 Unique Species of Rainforest Animals and Plants

Compete to grow the most bountiful rainforest! Carefully select what grows in your forest, and give rise to a thriving ecosystem.

LEGO Creator Rainforest Animals

Features a frog, a fly and a parrot with articulated wings and tail, opening mouth and rotatable eyes 3-in-1 model: rebuilds into a chameleon or a tropical fish

Afternoon on the Amazon

Vampire bats and killer ants? That's what Jack and Annie are about to run into when the Magic Tree House whisks them away to the Amazon River. It's not long before they get hopelessly lost. Will they be able to find their way back to the tree house? Or are Jack and Annie stuck forever in the rain forest?

Red-eyed Tree Frog (Scholastic Bookshelf)

NatureI n a tropical rain forest in Central America, a red-eyed tree frog spends the night looking for food while avoiding potential predators. Award-winning photographer Nic Bishop's larger-than-life, gorgeous images document the hunt, which ends happily with the frog settling down in the leaves to spend his daylight hours sleeping! Joy Cowley's simple, readable text makes the frog's story fun, interesting, and accessible to young readers.

Protecting the Amazon Rainforest (Saving Earth's Biomes)

Explores the richness of the Amazon rainforest, how humans have damaged it, and efforts being taken to protect it. Clear text, vibrant photos, and helpful infographics make this book an accessible and engaging read.

Next, here are some more rainforest activities for kids resources.

More Rainforest Activities for Kids

  • Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa
  • Creating Fun Red Eyed Tree Frog Manipulatives for Rain Forest Math
  • Cute Colorful Toilet Paper Roll Rainforest Frogs for a Rainforest Frog Craft
  • 18 Rain Forest Animals For Kids Books and Fun Resources
  • Beautiful And Colorful Amazonian Rainforest Animals Lapbook For Kids
  • 100+ Best and Free Tropical Amazon Rainforest Educators Resources
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Flora and Fauna of the Amazon Rain Forest
  • 3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids
  • Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
  • Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium
  • Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts
Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Finally, create a beautiful double-sided Blue Morpho Butterfly craft which also demonstrates symmetry.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations in the Tropical Rainforest Symmetry Project

You will need:

  • White cardstock
  • Blue craft paint
  • White craft paint
  • Brown craft paint
  • Tan craft paint
  • Orange craft paint
  • Black craft paint
  • Paintbrush or paint pen
  • Scissors
  • Black chenille stem
Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Fold a piece of cardstock in half to create a crease and then open it back up.

Have your child squeeze blue paint all over one side of the paper.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Run a thin black line of paint down the center.

Close the paper and press the paint outward from the center until it has spread to nearly the edges of the page.

Open the page and allow the paint to dry completely.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Once dry, close the paper back up and cut out a butterfly shape.

You could just cut out a butterfly shape from the paper, to begin with, but I like to really saturate the page in paint and then create the shape.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Next, your child can either take black paint and make an outline all the way around the wings or just do one side. Then press the two sides together again so they are symmetrical. Let this paint dry as well.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Flip to the unpainted side and have your child cover one-half of the paper with brown and tan squiggles of paint.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Fold closed in the opposite direction so that your brown side is closed on itself and press the paint outward again.

Open and add a few black dots of black paint with a small bit of white on them to create the” eyes” on the underside of the blue morpho’s wings, on just one side.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Close the paper one last time and press gently to duplicate eyes on the opposite side.

Allow the paper to dry fully.

Add small details with markers or paint pens like the tiny white and orange dots along the black edge of the butterfly as well as the black vein lines throughout the wings and glue a pipe cleaner to the top to recreate antennae.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: amazon rain forest, butterflies, crafts, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, life science, science

Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

May 22, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love learning about the Amazon rainforest predators. And I have more ideas on my pages Rain Forest – Amazon, Rain Forest – Animals of the Amazon, and Rainforest Amazon Activities for Kids.

The Amazon rainforest predators are bold, fierce, and cunning.

And they use different adaptations to survive and catch their prey.

They make a fascinating part of a solid Amazon rainforest unit. Study predator’s hunting range which goes from the water to the forest floor and all the way up into the emergent layer as they swim, run, slither, and fly to catch their prey.

Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

Grab a hands-on activity or two, learn a few new vocabulary words, and hunt up some predator fun with these resources I have gathered for you.

In addition, I have a simple pasta emerald tree boa craft for your child to create.

Amazon Rainforest Predators Facts

  • Poison dart frogs are one of the deadliest animals on earth. Although they are cute, their skin has enough poison in it to kill 10 adults.
  • The jaguar is the 3rd largest of the big cats and is the main predator in the rain forest and they feed on over 80 species of animals.
  • Green anaconda snakes are non-venomous but lethal because they suffocate their prey with their strong bodies.
  • The black caiman makes its home in the waters of the Amazon basin and is considered the biggest predator of the Amazon ecosystem. Reaching lengths of 20 ft long, they feed on a wide variety of birds, reptiles, fish, and mammals.
  • The giant otter is considered an apex predator in the rainforest. Giant otters are quick and strong, and cunning. Too, they have even been spotted killing and eating caiman and anaconda.
  • Harpy eagles, when full grown, are at the top of the food chain and have the largest talons of any eagle.
  • The Amazon Basin emerald tree boa is an arboreal species, it lives in trees, are nocturnal and have prehensile tails that grasp things, and can reach lengths of 6-9 ft.
Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

Amazon Rainforest Predators Vocabulary

Introduce some new vocabulary and spelling words to your child.

Here are a few key words and phrases that may come up during your study of Amazon Rainforest Predators to get started with.

  • Predator-an animal that naturally preys on others.
  • Prey-an animal that is caught and killed by another animal for food.
  • Food Chain- list of organisms in a habitat that shows their feeding relationships.
  • Food Web-interlocking pattern of food chains.
  • Carnivore- an animal or plant that eats the flesh of others.
  • Omnivore-an animal that eats both plants and animal materials.
  • Instinct- A natural born pattern of behavior.
Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

In addition, look at these books about the rain forest.

21 Rain Forest Animals For Kids Books and Resources

Add these rain forest animal books, games, and toys to round out your study of the animals of the rain forest.

Wildlife Animal Model Toy Red Eye Tree Frog Figure

It is a great way to expand the growth with children through physical science.

All the Way Down: Amazon Rainforest

This book explores the rainforest layer by layer and the creatures that make their home in each part of the rainforest.

Rainforest Animals (Who Am I?)

Which rainforest animal is a frog that uses its eyes to help it swallow its food? Which rainforest animal is a bird with a big, colorful bill? Let's learn more about rainforest animals such as sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and more! Read With You's Who Am I? series encourages children to be more curious about the world around them as they learn fun facts about animals from across the globe.

Over and Under the Rainforest

Part of the critically acclaimed Over and Under series that includes Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and Over and Under the Snow!Under the canopy of the rainforest hundreds of animals make their homes, but up in the leaves hides another world. Turn the pages of this beautiful and educational book to discover in words and mesmerizing illustration:

Animals like the slender parrot snake and the blue morpho butterfly.

The canopies where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call.

Capuchin monkeys who swing from vines and slow-moving sloths who wait out daily thunderstorms.

Wild Animal Jungle Sloth Toy Figurine

Sloth Toy Figurine

In the Rainforest (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

The rainforest is home to millions of plant and animal species. Some animals live high up in the trees, some crawl across the forest floor, and some tunnel underground, but they all depend on one another and the rain to survive. With colorful illustrations and fascinating diagrams from author-illustrator Kate Duke, In the Rainforest is a lively look at the most vibrant ecosystem on our planet. 

Anacondas (Rain Forest Animals)

This book introduces readers to the largest snake in the world: the anaconda. Readers learn about the life cycle, behavior, physical characteristics, and habitat of anacondas

Learn to Draw Rainforest & Jungle Animals

Expanding the popular collection of animal books in the Learn to Draw Series, Learn to Draw Rainforest & Jungle Animals will teach kids how easy it is to draw a variety of exciting and exotic creatures from around the world. Each project starts with a basic shape and progresses with simple-to-follow steps to a finished realistic final colored artwork. While they’re learning, kids will also discover fun facts about each featured animal.

The Rainforest Grew All Around

Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life in this clever adaptation of the song “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” The jungle comes alive as children learn about a wide variety of the animals (jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats) and plants (kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads) living in the lush Amazon rainforest. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the three-page “For Creative Minds” educational section.

Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals around the World

While it covers more than just the rainforest this is a fabulous resource to have on your shelves. You will find plenty of great pictures and information on many animals that live there- crocodiles, harpy eagles, monkeys, tapir , sloths,Jaguarundi, and the food web.

Rainforest Glow-in-The-Dark Puzzle, Rainforest Animals, Birds, Plants and More

COLORFUL ARTWORK: Kids will love the colorful puzzle artwork showing the animals, plants, trees and birds that call the rainforest home. The storage box shows the completed puzzle artwork and is an ideal place to keep pieces safe and free from damage.

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest

Tells a story of a man who came to cut down a kapok tree and encounters many of the beautiful and exotic native creatures who make their home in the Amazon Rainforest.

Professor Noggin's Reptiles and Amphibians Trivia Card Game

FUN FACTS: How about Reptiles versus Amphibians?!  That's just one of the topic cards in this kids card game.  Find out more fun facts from Eggs to the Komodo Dragon!

Rainforest Gummi Frogs Candy

How fun!

FRESH & FRUITY: Fruidles single-flavor gummies pack giant taste into one delicious flavor. After one bite of these fruity gummies, you'll taste the difference of giant fresh fruit flavors & a deliciously soft chew you won't find with other gummy candies.

Hello, World! Rainforest Animals

This bright and exciting Hello, World! board book teaches toddlers all about the amazing world of a rainforest—with easy-to-understand facts about the incredible animals who make their home there.

Where Is the Amazon?

Human beings have inhabited the banks of the Amazon River since 13,000 BC and yet they make up just a small percentage of the "population" of this geographic wonderland. The Amazon River basin teems with life—animal and plant alike.

Canopy, Card Game, Features 25 Unique Species of Rainforest Animals and Plants

Compete to grow the most bountiful rainforest! Carefully select what grows in your forest, and give rise to a thriving ecosystem.

LEGO Creator Rainforest Animals

Features a frog, a fly and a parrot with articulated wings and tail, opening mouth and rotatable eyes 3-in-1 model: rebuilds into a chameleon or a tropical fish

Afternoon on the Amazon

Vampire bats and killer ants? That's what Jack and Annie are about to run into when the Magic Tree House whisks them away to the Amazon River. It's not long before they get hopelessly lost. Will they be able to find their way back to the tree house? Or are Jack and Annie stuck forever in the rain forest?

Red-eyed Tree Frog (Scholastic Bookshelf)

NatureI n a tropical rain forest in Central America, a red-eyed tree frog spends the night looking for food while avoiding potential predators. Award-winning photographer Nic Bishop's larger-than-life, gorgeous images document the hunt, which ends happily with the frog settling down in the leaves to spend his daylight hours sleeping! Joy Cowley's simple, readable text makes the frog's story fun, interesting, and accessible to young readers.

Protecting the Amazon Rainforest (Saving Earth's Biomes)

Explores the richness of the Amazon rainforest, how humans have damaged it, and efforts being taken to protect it. Clear text, vibrant photos, and helpful infographics make this book an accessible and engaging read.

More Rainforest Activities for Kids

  • Creating Fun Red Eyed Tree Frog Manipulatives for Rain Forest Math
  • Cute Colorful Toilet Paper Roll Rainforest Frogs for a Rainforest Frog Craft
  • 18 Rain Forest Animals For Kids Books and Fun Resources
  • Beautiful And Colorful Amazonian Rainforest Animals Lapbook For Kids
  • 100+ Best and Free Tropical Amazon Rainforest Educators Resources
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Flora and Fauna of the Amazon Rain Forest
  • 3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids
  • Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
  • Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium
  • Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Next, add some of these hands-on Amazon predators activities.

Hands-On Amazon Rainforest Predators Activities

Choose an activity to highlight one of these cunning predators from this list.

  • Create two mats by writing predator and pray at the top on construction paper, use plastic amazon animals to sort them into their proper categories.
Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa
  • Male a cute and simple Paper Plate Anaconda.
  • Colorful and fun Poison Dart Frog Printable.
  • Create a creepy crawly tarantula craft.
  • How cute is this Fuzzy Jaguar Craft?
  • Recreate the fierce Cardboard Crocodile..
  • Print and complete the Amazon Rainforest Food Web Printable.
  • Have your child pick one Amazon predator and create a project around it-diorama, paper mache, LEGO, report, or painting.
  • Include this video on the 10 Deadliest Amazonian Predators while you work on one of the hands-on activities above.

Amazon Rainforest Predators- Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

You will need:

  • Tube pasta
  • Bright green paint
  • Gallon ziploc bag
  • Pipe cleaners
  • White paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Hot glue gun/glue

Grab a handful of uncooked pasta and place it in a gallon storage bag. You can use any kind of larger diameter tubular pasta like penne, Cannelloni, or even Ditalini.

Squirt a couple teaspoons of paint into the bag on top of the pasta.

Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

Shake and knead the bag gently to massage to paint all over the pasta, be sure it’s well coated.

Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

Transfer pasta to a paper or baking sheet to dry and spread it out a bit so it doesn’t dry clumped together.

If it dries on paper it might stick, I stop this by rolling it around after a few minutes of drying time.

Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

Once the pasta is dry, thread it onto 2-3 pipe cleaners that have been twisted together end to end to make it if you want it.

Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

Use hot glue to secure the pieces on each end but leave the rest loose. I left at least 1” of extra space without painted pasta so the snake could be posed and moved around easily.

Paint a white line all the way down the back with a small paintbrush or a paint pen then make small marks down each side along the length of the snake to mimic the markings on the Emerald Tree Boa.

Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

 Finish off by using a marker to draw eyes one either side of the head and add slits for the eyes.

Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: amazon rain forest, crafts, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, rainforest, science

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

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

I have a free homeschool chicken unit study and an anatomy of an egg hands-on felt activity. Also, grab more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies page.

Spring is a great time to learn about farm life, like chickens.

A chicken unit study can take you through learning about the anatomy of chickens, their eggs, life cycles, habits, breeds, what products we get from them and what it takes to keep chickens.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

If you have ever been to a farm supply store and heard the adorable peep of chickens from across the aisles, you know how appealing they can be.

But there is so much more to chickens than fluffy yellow chicks.

They provide us with eggs, meat, and even entertainment.

If you haven’t watched a chicken go after a bug or try to take it from another chicken, you don’t know what you are missing.

Chicken Facts

  • Chickens have an elaborate communication system with over 30 unique vocalizations that they use to communicate with other chickens. These sounds are used for mating calls, danger warnings, stress signals, and when they find food.
  • It takes only 20 to 21 days for chickens to hatch an egg once they begin sitting on their clutch of eggs.
  • Chickens can recognize and remember around 100 different faces of humans and other chickens.
  • You may think that chickens are herbivores, but they are omnivores. They will eat a wide variety of things from vegetables and seeds to bugs, and kitchen scraps, including leftover chicken.
  • There are more chickens on earth than any other type of bird.
  • Mother hens talk to their babies in the egg by making purring noises to them, the babies will even chirp back from inside the egg.
Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

And I have a fun chicken coloring page and a chicken egg anatomy worksheet.

Chicken Unit Study Resources

The chicken life cycle can be used in sensory bins, on a science shelf, in dramatic play, with blocks, have your child build them a “coop” from blocks, and so much more.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity

When you are pulling together resources for your chicken unit study don’t forget to include something fun like this Chicken Coop Building Blocks Set.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity

MORE HANDS ON ACTIVITIES CHICKEN UNIT STUDY

  • Free Chicken Life Cycle Worksheet For Kids & Hands-on Activity
  • 10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

Chicken Unit Study Hands-On Activities

  • Create a Colorful Life Cycle Chicken Craft on stones to learn the life cycle.
  • A hide and peek Chicken and Chicks Craft is a great way to work on fine motor skills while also learning about how mother hens care for their babies.
  • Visit a working farm as a field trip if possible, to watch the chickens, ask questions, gather eggs if you can, check out feed and the chicken coop.
  • Make a cute Accordion Fold Chicken Craft in many colors.
  • This adorable Paper Plate Hen makes a great art addition to your study.
  • Consider raising some baby chicks of your own from incubator to hatching for hands on life experience, they are low maintenance and fun.
  • For the younger chicken tenders in your homeschool put together a Life Cycle of a Chicken Sensory Bin for hours of play.
  • Watch this video of chicks hatching on YouTube.
Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

In addition, I have a chicken coloring page and anatomy of an egg if you have a child who wants to write and label the parts of the egg. Or your younger child can cut and paste to label the parts of the egg.

More Best Homeschool Unit Studies

  • How to Incorporate Subjects into a Fun Homeschool Cooking Unit Study
  • 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

Then add some fun books and resources to your chicken unit study.

9 Books and Resources for a Fun Chicken Unit Study

Whether you’re wanting to do a chicken unit study or study chickens for the day, you’ll love these books and resources to add to your collection.

Chicks & Chickens

Cheep . . .  cheep . . . cluck!  Everything you ever wanted to know about chickens and eggs—except which came first. With bright watercolor illustrations and simple, clear language, nonfiction master Gail Gibbons shows young readers everything there is to know about chickens. See what different breeds of chickens look like, discover how eggs are laid and hatched, and learn how big and little farms take care of their birds. Key vocabulary words about chicken behavior and anatomy are introduced throughout Chicks and Chickens, and new words are reinforced in accessible language for young readers.

4 PCS Chicken Farm Animal Life Cycle Growth Model

Children can see how animals change and grow. Realistic detail showing a different stage in the development of animals.

Uniquely molded textures and richly painted details bring them to life and help inspire creativity for kids.

It is a great way to expand the growth with children through physical science.

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. 

Where Do Chicks Come From?

Read and find out about eggs—and how baby chicks grow inside of them—in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book.

Learn how chicks develop, how they get the food they need to grow, and how a mother hen helps keep them safe in this introduction to the life cycle of a baby chick.

This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It's a Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores introductory concepts perfect for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are:

Chickenology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia

A great educational book, covering:• Different breeds of chickens, like Padovana and Silkie• The difference between roosters and hens• How chicks are formed in the egg• Chickens sounds and noises• Chicken anatomy and feather anatomy and colors• Chickens and eggs around the world• Chicken history and folklore• Raising chickens at home• Chickens as pets

LEGO Creator Easter Chickens 30643

These LEGO Chickens are a fun and easy add on for little ones joining in the fun.

Farm Animal for Kids, Chicken Coop

DETAILED & REALISTIC. Crafted with precision and authentic detail to create a lifelike toy that teaches and inspires toddlers and kids of every age; helps introduce children to animals. From the first sketch to the intricate finishing touches, we see value in every detail.

Farm Animal Chicken Coop Building Blocks

Chicken Coop Building Blocks. It contains a coop, twenty chicken and ten eggs.

Compatible with LEGO: It's made of LEGO-compatible bricks. It will enrich your MOC blocks. It can be put together with a lot of block scenes, such as farm, house, castle, village, animal and so on.

Farm Animals Figurines Simulated Farm Life

These little chicken figurines would also make a great addition to a chicken study, put them in a sensory bin with a little birdseed or cracked corn for hours of fun.

Lastly, I have a fun hands-on activity to learn the parts of an egg.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

And this activity can be adjusted to fit a child of any age.

Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity

You will need:

  • Tan felt
  • White felt
  • Yellow felt
  • Red felt
  • White yarn/string
  • Cardstock       
  • Hot glue guns/stick

Cut an egg shape out of tan felt, you want to make it several inches tall so that you have plenty of room to label all the parts.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

Trace the egg shape onto white felt and cut it out slightly smaller, leaving a very thin border for the shell.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

Cut a small notch out of the bottom like this for the air sac.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

Cut a circle of yellow to make the yolk, and add a small light circle on the yolk with a white crayon or paint pen.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

Twist the white yarn from the top to the bottom of the eggshell and glue the yolk over top of it.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

Write each of the parts of the egg on cardstock and cut them out Yolk, Eggshell, Chalaza, Shell, Germinal disc, and Albumen.

Or take it a step further and have your child type out their own labels for typing practice and to reinforce the new spelling words.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

Now the egg can be put together and glued if you want it to stay permanent.

Or leave the parts loose so it can be built and rebuilt. Add the labels to mark each part of the egg.

Additionally, you can crack open a real egg to see the real-life parts. Have your child point out each one with a skewer.

Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet

How to Get the Free Chicken Egg Worksheet & Coloring Page

Now, how to grab the free chicken pages. This is a subscriber freebie.

1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!
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Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: chicken, elementary science, farm, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, life science, science, unit studies, unit study, unit study approach

Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play

April 24, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

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.

Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play

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.
Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play

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
Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play

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.

Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play

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

Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play

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.

Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play

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.

Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play

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.

Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: birds, ducks, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, life science, science

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