homeschool preschool

Easy Spring Activities For Preschoolers Science And Fun Busy Book

February 5, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some spring activities for preschoolers science and a fun spring busy book. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas

Spring is an ideal season to ignite your preschooler’s curiosity about the natural world.

Flowers are blooming, rain is coming and insects are in abundance.

Easy Spring Activities For Preschoolers Science And Fun Busy Book

It is a perfect time to discover the wonders of nature.

And hands-on activities and through play is how preschoolers learn best.

Take advantage of their natural curiosity to make spring activities for preschoolers science a fun topic.

First, look at some of these books.

BOOKS ABOUT SPRING FOR KIDS

You can read them aloud while they are doing hands-on activities or just sit down and read together for science.

10 Books About Spring for Young Learners

Grab some of these fun books about the spring season for kids.

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms: A Springtime Book For Kids

Fletcher enjoys the sunny weather and the warmth of spring. But when he stumbles across snowy flakes gently floating to the ground, he spreads the news of winter’s return to all his friends. But spring is full of wonderful surprises for Fletcher and his friends.

Miss Rumphius

Barbara Cooney's story of Alice Rumphius, who longed to travel the world, live in a house by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful, has a timeless quality that resonates with each new generation. The countless lupines that bloom along the coast of Maine are the legacy of the real Miss Rumphius, the Lupine Lady, who scattered lupine seeds everywhere she went. Miss Rumphius received the American Book Award in the year of publication.

Blue on Blue

Join a farming family as they experience the full range of a thrilling seaside thunderstorm—from the wild wind and the very first drops; to the pouring, pouring rain; to the wonderful messy mud after the sun returns! With gentle, rhyming text and vivid artwork from a Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator, this sublime depiction of nature’s patterns turns a storm into a celebration.

Yucky Worms: Read and Wonder

Who would want to be friends with a wiggly, slimy worm? You can’t even tell which end is which! But there’s more to these lowly creatures than meets the eye. Kids are invited to find out where worms live, see how they move, and understand why gardeners consider them friends with the help of this humorous and informative look at an unappreciated — and fascinating — creature.Back matter includes further information about worms and an index

Make Way for Ducklings

Mrs. Mallard was sure that the pond in the Boston Public Gardens would be a perfect place for her and her eight ducklings to live. The problem was how to get them there through the busy streets of Boston. But with a little help from the Boston police, Mrs. Mallard and Jack, Kack, Lack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack arive safely at their new home.

Plant the Tiny Seed Board Book: A Springtime Book For Kids

Beautiful collage-and-watercolor art follows the seed through its entire life cycle, as it grows into a zinnia in a garden full of buzzing bees, curious hummingbirds, and colorful butterflies. Children engage with the book as they wiggle their fingers to water the seeds, clap to make the sun shine after rain, and shoo away a hungry snail. Appropriate for even the youngest child, Plant the Tiny Seed is never the same book twice—no matter how many times you read it!

And for curious young nature lovers, a page of facts about seeds, flowers, and the insects and animals featured in the book is included at the end. Fans of Eric Carle, Lois Ehlert, and Press Herewill find their next favorite book in Plant the Tiny Seed.

A Butterfly Is Patient:

Part of the incredible six-book Nature Books series from the award-winning duo of Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long, A Butterfly Is Patient celebrates a dazzling variety of butterflies in all their beauty and wonder.Turn each page to explore the amazing world of these beautiful winged insects through watercolor illustrations that bring to life garden landscapes filled with flowers, vines, leaves, and sunshine.

An Egg Is Quiet:

This stunningly beautiful and wonderfully informative book from award-winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston makes for a fascinating introduction to the vast and amazing world of eggs. Featuring poetic text and an elegant design, this acclaimed book teaches children countless interesting facts about eggs. Full of wit and charm, An Egg Is Quiet will at once spark the imagination and cultivate a love of science.

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

As days stretch longer, animals creep out from their warm dens, and green begins to grow again, everyone knows―spring is on its way!Join a boy and his dog as they explore nature and take a stroll through the countryside, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with everything from the melting brook to chirping birds, they say goodbye to winter and welcome the lushness of spring.

Flowers Are Calling

In this rhyming poetic picture book, explore the wonders of natural cooperation between plants, animals and insects. Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray and illustrated by Kenard Pak is "a sophisticated blend of scientific information and artistry" (Publishers Weekly).

Flowers are calling to all the animals of the forest, "Drink me!"—but it’s the pollinators who feast on their nectar.

In rhyming poetic form and with luminous artwork, this book shows us the marvel of natural cooperation between plants, animals, and insects as they each play their part in the forest's cycle of life.

Next, look at this fun list of ideas for spring activities for preschoolers science.

SPRING ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS SCIENCE

Also, look at this spring busy book for preschool.

SPRING BUSY BOOK FOR PRESCHOOL

Then, I have this fun interactive spring busy book for preschool to nurture learning.

It is a 66 .pdf download.

It covers the following skills.

Spring spell
Season months
Umbrella color matching
Rainbow color matching
Shapes sorting
Let’s stack the cake
Count and match
Match the bird with house
Counting puzzle
Color matching
Butterfly wing match
Spring weather match
Alphabet matching
Sort objects by color
Match the numbers
Count the dots
More, Less or Equal
Photo Match
Fill in the missing number
Let’s dress for the rain
Let’s dress for the sun
Spring shadow matching
Insect sorting
Butterfly life cycle
Emotion matching
Sort by size
Spring animals matching
Fun in spring
Find and count
What comes next
Which is different

The busy book has pages of activities and pages of cut-out.

For example, print the pages and place them in a small binder.

Then print the cut out pages.

Have your child cut and glue the cut-out on the correct activity.

HOW TO GET THE SPRING BUSY BOOK

You can get it now!

All my products are digital. You will not receive a physical product for anything in my store.

Downloads are INSTANT. When you pay, you will receive an email with a download link INSTANTLY. Depending on your internet connection, the email could be just 30 seconds or so, or a bit longer. The point is it will be soon, not a week later,etc.

The email with the download link will go to the email you used for paypal. If you used your husband’s paypal, your downloads will go to that email. Please check that email and your spam before emailing me telling me you can’t find it.

Please put my email tina @ tinasdynamichomeschoolplus dot com (take out the space and substitute the right symbol for dot) in your address/contact list so that your product does not go to spam.

MY GUARANTEE: To treat you like I want to be treated which means I know at times technical problems may cause glitches, so I will do everything possible to make your experience here pleasant. Also, you can email me at my personal email tinahomeschools at gmail dot com.

Dynamic Simple Spring Busy Book For Kids Who Love Learning
$3.75 Add to cart

How to Make an Easy Build a Snowman Kid’s Game (free printable cube)

January 14, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a build a snowman free printable game. Also, look at my pages Winter Season Unit Study Free Lapbook & Hands-On Ideas.

Whether you’re looking for a fun activity to do indoors to keep ~~you~~ the kids from going stir crazy or looking for an easy activity to go with a winter unit study, you’ll love this build a snowman kid’s game.

How to Make an Easy Build a Snowman Kid's Game (free printable cube)

Also, reading aloud while your kids play is a great way to add in some facts about winter.

For example, we love living books.

When possible, we prefer to read them over how to books.

And for this theme of snowman, you’ll want to add a few story books.

BOOKS ABOUT WINTER FOR KIDS

13 Snow, Snowman, Animals, and Winter Books

Add one or more of these books to your learning day if you're learning about snow, snowflakes, winter or just for fun.

Winter Cottage

Immerse Yourself in This Story of Love and Companionship Amidst Deprivation

It is the fall of 1930, and America has plunged into the Great Depression. On a remote dirt road deep in the snowy woods of northern Wisconsin, misfortune forces the impoverished Sparkes family to take desperate measures.

A wayfaring quartet consisting of thirteen-year-old Araminta (nicknamed Minty), her recently unemployed father-a poetry-quoting widower called Pops-and her younger sister, Eglantine (known as Eggs-a dreamer like Pops), and their dog, Buster, are on their way to Minneapolis to live with the curmudgeonly Aunt Amy. When their car breaks down and they are unable to fix it, the homeless four stumble upon a vacant summer cottage by a lake. In desperate straits, they decide to settle in.

1. The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder

How do snow crystals form? What shapes can they take? Are no two snow crystals alike? These questions and more are answered inside this exploration of the science of snow, featuring photos of real snow crystals in all their beautiful diversity. Perfect for reading on winter days, this book by a nature photographer and a snow scientist will inspire wonder and curiosity about the marvels of snow.

2. Sneezy the Snowman

B-R-R-R-R! AH-CHOO! Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire–and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again–and make him feel “just right”.

3. Snowmen at Night

Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you've wondered . . . what do snowmen do at night? This delightful wintertime tale reveals all!

4. The Biggest Snowman Ever

When the mayor of Mouseville announces the town snowman contest, Clayton and Desmond claim that they will each make the biggest snowman ever. But building a huge snowman alone is hard! They work and work, but their snowmen just aren't big enough. Soon they have an idea. As the day of the contest approaches, Clayton and Desmond join forces to build the biggest snowman ever.

5. Over and Under the Snow

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book exploring the subnivean zone reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow.

A Hat for Minerva Louise

"Stoeke's second book about that intrepid screwball, Minerva Louise, is a rare find."—The Horn Book, starred review. The other chickens hate snowy mornings. But not Minerva Louise! To her a snowy day—like everything else—is an adventure. But this chilly, chipper hen needs something to keep her warm. What she finds—and how she finds it—will keep young readers cackling.

6. How to Catch a Snowman

Our heroes' entry for the snowman contest has magically come to life―and ran away! Can YOU help catch it? Get ready for snow much fun as you travel through a winter wonderland with running, skating, and bouncing through trap after trap to catch the snowman and claim the winning prize. Will the snowman teach our heroes a lesson they'll never forget?

The Big Snow

When the geese begin to fly south, the leaves flutter down from the trees and the cold winds begin to blow from the north, the animals of the woods and meadows, big and small, prepare for the long, cold winter ahead when the countryside is hidden under a deep blanket of snow. They gather food and look for warm, snug places in the ground, trees, caves or thickets, where they can find protection against the icy winds.It might have been hard for the birds and animals of the hillside to survive when the Big Snow came if their good friends, who lived in the little stone house, had not remembered to put food out for them.Here, in many beautiful pictures, the Haders show how winter comes to the woodland as the busy animals make their preparations.

7. Curious About Snow (Smithsonian)

The Smithsonian does things right and this Curious About Snow book is a
great introduction for curious kiddos with real images and simple explanations.

8. Animals in Winter

This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.

9. Arctic Figurines, Including A Harp Seal, Husky, Caribou, Arctic Rabbit, Killer Whale, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Beluga Whale, Igloo, And Polar Bear

SET OF 10 FUN AND FRIGID FIGURES – It’s hard to stay warm at the North Pole, but you can discover its wonders in your home with these frigid friends. This TOOB includes a Harp Seal, Husky, Caribou, Arctic Rabbit, Killer Whale, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Beluga Whale, Igloo, and Polar Bear.

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

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

Next, look at ways to play the snowman game.

BUILD A SNOWMAN GAME PLAYING IDEAS

This game can actually be done many different ways depending on the ages of your kids.

Look at these suggestions below on how to do this latest fun activity I have for you.

Roll the cube, and have an older child cut out cardboard and draw, color or paint each piece as he builds the snowman.
Roll the cube, and have a younger child cut out card stock and draw, color or paint each piece as he builds the snowman.
Print two pictures of the cube or die on card stock. Have your child cut out the pictures on one cube and glue the pictures on cardboard or paper. Use another cube for game playing.
To teach a preschooler shapes, make the snowman parts different shapes. Octagon for the body, circles for the buttons and cone for the nose will have him practicing geometry skills.
Of course, you can just have the child color the picture as he rolls that part of the snowman on the cube.
Another easy tip is to cut out the snowman on the download below and put him back together as your child rolls the cube.

Grab this FUN and FREE How to Make an Easy Build a Snowman Kid's Game (with free printable cube). It’s a great activity for a winter unit study to keep the kids busy.

Next look at more snowman fun.

MORE SNOWMAN ACTIVITIES

Snowman Kid’s Game

Although a game like this is fun, it also teaches many skills.

Preschoolers strengthen fine motor skills by both coloring and cutting.

In addition, you can expand this game by writing down words that correspond to the pictures on the cube.

And children learn to take turns as they play together.

Another way to make this game fun for your artsy kids is to have them roll the cube and draw their own parts for the snowman and build it as they go along.

Designing their own snowman builds creativity and strengthens the imagination.

A game like building a snowman is also a fun activity to do with a group of kids in a homeschool co-op.

Each kid can design their own snowman and learn to play together.

One more idea is to have your children work together to build a giant snowman on butcher block paper.

Collaboration is a skill that a child uses on to high school.

HOW TO GET THE FREE SNOWMAN PRINTABLE PAGE AND CUBE

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

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie now.

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

What ideas do you have for building a snowman?

How to Make a Triorama Teaching the Primary Colors with Dollar Tree Supplies

January 7, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m showing you how to make a triorama using Dollar Tree supplies to teach your little one primary colors. Also, look at my page Trioramas: How To Create Engaging Visual Narratives For Kids for more ideas.

Introducing primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—to preschoolers lays a strong foundation for their artistic and cognitive development.

How to Make a Triorama Teaching the Primary Colors with Dollar Tree Supplies

And there are so many fun ways to do it.

Once they have mastered primary colors (red, yellow, blue) you can move on to secondary colors (orange, purple, green) through color mixing.

Our activity today introduces children to the idea of color mixing primary colors to create new colors in a simple hands-on way.

Too, I have a rainbow of colorful ideas to help you teach them in the most fun ways.

Incorporating engaging activities is an effective way to teach primary colors to preschoolers, fostering their color recognition, artistic skills, and overall cognitive development.

BOOKS ABOUT COLORS FOR PRESCHOOL

Next, add some books that teach color concepts.

8 Books About Color

Add these books about color to your home library.

The Days The Crayons Quit

Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. Blue needs a break from coloring all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?

Mix It Up!: Board Book Edition

Follow the artist's simple instructions, and suddenly colors appear . . . mix . . . splatter . . . and vanish in a vivid world powered only by the reader's imagination. The result is not only enchantment and giggles, but a real and deeper understanding of colors brought by a true master of his craft.

Mouse Paint

One day three white mice discover three jars of paint--red, blue, and yellow. But what happens when they splash in the colors, mixing the
red and blue? Or dance in the blue and yellow? This playful introduction
to colors will appeal to any budding artist or curious preschooler.

Green

Die cut pages bring surprise after surprise in this magical new book from the "Queen of the concept book"―an intricate and satisfying homage to green, the color of all creation.How many kinds of green are there? There's the lush green of a forest on a late spring day, the fresh, juicy green of a just-cut lime, the incandescent green of a firefly, and the vivid aquamarine of a tropical sea. In her newest book, Caldecott and Geisel Honor Book author Laura Vaccaro Seeger fashions an homage to a single color and, in doing so, creates a book that will delight and, quite possibly astonish you.

White Rabbit's Colors

White Rabbit finds three pots of paint―and discovers the magic of color!Young children will enjoy following Alan Baker's inquisitive LITTLE RABBITS as they make new discoveries. Simple storylines and playful artwork offer a fresh approach to learning early concepts.

Ruby, Violet, Lime: Looking for Color

Ruby flowers, violet quilts, lime frosting ― colors are all around us. How many colors can you find in the pages of this book?

Edible Colors: See, Learn, Eat

With a combination of unusual foods and a kaleidoscope of colors, this concept book shows that not all foods have to look the same way. A banana can be red, broccoli can be purple, and cherries can be yellow and still taste just as delicious.

Colors

A red fire truck races, orange pumpkins glow, and purple flowers bloom.Vivid pictures of familiar scenes, animals, and objects introduce future readers to color words and inspire them to look carefully at the world around them. Full of striking close-ups on fruits, flowers, and animals, as well as striking portraits of kids from diverse backgrounds, Colors is a bright, brilliant concept book from the creator of the award-winning Shades of People.

Before we get to our tutorial on how to make a triorama for young learners which teaches primary colors, here are some other great ideas with you.

TEACHING PRIMARY COLORS WITH HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

Color Conversations – Regularly point out and name primary colors in everyday objects like toys, clothing, food, and nature. “Look at the blue sky!” or “Your banana is yellow!”

Color Themed Days- Dedicate specific days to each primary color, encouraging children to wear that color or bring in objects of that color.

Color Sorting- Provide a basket of objects in various colors and have children sort them into primary color groups.

I Spy with Colors- “I spy something red!” Children search for an object matching the called-out color.

Color Matching- Create cards with primary color blocks and matching pictures of objects (red apple, yellow sun, blue bird). Children match the colors and objects.

Color Scavenger Hunt- Give children a list of primary colors and have them find objects of those colors.

Finger Painting- Provide red, yellow, and blue paint and let children explore mixing the colors with their fingers.

Color Mixing with Watercolors- Demonstrate how mixing primary colors creates secondary colors (red + yellow = orange, yellow + blue = green, blue + red = purple).

Rainbow Art- Encourage children to create rainbows using various materials like crayons, paint, or colored paper.

Primary Color Collages- Provide red, yellow, and blue paper and have children tear and glue them to create collages.

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES TO TEACH COLORS

Colored Rice or Pasta- Dye rice or pasta red, yellow, and blue and let children explore the textures and colors.

Color Mixing with Playdough– Provide red, yellow, and blue playdough and encourage children to mix the colors.

Water Play with Food Coloring- Add red, yellow, and blue food coloring to water and let children experiment with color mixing.

Color Songs– Sing songs about primary colors, incorporating actions and movements related to each color.

Color Dance-Play music and call out primary colors, having children dance or move in a way that represents each color.

Color-Themed Books- Read books that focus on primary colors or incorporate color-related themes.

Color Word Recognition- Create flashcards with primary color words and matching pictures, have your child match the words and pictures.

Look at more triorama activities.

MORE TRIORAMA IDEAS

Finally, look at how to make a triorama teaching the primary colors.

HOW TO MAKE A TRIORAMA TEACHING THE PRIMARY COLORS WITH DOLLAR TREE SUPPLIES

We are going to use a cardboard box for this to make it a bit sturdier when it’s soaked in paint and so that it holds up to a toddler or preschooler playing with it.

You will need:

Cardboard box
Red craft paint
Blue craft paint
Yellow craft paint
Paintbrushes
Black permanent marker
Scissors

If you don’t already have a cardboard box laying around like an old Amazon box you can pick up a shipping box at Dollar Tree for $1.25.

But after wandering around I realized they had a big stack of broken down boxes and grabbed one for free.

Use a ruler to cut out a square of whatever size you would like from one side of your cardboard box.

Draw a line from corner to corner to create an X using the ruler to help you stay on a straight line.

TRIORAMA TEACHING THE PRIMARY COLORS

Now you are going to use either a box cutter or the point of your scissors to just score the lines you’ve drawn.

You just want to cut through the first layer of cardboard to make it bend a little easier, do not go all the way through.

Use your scissors to cut from one corner to the center point on just one corner.

Add one of each of the primary colors to every triangle but one, this one will be folded underneath.

Have your child paint the color all over that section, trying to stay within the triangle at first.

Now you can have them draw a little paint from both sides to combine it and create a new color wherever the colors touch.

For the two that are separated by a blank triangle just use the paintbrush to transfer from side to side.

Allow it to dry completely and then use a marker to write in each of the colors.

Fold along the scored lines you made and fold the cut pieces on under another and glue into place to make the pyramid shape.

You can use the triorama as an activity to have your child gather items from around the house in each of the colors, or just put it on display as is.

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

September 12, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, we’re making a letter Y handprint craft. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more handprint crafts and preschool ideas.

And we’re featuring a yak, a fun new animal to introduce to your preschooler or kindergartener.

There is just something so precious about those first little handprint crafts with tiny fingers that won’t stay that way for long.

Too, they are so proud of the finished product.

How To Make A Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

My main focus during the preschool years is reading good quality books.

Reading aloud develops imagination, vocabulary, language development, listening skills, comprehension, and helps grow their focus and attention.

I found the absolute cutest story that went right along with our activity and of course “we” had to model our yak after the little hero of the story Gertie.

The book is The Littlest Yak. A cute must read with your littles.

While Gertie is adorable, yaks really are amazing animals that live in the high mountains of the Himalayas. Yaks are very important to the people of the Himalayas

Known for their long, shaggy fur and their big horns, yaks are found in the high mountains of Asia.

What makes them so amazing is that yaks are very strong and can carry incredibly heavy loads.

They are also very gentle and friendly animals.

People in the Himalayas use yaks for many things.

For example, they are used to transport goods, to pull plows, and to provide milk and meat.

Books about the Continent of Asia for Kids

Also, grab some of these books to read about Asia to your child.

I love to use living books when I can find them.

9 Asia Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Asia is a large continent but I try to list some of our favorites.

Prairie Lotus

Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, in a small town in America’s heartland, in 1880. Hanna’s adjustment to her new surroundings, which primarily means negotiating the townspeople’s almost unanimous prejudice against Asians, is at the heart of the story.

A Single Shard

Tree-ear is fascinated by the celedon ware created in the village of Ch’ulp’o. He is determined to prove himself to the master potter, Min—even if it means making a solitary journey to present Min’s work in the hope of a royal commission . . . or arriving at the royal court with nothing but a single celadon shard.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

The star of her school’s running team, Sadako is lively and athletic…until the dizzy spells start. Then she must face the hardest race of her life—the race against time. Based on a true story, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes celebrates the courage that makes one young woman a heroine in Japan.

The Big Wave

Kino lives on a farm on the side of a mountain in Japan. His friend, Jiya, lives in a fishing village below. Everyone, including Kino and Jiya, has heard of the big wave. No one suspects it will wash over them, until the rushing water sweeps away the whole village—including Jiya's family.

One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale

Long ago in India, there lived a raja who believed that he was wise and fair. But every year he kept nearly all of the people's rice for himself. Then when famine came, the raja refused to share the rice, and the people went hungry. Then a village girl named Rani devises a clever plan. She does a good deed for the raja, and in return the raja lets her choose her reward. Rani asks for just one grain of rice, doubled every day for thirty days. Through the surprising power of doubling, one grain of rice grows into more than one billion grains of rice - and Rani teaches the raja a lesson about what it truly means to be wise and fair.Demi's exquisitely detailed art, inspired by traditional Indian miniature paintings, combine with her simple retelling to convey the heart and wisdom of this satisfying mathematical tale.

I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade

A moving and heartfelt story about the lengths one would go to help their family.

When Oyuna was a baby, a horse accidentally crushed her foot, cursing her family with bad luck. Oyuna vows to restore good fortune to her family…but how?

One fateful day, soldiers from the great Khan's army invade her village to steal horses and gather new soldiers. In hopes of bringing honor to her family, Oyuna courageously disguises herself as a boy and joins the soldiers on their quest. With only her horse and her cat to keep her company, Oyuna sets off on an amazing journey across deserts and mountains―a journey that will change her life forever.

The Golden Hawks of Genghis Khan

"You must not speak of the Golden Hawks! Word easily flies down the caravan trails to the ears of the Mongols in the land of Genghis Khan. And then, Jalair, the Mongols will come and slay you!"

The Story about Ping

Ping, the spirited little duck who lives on a boat on the Yangtze River. Ping's misadventures one night while exploring the world around his home form the basis of this timeless classic, which is brought to life by Kurt Wiese's warm and poignant illustrations.

The Littlest Yak

A little yak yearns for BIG things in this rollicking, rhyming picture book that celebrates individuality, unique talents, and the importance of not growing up too fast.Gertie is the littlest yak in her pack, feeling stuck in her smallness. She wants to grow up and have BIGNESS and TALLNESS, with the hugest of hooves and humongous horns too! Because there isn't anything a BIG yak can't do.So Gertie devises a growing-up plan. She eats her veggies, exercises every day, and reads lots of books. Still, she isn't any bigger. But when the other yaks come calling for Gertie to help them with a daring and dangerous task, could it be because it's something only a small yak can do?

Then look at some fun facts about yaks to share with your children.

5 Yak Fun Facts

Yak poop doesn’t stink-when they have water and are able to forage to eat, their dung has little to no odor. The Tibetan plateaus don’t have trees, so yak dung is the only easily obtainable fuel.
Yaks have two layers of fur to keep them warm in the high altitude cold mountain air of places like China, Nepal, Mongolia, and Tibet. See if you can find these places on a map or globe.
They have a long social life in the wild and can live for up to 20 years with their herds.
Yaks are herbivores, which means that they eat plants like low lying grasses and shrubs.
Yak butter is big in Tibet, their milk is white or pink and very nutritious. It is also used to make a unique popular cheese.

Also, add a few more letter y handprint crafts to your day.

More Letter Y Handprint And Y Crafts

Y is for Yo Yo, Here you will find some Letter Y craft ideas including a cute little hand that has been traced, cut out, and holding a yo yo.
For a unique take on the letter, check out –Y is For Yacht and take a boating turn on letter learning.
I thought that Y is for Yellow was a clever practice for Y, bright and colorful it catches a child’s attention and is a good representation of the sound.
Loads of activity ideas to supplement and a Y is For Yawn craft that might make you a bit sleepy too ( I recommend this one before nap time).
Make a mess with squiggly piles of yarn to create this Y is for Yarn craft.

More Handprint Crafts

Additionally, here are more activities about Asia if you want to include you older children.

Asia Activities For Kids

Finally, look at how to make this letter Y handprint craft.

Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

We are going to make a handprint craft from two handprints that make an adorable little yak.

We made ours black and white, but you can choose from the wide variety of yak colors to create yours.

Their fur comes in black, brown, white, and yellow.

You will need:

Construction paper
Craft paint
Google eyes
A little hand
paintbrushes

First, gather all your supplies and have them close at hand so you don’t have to leave little painted hands unattended while you run to grab something.

Paint the entire hand white.

Now quickly go over the white with black paint on the 4 fingers only, excluding the thumb.

Then press the hand firmly onto the paper, making sure to press gently but firmly all over your palm and fingers.

Wash the hand clean.

Paint the palm black and the pinky and thumb white and press onto the paper slightly overlapping the body hand print you made.

Again, press the entire hand down firmly to transfer as much paint as you can.

Use a paintbrush to extend the horns or fill in gaps of missing paint if you need to.

To create their cold snowy climate, use the back and of a paintbrush dipped in white paint for snowflakes.

The final step is to draw a large Y in pencil.

Now, let or help your child paint over it with a small paintbrush to become more familiar with the letter.

Once everything is dry, glue googly eyes to the face to finish it off.

Fun and Easy Preschool Hibernation Science Activities to Nurture Learning

September 9, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Are you looking for fun and easy ways to teach preschool hibernation science activities and resources that really nurture learning? Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.

Keep on reading for a host of wonderful ideas.

You know that hands-on activities are always my go-to for teaching.

Fun and Easy Preschool Hibernation Science Activities to Nurture Learning

But especially with younger children they need play learning.

Play learning incorporates sensory experiences, builds problem solving, and creates positive learning experiences.

When many animals disappear in winter, where do they go?

This is a great nature topic for preschoolers, to learn about hibernation.

Also, add some fun books.

HIBERNATION AND MIGRATION BOOKS FOR KIDS

We love living books so I add them to our reading list when I can find them.

Then some of my kids love reference books too.

6 Hibernation and Migration Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Add these fun books to your home library about animals that hibernate or migrate.

Traveling with the birds. A book on bird migration.

Bird migration.

Wild Voyageur

Story of a goose family.

Hibernation Station

Everybody at the station! It’s time for winter hibernation! The sweet rhyming text of this book will calm even the most rambunctious kids and have them dreaming about what it’s like to hibernate. Young readers will be soothed and delighted as this story introduces them to different types of hibernating animals. The creatures on the train are preparing to snuggle into sleep, although with a passenger list that includes chipmunks, bears, snakes, hedgehogs, groundhogs, frogs, turtles, mice, bats, and more, there’s a lot of noise! Will the hibernating critters ever get to sleep? Take a trip to Hibernation Station to find out!

Time to Sleep

A chill is in the air and Bear knows it is time for her winter nap. But first, she must tell Snail. And Snail must tell Skunk. And Skunk must tell Turtle. Each animal who tries to put off going to sleep just a little longer sees, smells, hears, or tastes the signs of the impending season. Finally, Ladybug rushes off to tell Bear--already asleep in her cave--the exciting news.

Animals in Winter

This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.

Have you ever seen a butterfly in the snow? Probably not. Butterflies can't survive cold weather, so when winter comes, many butterflies fly to warmer places. They migrate. Woodchucks don't like cold weather either, but they don't migrate; they hibernate. Woodchucks sleep in their dens all winter long. How do these and other animals handle the cold and snow of winter?

Over and Under the Snow

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow.

WHAT IS HIBERNATION

Hibernation is a special kind of deep sleep that certain animals do to survive the cold winter months.

When animals hibernate, their body temperature drops way down, their breathing slows way down, and they go into a deep sleep.

This helps them save energy and make it through the winter without having to find food.

These creatures usually start preparing for hibernation in the fall by eating tons of food to build up their fat stores.

They also find a safe and cozy place to sleep, like a cave or a burrow.

Once they’re all settled in, they will sleep for most of the winter.

They might wake up every once in a while, for a quick snack or drink, but they’ll mostly just be snoozing until spring arrives.

When spring finally comes around, hibernating animals will wake up and start eating and moving around again.

They’ll be hungry after their long sleep, so they’ll often start looking for food right away.

Hibernation is an incredible way for animals to survive the winter.

It’s like they have their own built-in sleeping bags and fat stores that act as fully stocked refrigerators to live off.

Animals that Hibernate

Snakes
Bats
Deer Mice
Groundhogs
Hedgehogs
Box Turtles
Bumblebees
Fat Tailed Dwarf Lemur
Chipmunks
Ground Squirrels
Ladybugs
Marmots
Skunks
Raccoons
Woodchucks

Next, look at more preschool hibernation science activities.

MORE PRESCHOOL HIBERNATION SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Make A Paper Bag Bear Den for Small World Play and you not only have an art project but also a really cute cave to add to blocks or sensory bins.
Young preschoolers will love this Animals In Winter Hibernation Sensory Activity.
Paper plate crafts are very inexpensive and can be so cute like the Hibernating Bear Paper Plate Craft And Free Template.
Hibernation Habitat Process Art.
Some bats migrate and some hibernate, make this cute Fun Bat Anatomy Toilet Paper Roll Craft | 8 Bat Science Activities Preschool.
Check out this Over and Under The Snow Activities for a Free Literature Unit Study while they are also learning basic nature science concepts.

An invitation to play is a wonderful activity that encourages a child to expand their thinking and creativity.

Children play in a new way, allowing for open-ended play with little to no direction.

HIBERNATION SCIENCE INVITATION TO PLAY

After reading a book on hibernation, watching a video, or completing another activity your child will love diving into creating hibernation habitats for their little animals.

Or they might build a bridge for them to cross, sort the materials, or create a maze- all wonderful exploration ideas!

Grab a divided tray and let’s get started.

If you don’t have one on hand you can find several sizes and styles at Dollar Tree.

If you want something a little more organic and durable these wooden options are beautiful.

You will need:

A divided tray
Fiber fill
Toilet paper roll
Small plastic animals that hibernate
Clay or playdough
Natural items-moss, twigs, bark, small rocks

First, gather as many natural materials as you can from the yard.

For example, sticks, twigs, rocks, large chunks of bark, leaves, and moss all make lovely natural habitat pieces.

I like to also include some small rocks or pebbles to use for building caves.

You will probably want to also include a few toys and household items like small plastic animals, cotton batting makes a wonderful layer of snow.

Also, an empty toilet paper tube can be colored like this to create a hollowed out log (you are not likely to find a miniature version in your yard).

I like to also include some clay whenever it is any kind of building invitation to play because it helps adhere things together in a non-permanent way.

PRESCHOOL INVITATION TO PLAY

You can use Play-Doh but I find that this Crayola air-dry clay is much stickier.

Lay out your items separated into your divided tray and don’t forget to include an on-theme book for them to reference IF they wish.

Start building the base of your cave and use clay as mortar to hold the rocks together.

Continue building up and around until you have it completed.

Don’t forget to make sure it is large enough for your animal to fit inside.

We used our colored toilet paper roll as a hollow log for our squirrel to curl up in for the winter and covered it in a layer of “snow”.

While platypuses do not hibernate for the winter they do go into a state called ‘torpor’ ( which has only been witnessed in captivity)for up to 6 days.

This is a great opportunity to discuss animals that do and do not hibernate and those that partially hibernate.

We tucked ours among some logs.

Let your child play as long as they like exploring, creating, and enjoying.

You may find that if you put it away a few days later and bring it back out with a few new pieces added into it it’ll be like a fresh activity all over again.

Can you spot our hibernating snake?

homeschool preschool

BOOKS ABOUT SPRING FOR KIDS

SPRING ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS SCIENCE

SPRING BUSY BOOK FOR PRESCHOOL

HOW TO GET THE SPRING BUSY BOOK

Dynamic Simple Spring Busy Book For Kids Who Love Learning

BOOKS ABOUT WINTER FOR KIDS

BUILD A SNOWMAN GAME PLAYING IDEAS

MORE SNOWMAN ACTIVITIES

Snowman Kid’s Game

HOW TO GET THE FREE SNOWMAN PRINTABLE PAGE AND CUBE

BOOKS ABOUT COLORS FOR PRESCHOOL

TEACHING PRIMARY COLORS WITH HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES TO TEACH COLORS

MORE TRIORAMA IDEAS

HOW TO MAKE A TRIORAMA TEACHING THE PRIMARY COLORS WITH DOLLAR TREE SUPPLIES

TRIORAMA TEACHING THE PRIMARY COLORS

Books about the Continent of Asia for Kids

5 Yak Fun Facts

More Letter Y Handprint And Y Crafts

More Handprint Crafts

Asia Activities For Kids

Letter Y Handprint Craft Featuring A Yak

HIBERNATION AND MIGRATION BOOKS FOR KIDS

WHAT IS HIBERNATION

Animals that Hibernate

MORE PRESCHOOL HIBERNATION SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

HIBERNATION SCIENCE INVITATION TO PLAY

PRESCHOOL INVITATION TO PLAY

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