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Free Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids

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I have a free horse unit study for your horse loving kids. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more ideas.

If you have a horse loving middle school kid, I have a collection of resources for you.

I’ve herded up (corny pun intended) enough amazing resources to put together a fun and full horse unit study that will knock their saddle off.

You don’t have to have horses to have a horse lover on your hands, there is still plenty they can learn even if they can’t get out and ride. 

Free Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids

Choose a few items from each category to celebrate December 13th which is National Day of the Horse.

Or enjoy them in an equine themed unit study.

While I did gear this unit to mostly middle schoolers I included a few resources that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Books about Horses

First look at one or more of these books which can easily be a spine.

9 Books and Resources for Horse Loving Kids

Whether you add a book or two to use as a spine for your study or just for fun, your horse loving kids will enjoy them.

Moreover include hands-on activities in your horse unit study.

Hands-on Activities about Horses

Include fun hands-on activities every chance you get for maximum impact.

When kids of any age are engaged and having fun with a subject, they love they will always learn more!

If you don’t have horses, sign up your child for horseback riding lessons in your area.

If horseback lessons are out of your budget or you just want to let your child work for it a little more, consider reaching out to a local barn and inquiring about work programs.

Sometimes they trade out manual labor (like mucking stalls and washing horses) for riding lessons.

Free Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids

Additionally, print this Free Horse Lapbook to offer a little structure to their lessons, learn about breeds, horse vocabulary, horse diet and more.

Here are a bunch of horse worksheets to print and work into your horse unit study for some writing practice.

Also, use How to Draw Horse. Even older children can benefit from drawing for developing fine motor skills and art appreciation.

Free Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids

Make this amazing Horse String art for an activity that will brighten up the walls.

Additionally, look at more information about this study guide.

ABOUT THE HORSE STUDY GUIDE

This printable packet is a 102 page printable pdf download.

Free Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids

Here are some of the topics included.

  • Equipment for horses
  • What is a horse
  • Horse Life Cycle
  • Caring for a horse
  • Parts of a saddle
  • Horses in history
  • Horses on the farm
  • Hooves
  • Wild horses
  • Pony vs horse
  • Donkey vs horse
  • Zebra vs horse
  • Arabian, Mustangs, Thoroughbreds, American Quarter, Appaloosa, American Paint, Clydesdale, Friesian, Morgan, Tennessee Walking, Shire, Percheron, Gypsy Vanner, Andalusian, and Shetland Pony Breed matching, sorting and matching activities
  • Horse quiz activity
  • Bingo activity
  • Name the horse activity
  • Anatomy of a horse hoof activity
  • Horse life cycle activity
  • Horse care matching
  • Parts of a saddle activity
  • Equipment I Spy activity

HOW TO GET THE HORSE PRINTABLE INFORMATION PACKET

You can get it now!

More Hands-on Horse Unit Study Resources

Then put together a Horse Jigsaw Puzzle over the course of your study.

The middle schooler that loves crafting will adore this Felt Horse Stuffie Craft.

Label the parts of a horse. You can use a Breyer or other horse figuring and sticky note strips to have your child label the various parts of a horse rather than just filling out a boring old worksheet.

Free Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids

This Pool Noodle Hobby Horse Craft is geared to young children but what about having your tween or teen make some to donate to a children’s hospital or women’s shelter as a community outreach project?

If you do have a horse, have a friend with one, or visit a farm or stables you can assign this How to Make Molasses Horse Treat recipe to include some cooking to the unit study.

MORE HANDS-ON HORSE ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Further, add games to your study.

Horse Themed Games

Games help important facts stick and can make a boring day come to life.

4 Horse Games

Themed games should be a required part of every theme in my opinion.

Finally, look at these videos.

Free Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids

Combine fact filled videos and movies about famous horses, inspired by real events or completely fictitious stories to your horse unit study to make it exciting and less like work while they learn.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

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Growing a seed activity for kindergarten science is one of the easiest and delight science experiments with kids. Also, grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

A seed activity for kindergarten is a great way to introduce your child to life science.

For this science experiment, I wanted to keep it simple while also letting the kids fully see the seed as it sprouts.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

Too, by not being hampered by soil or being tucked inside a paper towel your kids will be amazed at the growing stages.

For this seed experiment we are going to investigate if seeds need darkness to sprout.

Begin by explaining that seeds need the proper temperature, moisture, air, and light conditions to germinate.

But they do not require being covered in soil.

Let’s investigate if the light or dark makes a difference. 

You can keep activities simple and still learn so much by investigating life around you with your child.

A Seed is Sleepy Activity

In addition, I based this experiment off the book A Seed is Sleepy.

Aa beautiful picture book that is a great science reference book for preschoolers to middle elementary students.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

The illustrations are rich and the snippets of information it provides give a lot of great information for young learners.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

Also, below you will see a list of some other books you can use as well

Books About Seeds for Kids Science

Even picture books can be used with older learners.

5 Fun Books About Seeds

Children of all ages love activities about seeds. Add a few of these books to your learning day or use as a unit study.

Then, look at more seed activities here or choose several and make it a great seed unit study.

Hands-on Seed Activities

You can also use the book to investigate other types of seeds besides fruit and vegetables.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

Go on a nature walk and collect pinecones, acorns, seed pods, and flowers to investigate.

More Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

Look at these other resources.

Then, look below at how to do this easy science activity.

Before you begin the experiment, have your child make a hypothesis as to what they think will happen?

Will both sprout? Which will sprout faster? 

If they can, write down their answers so they have the opportunity to see their words in print.

Let your child do as much of this as possible so they have ownership in the experiment.

Help your child create a small booklet by stapling together half sheets of paper.

For example, staple down one side to bind to record the different steps in the experiment with words or just their drawings.

Explain that you want to try and keep everything the same in the experiment except for the one thing which is light and dark so that your results are accurate.

Easy Grow a Seed Activity

You will need:

  • Seeds (radishes are a quick sprouting seed)
  • 2 containers
  • Black paper
  • Paper towels
  • Water

Directions:

Grab two of the same containers, whatever you have laying around will work, cleaned out yogurt containers, paper cups, etc.

Then, fold a paper towel so that it is small enough to fit in the bottom.

Soak the paper towel and place a few seeds on each damp paper towel in your cup. 

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

Cover one cup completely with black construction paper.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

Next, place both in a sunny window. Explain that you want to keep everything the same except for one.

Check both every 24 hours.

Usually at this time they are completely or almost dried out so you will need to rewet the paper towels. Take care not to disturb the seeds.

Here is what our experiment looked like at the start.

After 24 hours, there was really no difference yet in either cup.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

At 48 hours we could see a tiny sprout bursting out of the seeds which were covered with the dark paper but nothing on the one exposed to light.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

After 72 hours there is an obvious sprout from several seeds in the dark cup.

Also, at this point we noticed that one of the seeds in the cup which was covered finally started to germinate but just a tiny bit.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

Look how much has happened with the covered seeds after just 3 days.

It’s clear that seeds need the darkness to sprout.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

After the experiment is done you can transplant your seedlings to soil for planting in the garden once they are large enough.

About Astronomy and Space Science Fun Quick Unit Study

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Learning about astronomy and space science is a fun quick study. Sometimes you want to study about science without having to dig too deep. Add it to my Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for a fun study and look at m page Best Homeschool Unit Studies.

When learning about astronomy and space in general there is a vast amount to cover.

About Astronomy and Space Science Fun Quick Unit Study

Everything from stars to space dust, the mapping out of the milky way to UV rays.

I have gathered up some resources to help you build a unit study on astronomy and space science for all ages. 

5 Questions and Answers for Kids about Astronomy and Space

First, let’s break it down a bit by answering some questions that may help your student better understand what and why of space sciences.

1. Is there a difference between space science and astronomy?

Yes. Space science boundaries include everything which happens from our outer part of the atmosphere to the edge of the solar system (our heliosphere).

But astronomy or astrophysics does not have boundaries. It is past the atmosphere and into the entire universe.

2. What exactly does astronomy entail?

We know it’s all about space but what exactly does that include?

Astronomy is the study of everything in the universe beyond Earth’s atmosphere. This covers objects we can see with our naked eyes.

For example, objects like the sun, the planets, comets and the stars.

It also means objects we can only see with telescopes or other instruments, things like galaxies far away.

3. Why are astronomy and space so important to us here on earth?

Because astronomy is used to measure time, mark the seasons, and help us to navigate the oceans. 

Also, it helps us to know where we came from and to understand space sciences on different atmospheres.

4. Where did the name astronomy come from?

Astronomy was originally called astrology.

About Astronomy and Space Science Fun Quick Unit Study

Both astrology and astronomy have Greek roots, the prefix astro-means “star.” The suffix -ology means “knowledge” or “science”

5. How many sub-fields is astronomy broken into?

There are 4 sub-field and they are:

  1. Astrophysics: Applying the laws of physics into space.
  2. Astronomy: The mapping of celestial bodies.
  3. Astrology: Examining rocks, terrain, and space materials.
  4. Astrobiology: The search for life outside of  Earth.

This isn’t an exhaustive list just some that jumped out at me.

Additionally, these subfields are then broken into 17 different branches:

  1. Astrophysics
  2. Astrobiology
  3. Astrogeology
  4. Astrometry
  5. Physical cosmology
  6. Solar Physics
  7. Observational Astronomy
  8. Radio Astronomy
  9. Optical Astronomy
  10. Ultraviolet Astronomy
  11. X-ray Astronomy
  12. Gamma-ray Astronomy
  13. Cosmic Astronomy
  14. Planetary Astronomy
  15. Solar Astronomy
  16. Stellar Astronomy
  17. Galactic Astronomy

About and Astronomy and Space Books

Next, books are always my favorite place to start when putting together must have resources for a unit study.

This collection begins with a biography on Neil Armstrong.

11 Astronomy Resources & Books

Add one or two books to your unit study or use one as a spine for studying about space.

Furthermore, here are some videos your kids will love.

Videos are a great addition to unit studies to give kids independent learning time and they can be used for all age levels.

About Astronomy and Space Science Fun Quick Unit Study

In addition, don’t forget to include a few fun nonfiction and fiction movies for enjoyment.

Drawing comparisons between real and imagine is a fun teaching tip.

In addition, games are a fun way to spice up your learning day.

Games and Additional Resources

Games can create a warm family bond while you use them to teach a certain subject but also strategy, improve memory, focus, sometimes math, reading skills, and critical thinking.

Games and Resources for Astronomy

Games can bring to your boring learning day.

Another important part of learning are hands-on activities.

Hands-on Astronomy and Space Activities

Look at these hands-on activities.

Get out and explore the night sky in your own backyard, take a blanket into the backyard, turn off whatever lights you can and enjoy the beauty of the night sky.

This image of the moon is one I was lucky enough to capture with a tripod and long-range lens.

About Astronomy and Space Science Fun Quick Unit Study

Make an Easy Straw Rocket and get everybody outside for some fresh air to launch them again and again.

Make Astronaut Ice Cream to enjoy together while you talk about the different food astronauts have to eat in space.

Younger Children will enjoy creating a Puffy Paint Moon but you can challenge older kids to do it as well and see how realistic an image they can come up with.

Make marshmallow constellations and enjoy a tasty snack while you teach and grab my free astronomy pages for older kids.

Recreate the phases of the moon using oreos, paint, paper, or whatever medium you choose depending on your child’s level. Don’t assume your older children don’t want to do it, sometimes they long for simpler activities.

Finally, here is another huge list in my Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages.

About Astronomy and Space Science Fun Quick Unit Study

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today is Wildlife Conversation Day. And we’re learning about wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest. Be sure you grab my Amazon Rainforest unit study and free lapbooks.

Two of the most easily identifiable birds are the parrot and the toucan.

Both birds are bright with distinctive colors.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

This easy paper plate craft is a great early elementary activity to go along with your rainforest unit study.

Also, I really enjoy including beautiful quality books.

Add in activities not only during a specific science study or project but pull them out during an art project to reference.

Science doesn’t only have to be taught during science.

Fun Bird Resources

A wonderfully illustrated book like The Big Book of Birds can be brought out to investigate.

In this case, look at the colors of the birds, the shape of their beaks and talk about their habitat and habits.

 Naturally, your child will pick up so much information as you read the little snippets aloud as they look at the pictures.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

These Exotic Bird Toobs from Safari LTD are also a fantastic addition to your rainforest study.

Too, you get a great variety of birds including a toucan and a blue and gold macaw.

 If you want a little more variety instead of just birds they also have a rainforest one with different animals

Rainforest Activities

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

This cutie is a Sun Conure which is a small parrot.

Fun Facts About Birds of the Rainforest

  • All macaws are parrots, but not all parrots are macaws.
  • Of the 3,800 species found in the rainforest, 1,300 of them are bird species.
  • Birds of the Amazon Rainforest eat a variety of foods including leaves, fruits, nuts and insects.
  • Of the 18 species of Macaws in the Amazon Rainforest, several are currently on the endangered list and some species may already be extinct.
  • A toucan’s bill has been adapted to crush and saw the food that it eats such as fruits and nuts.
  • The parrot uses its beak as an additional hand to assist in climbing up trees so it can locate harder to reach food.
  • Out of the four layers of the Amazon Rainforest, the majority of birds live in the canopy layer.
  • Rainforest birds range from tiny hummingbirds to large macaws.
  • Screaming and loud vocalization is the way wild parrots and other birds communicate with one other.
  • The loudest bird in the Amazon Rainforest is the male white bellbird.

Other Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest Resources

Then, add some more activities below.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Finally, look below to make a macaw and toucan bird.

How to Make a Red Macaw Parrot and Toucan Craft

You will need:

  • 3 paper plates
  • Craft paint
  • Craft feathers
  • Google eyes
  • Paintbrushes
  • Glue
  • Scissors

First, for the red macaw parrot, cut 2 paper plates in half.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Paint 3 of the halves entirely red, and for the final half it will be half red and half yellow.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Allow the paint to dry completely.

Cut one of the red halves in half again to create wings.

Glue the red and yellow plate (which is the head and beak) perpendicular to the solid red half that makes up the body.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Add the wings to the sides with glue as well.

Glue some craft feathers together to form a long colorful tail.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Also, attach the tail at the back of the plate to the base with glue.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Finally add a google eye.

For the toucan, it is much the same but with different colors. Cut 1 plate in half and paint it all black.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Cut a beak out of the second plate.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Use a piece of scrap leftover from the beak to make his tail, cutting it into a little wedge and painting it black as well.

We left his “wings” tucked in but you can create flapping wings like on the parrot if you want to add that step.

Paint beak beautiful bright colors and let your child look at them online or in a book for reference.

Let the paint dry and then add a little bright yellow to the throat area.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Once all the pieces are dry, glue the beak to the body across the top and glue the tail piece to the bottom.

Add a google eye to finish him up.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

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If you’re looking for rainforest science activities for kindergarten, you’ll love this living terrarium craft. Look for my other kindergarten tips and crafts on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum. Also, look at my pages Rain Forest – Amazon and Rainforest Activities for Kids.

Are you learning all about the beautiful and fascinating rainforest habitat?

You can have your child make a diorama the old-fashioned way or try something new and end up with a beautiful living decor piece.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

This living rainforest diorama terrarium can be a great hands-on way to teach your child about the animals and plants of the rainforest and a lesson on self-sustaining environments.

This mini ecosystem becomes a self-sustaining environment with living plants once the lid is closed.

And it is a beautiful addition to your homeschool or living room. Add this idea to your rainforest science activities for kindergarten.

Nature Book

Also, I wanted to share this beautiful resource I found with you that is perfect for adding some botany into your studies.

Botanicum is an oversized book which has gorgeous illustrations that look like vintage museum prints.

There is a good section with information on rainforests including tropical trees and plants

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Also, beautiful, detailed pictures that are great for tracing or using as inspiration to draw your own.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Also, here are some rainforest facts.

Rainforest Facts

  • The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest.
  • In addition, there are two types of rainforests- tropical and temperate.
  • The average temperature in the rainforest is 82℉.
  • 6% of the earth is covered by rainforests.
  • More than ⅔ of the world’s plant and animal species live here.
  • It can take all the way up to 10 minutes for a raindrop to fall to the ground because of the thick canopy cover of the trees that slows it down.
  • 25% of medicines in production come from the rainforest regions.
  • The rainforest contains over two million types of insects!
  • Most animals and plants live in the canopy area of the rainforest.
Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

And the rainforest is made up of 4 different layers:

  1. The dark, damp Forest floor.
  2. The Understory, the part that makes up the shorter tree space between the canopy and the forest floor.
  3. The Canopy, the lush thicker tree filled area where most animals live.
  4. The Emergent Layer, the thick treetops that stretch up into the open air.

Other Kindergarten Resources

Too, be sure to not miss these other homeschool kindergarten resources.

Additionally, you love some more rainforest activities.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

You’ll love all the Amazon Rainforest resources.

More Amazon Rainforest Activities

Now, let’s dive into making this amazing living terrarium.

How to Make a Rainforest Living Terrarium

First, you will need the following items.

  • Potting soil
  • A large sealing glass jar, a gallon size is perfect.
  • Small succulents-real or faux
  • Other small tropical plants
  • Small rocks or pebbles
  • Rainforest animals
  • Moss. I used dried moss from Dollar Tree and you can include live moss on the forest floor if you have some.
  • Sticks or small limbs from the yard
  • Hot glue gun/glue sticks
  • White labels

Then, here are the directions.

Add a 1” -2” layer of small rocks or pebbles carefully to the bottom of the jar, this will help with drainage.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Next, place 2” of potting soil on top of the rocks.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Before planting the succulents spritz them well with water or give them a good dunk under water.

Now you can use real or fake succulents if you don’t want to keep up with watering but the care for succulents is minimal.

And once established, they need little care.

Plant your succulents and spread around the jar. We used a mix of real and fake succulents to fill the space.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Now to create the tall full lush trees we used some sticks we gathered from the yard.

Break them down to size so that they fit a couple inches below the lid once pressed into the dirt.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

 Make your trees by putting hot glue all around on the top of the stick.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Then, roll it around and press it into the moss.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten

You may repeat this step to fill in your tree as full as you would like.

Don’t forget to add some to your lower branches if your tree has them.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Once the glue has hardened you can press them down into the soil and rocks.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Finally, add in some rainforest creatures to live in your habitat.

Additionally, these toob animals come in handy for so many projects. Try to spread them out among the 4 different layers.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Spritz everything well and close up the lid.

Now your habitat is also a fantastic demonstration on the water cycle as moisture will form on the inside and on the plants.

That moisture will drip down and water the soil.

The cycle will repeat itself over and over. It is good to open the lid once a month for a few minutes and allow the plants to get fresh air.

Now, to learn a bit about the 4 layers -use a white label to write the 4 layers that make up the rainforest- The Emergent Layer, Canopy, Understory and Forest floor. 

Have your child place them in the correct place on the side of the jar to label each one.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Your terrarium just needs indirect sunlight and do not place directly in the sun.