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life science

How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

May 28, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A homeschool notebook is your best tool to explore zoology.

So, whether you’re learning about insects, mammals, birds, or reptiles, a zoology notebook is a fun way to keep all the information organized.

Too, a notebooking page can be done by any age. It makes a great tool for storing the information your child is learning.

How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

And a notebook can be anything like a spiral, file folder or 3 ring binder. Learners can add minibooks or write reports, draw or illustrate and label pictures to show what they have learned.

Basically, it’s a place where your children can keep all the things they are learning.

Additionally, it has several advantages than just doing worksheet pages. Like a fun scrapbook, each learner can make their notebook and notebooking pages unique.

It works well for learning any topic and today we’re doing one for studying zoology.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES TO USE FOR ZOOLOGY NOTEBOOK

In addition, we use living books for our notebooks.

Too, a reference book is a good science spine.

8 Resources for Multiple Ages Who Love Learning About Zoology

I have listed curriculum help to fun hands-on manipulatives for little kids to games and books which even older learners will enjoy.

Realistic Mini Zoo Animal Figurines

This jungle animal figures set was made by hand painted with high realistically detailed appearance, cute face and childish eyes. Their uniquely molded textures and richly painted details make the animals vivid. Children would like to spend more time to observe and play with them.

Safari Ltd. Nature TOOB

THE BEST OF NATURE: Bring the wonder of the great outdoors into your home with the Nature Toob! Including a rabbit, beaver, doe, cardinal, gray wolf, fox, raccoon, black bear, moose, mountain lion, bald eagle, and a bison, this Toob has all kinds of unique animals that fly, hop and saunter!

Professor Noggin's Wildlife of North America Trivia Card Game

FUN FACTS: Journey through the Wildlife of North America discovering facts about our continent’s most interesting animals. From Polar Bears to Pronghorns, from Alligators to Bald Eagles, this game is perfect for young nature lovers.

Professor Noggin's World of Pets Trivia Card Game

Use Professor Noggin Pets card game as a fun way to learn about animals and as an opportunity to discuss the responsibility of owning a pet.

Books and

Photo Credit: campfirecurriculums.com

Through the Eyes of | A Zoologist

A unit study done really well if you want something put together.

All About Oceans - Marine Biology Handbook: 350 Activities - A Creative Unit Study Science, Research, Geography, Drawing & Language Arts

For kids interested in Marine Biologist and learning about interesting sea creatures like the Brittle Stars and aquatic mammals like the Fur Seal.

Endangered, Extinct & Legendary Animals | A Science & Research Handbook: Zoology & Cryptozoology

This is a creative research handbook for students ages 8-17 and up who love earning about extinct, endangered, and mysterious animals. This curriculum handbook is designed to help students study each animal using books, videos, internet, encyclopedias, and any other parent-approved learning tool.

The 100 Series: Biology Workbook—Grades 6-12 Science, Matter, Atoms, Cells, Genetics, Elements, Bonds,

Give your students the reinforcement they need with the 128-page comprehensive Biology Workbook for grades 6–12. Designed to aid in the review and practice of biology topics such as matter and atoms, cells, classifying animals, genetics, plant and animal structures, human body systems, and ecological relationships, this book includes realistic diagrams and engaging activities to support practice in all areas of
biology.

Also, look at more zoology activities to add to your zoology homeschool notebook.

MORE ZOOLOGY ACTIVITIES

  • How to Create a Homeschool Zoology Unit Without a Curriculum and Cute Fox Craft (notebooking pages)
  • How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity
  • Easy Hands-on Science: Animal Camouflage Activity Hunt
  • Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
  • How Animals Cope With the Cold 
  • Animals of the Galapagos Islands
  • 6 World Wildlife Day Activities to Learn About African Lions
  • Egg to Sea Turtle Lesson Plans & Lapbook
  • Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids
  • Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop
  • Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Toad and Frog Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Ocean Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Beautiful Bald Eagle Fun Facts And Torn Paper Bird Craft
How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

Also, look at these homeschool notebooking pages.

I cover history, science and even geography with some of our notebooking pages.

HOMESCHOOL NOTEBOOKING PAGES

  • Edible Rock Cycle Fudge | Hands-on Rock Activities & Free Notebooking Pages
  • History Makers Notebooking Pages – Famous Persons from Ancient to Modern – Set 2
  • Free Printable Strawberry Notebooking Pages
  • How To Make Puffy Paint Planets And Free Notebooking Pages
  • 2 Fun Chemistry for Kids Experiments & John Dalton Notebooking Pages
  • Fun Kids Dandelion Flower Unit Study and Easy Tea Recipe & Notebooking Pages
  • 9 Free South America Country Reports for Kids Notebooking Pages
  • Grades 1 to 8 Free Homeschool Art Curriculum and Printable Notebooking Pages
  • How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • Easy and Fun Who Is Geronimo Stilton Rodent Notebooking Page
  • 22 Famous Texans Notebooking Pages (editable) For a Fun History Study

Finally, look at how easy it is to get started.

HOW TO MAKE A HOMESCHOOL NOTEBOOK FOR YOUR ZOOLOGY UNIT STUDY

First, you will need these following supplies.

  • A notebook- lined, unlined, whatever
  • Reference books and our favorite at the moment, Anthology of Intriguing Animals
  • Pencils,crayons, colored pencils etc.
  • Stickers, magazine pictures, photographs

Next, let your child decorate their notebook on the outside, giving it a title, drawing pictures, using stickers, magazine cut outs or prints of their favorite animals from the web.

This gives them ownership over their notebook and infuses it with their personality.

How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

Then, grab your reference book and then use the internet to find whatever other facts you need.

Now the rest is up to you, decide what your child puts in their notebook based on their age and ability but I am going to give you a lot of ideas to help you get started.

Actually, I recommend creating a baseline of information you would like them to include and have them repeat the same format for every animal.

  • Write the animals name.
  • Draw the animal.
  • Draw its footprint.
  • Kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, family, and species.
  • Food chain/web
  • Habitat
  • Lifespan
  • Endangered, vulnerable, extinct
  • Is it predator, prey, or both? 

Furthermore, include photos you take on field trips, printed images of the animals, you can type your required headers and let your child fill it out and then glue it in.

How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

This is just a starting point; it can be as simple or as involved as you like.

Encourage your child to get creative and use color, make sections for different information, and include lots of details.

This will go far in helping your learner remember all the information they are taking in.

Further, if you are using markers make sure your notebook has a thicker paper or keep a thick piece of paper between the page you are working on and the one behind it so it doesn’t bleed through.

The Anthology of Intriguing Animals was such a lovely resource, we enjoyed the realistic photos and the vintage feel of the book.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, life science, notebooking, science

Bioluminescence For Kids: How To Make A Fun Firefly Craft

May 23, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, were doing a bioluminescence for kids fun craft. Besides, the best way to remember any lesson is to do a fun hands-on idea.

We’re making fireflies in a jar craft along with learning some facts about fireflies and bioluminescence.

During the summer those tiny floating lights look like fairy lights. They bring me back to my childhood of spending summer outdoors and waiting for those glowing lights to appear.

Bioluminescence For Kids: How To Make A Fun Firefly Craft

Bioluminescence is when a living creature makes its own light. This glow usually comes from a special chemical reaction.

Bioluminescence mostly happens underwater, where it’s dark and deep. But it can also happen on land.

For example, not only fireflies have it, but so do some glowworms and a special fungi called foxfire.

BOOKS ABOUT FIREFLIES FOR KIDS

Then, grab one or two of these fun books.

I prefer living books when I can find them.

5 Firefly Books For Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Grab some of these fun books about fireflies and add them to your home library or use them in a unit study for the day. Some are just for reading aloud.

Fireflies in the Night (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

"Clearly written text [tells of a young girl who] learns some interesting facts about fireflies from her grandfather. Alexander uses
richly hued pastels for her illustrations of the young girl, her grandparents' farm, and the creatures of a summer night." (School Library Journal)

It's a Firefly Night

Part glittery counting book, part endearing daddy-daughter story! A favorite childhood activity—catching fireflies—glows from the pages of this story, plus counting. Lilting rhymes chronicle a little girl's capture and release of fireflies, one by one, capped off by a collection of fascinating firefly facts.

Sam and the Firefly

Sam the Owl and Gus the Firefly literally light up the sky in this classic Beginner Book edited by Dr. Seuss. In Sam and the Firefly, P. D. Eastman (author of Are You My Mother? and Go, Dog. Go!) introduces us to the dynamic duo of Sam and Gus, who soar through the air writing words in the night sky. But when Gus’s words end up causing confusion and chaos for the people on the ground, it’s up to Sam to help Gus “write” his wrongs.

When Lightning Comes in a Jar

It’s time for a family reunion! when tricia’s aunts, uncles, and cousins arrive at her house for an annual family reunion, the fun really begins. And this year, gramma has promised to teach the children something wonderful—how to catch “lightning” in a jar. with so many people and so much love, this family reunion will certainly prove to be the most memorable one yet. inspired by her own family, patricia polacco beautifully depicts an endearing family reunion that will surely have readers—young and old— yearning to spend quality time with their family.

Fireflies (Science I Can Read Book)

Describes the physical characteristics of a firefly from the time it is a glowworm until adulthood.

Then, look at some bioluminescence for kids facts.

BIOLUMINESCENCE FOR KIDS FACTS

  • The light is made by mixing two main ingredients.
  • Luciferin is a light-producing chemical.
  • Luciferase is an enzyme that helps the reaction happen.
  • It is called a cold light because when they mix with oxygen they don’t give off heat.
  • Animals use bioluminescence for different reasons.
  • Fireflies blink to attract mates.
  • Some squid shoot glowing ink to ward off predators.
  • Anglerfish use a lantern glowing light to lure in prey.
  • And some fish glow their belly so it matches light from above to hide.
Bioluminescence For Kids: How To Make A Fun Firefly Craft

Also, look How To Mix Glow In The Dark Slime Ingredients To Make Awesome Ocean Slime.

And If you want to park here in this topic of bioluminescence for a while this book, All About Bioluminescence, is full of information and activity ideas.

HOW TO MAKE A FIREFLIES IN A JAR CRAFT

Next, even though they’re called fireflies, they’re actually beetles. Fireflies belong to the insect family called Lampyridae.,

Fireflies blink to talk to each other. It’s mostly to attract a mate. Each species has its own blinking pattern.

And some flash slow, others fast and still others a combination.

Finally, look at how to make this fun and easy fireflies in a jar craft.

Look at this easy list of supplies:

  • Glow In the Dark Paint ( green and yellow)
  • Mason jar
  • Paintbrush
  • Paper plate (or something for the paint)

Gather all the supplies needed to create fireflies in a jar.

Bioluminescence For Kids: How To Make A Fun Firefly Craft

Use a clean and dry mason jar.

Apply small dots of green and yellow glow-in-the-dark paint to the outside of the mason jar using a paintbrush.

Bioluminescence For Kids: How To Make A Fun Firefly Craft

Allow the paint to dry.

Bioluminescence For Kids: How To Make A Fun Firefly Craft

Charge the paint by either placing it in a sunny area or with a flashlight on the jar for 10-15 minutes.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: bioluminescence, firefly, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, life science, science

Free Ladybug Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-On Learning

May 22, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a fun ladybug lapbook for hands-on science. Also, look at my page Homeschool Lapbooks – Powerful Tools For Mastery Learning for more lapbook ideas.

Too look at my Free Kids Insect Unit Study.

Whether you have a nature lover or a budding entomologist, you’ll love my free ladybug lapbook.

It’s perfect for kids who learn better through hands-on and just to take a break from the science books.

Free Ladybug Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-On Learning

We love lapbooks because your child can research and do them as a culminating project.

Too, we pair them with our unit studies and use them as an enrichment project. They have so many uses that you’ll want to do one or two.

Another benefit is that each lapbook can be different. It showcases each child’s interest.

You don’t have to use all my free printables. Mix and match them with other pages you find. For example, look at my post How to Turn Boring Worksheets into Fun Minibooks – From Boring to Interactive to add any page you want.

LADYBUG BOOKS & RESOURCES FOR KIDS

Also, I’ve a few books and resources I’ve rounded up.

I prefer living books when I can find them.

7 Ladybug Resources & Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Want to learn more about the amazing ladybug? Check out some of these resources to make a wonderful immersive study around this little insect. Grab a favorite book from the library or Amazon to make sure your ladybug journey is full of hands-on fun and learning. You can even raise ladybugs in their own tiny world.

The Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)

A beautifully illustrated, informative book for children introducing them to bugs that creep, crawl, bite, fly, and more.

From moths and beetles to worms and spiders, the world is crawling with fascinating bugs. The Big Book of Bugs is the first fact-filled book for children to explore the vast array of creepy-crawlies that share our Earth.

Ladybug

McClung, in explaining the vision and purpose for his books, remarked "practically all my books deal with wild animals and the natural environment. Unfortunately, more and more of the vital habitat that wildlife needs for survival is being polluted or destroyed by the activities of Homo Sapiens.

Insect Lore Live Ladybug Growing Kit

Includes voucher for 10 to 13 ladybug larvae and all the food they need to grow into adult ladybugs included

Ladybug at Orchard Avenue

Ladybug encounters many predators while hunting for food and searching for a winter home. Ladybug's bright red coloring helps to keep her safe, but will she find enough food and a safe shelter for the winter months ahead? Reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution for accuracy, Ladybug at Orchard Avenue is a fun and informative story with beautifully detailed illustrations.Watch your children have a blast reading and learning about the animals that live in an American backyard!

Life Cycle Kit Science

Life Cycle Matching Card Set: Contains a set of plastic animals of the life cycle of a Ladybug. It helps demonstrate the life cycle of animals with beautiful 3D designs that entice kids to learn!

Ladybugs

Everything you ever wanted to know about ladybugs— and why they're crucial to our environment. When you think of a ladybug, you might picture a little red beetle with seven black spots on its back—but did you know there are thousands of types of ladybugs, spread across the world?

A Ladybug's Life (Nature Upclose)

Ladybugs are a farmer's best friend-they eat the bugs that would otherwise harm plants. Nature Up close series uses beautiful watercolors to depict each creature's world from its unique perspective. Simple text describes the creatures' movements and activities.

Next, look at these other ladybug activities.

I prefer to add as much hands-on learning as possible because it helps learning stick.

LADYBUG HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

  • How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture
  • Ladybug Science Activities
  • Fun Facts about Ladybugs for Preschoolers
  • Ladybug Clear Slime Recipe with Contact Solution
  • How to Turn a Ladybug Craft into a Fun Suncatcher
Free Ladybug Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-On Learning

Also, look at more homeschool lapbooks.

MORE HOMESCHOOL LAPBOOKS

  • Math Lapbook Ideas And Free Time And Money Lapbook
  • The World of Plants: The Educational Value of a Plant Lapbook
  • Arctic and Inuit Free Lapbook
  • Carnivorous Plants
  • Fall Unit 1 {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}
  • Amber – Freezing Gold Lapbook
  • Coral Reef Lapbook
  • Fall Unit Study (Includes Apples, Sir Isaac Newton, Art, and Appleseed)
  • North American Robin Lapbook
  • Peregrine Falcon Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Strawberry Lapbook
  • Oceans Unit Lapbook
  • Rain Forest – Amazon
  • Human Body Lapbook

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS FREE LADYBUG LAPBOOK

Finally, look below to grab the free time telling and math lapbook.

  • Ladybug Life Cycle Wheel
  • Jar of facts
  • Ladybug vocabulary
  • External anatomy of a ladybug
  • What I want to know or wonder about ladybugs
  • What I learned about ladybugs
  • Let’s make a ladybug

HOW TO GET THE FREE LADYBUG LAPBOOK

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 instantly.

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

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, ladybug, lapbook, lapbooking, lapbooks, life science, science

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

May 19, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A desert sensory bin is a fun way to introduce your toddlers and preschoolers to desert animals and the characteristics of the desert.

A sensory bin is like a buildable interactive diorama for younger children that lets them explore their senses and whatever the topic is you have chosen for them to learn about.

In this case it is a desert sensory bin to discover the dry, sandy climate and some of the animals that make their home there.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

During the day, the desert sun is very strong, and it gets super-hot.

But when the sun goes down at night, the desert can get very chilly.

So, the animals and plants have to be ready for big changes in temperature. It’s like two different worlds in one amazing place.

BOOKS ABOUT THE DESERT FOR KIDS

Too, look at these books about the desert.

When possible we prefer learning through living books so I add them as I find them.

18 Desert Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add some of these living books and references books about the desert to your library.

The Seed & the Giant Saguaro

Children's reader on the subject of deserts and what lives there Large book with very large kid friendly illustrations

Cactus Hotel (Rise and Shine)

It is another hot day in the desert. Birds and other animals scurry about looking for food. When they get tired they stop to rest at a giant cactus. It is their hotel in the desert!Many different animals live in the cactus hotel. It protects them; and they protect it, by eating the pests that could harm the cactus.The cactus grows larger and larger and will live for about two hundred years. When one animal moves out, another moves in. There is never a vacancy in the cactus hotel.This story--about a desert, a giant cactus, and the animals who live in it--is one that even the youngest child will understand and enjoy.

Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus

A venerable saguaro cactus stands like a statue in the hot desert landscape, its armlike branches reaching fifty feet into the air. From a distance it appears to be completely still and solitary--but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, this giant tree of the desert is alive with activity. Its spiny trunk and branches are home to a surprising number of animals, and its flowers and fruit feed many desert dwellers. Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk. Long-nosed bats and fluttering white doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers. People also play a role in the saguaro's story: each year the Tohono O'odham Indians gather its sweet fruit in a centuries-old harvest ritual.

Where Is the Sahara Desert?

Imagine over three million square miles of sand dunes that are as tall as a ten-story building. That place is real -- it's the Sahara Desert! Vast, yes! And home to fascinating creatures such as ostriches and fennec foxes as well as amazing plant life. The shallow roots of the mesquite tree can grow almost 200 feet across to absorb water. Readers will also learn about the famous trade routes of the past with caravans of up to 10,000 camels, European explorers to the region (some very unlucky ones), and native populations like the Berber and Tuareg, the faces of the men are blue from the dye in the veils they always wear.

Where Is Antarctica?

Antarctica, the earth's southernmost continent, was virtually untouched by humans until the nineteenth century. Many famous explorers journeyed (and often died) there in the hope of discovering a land that
always seemed out of reach. This book introduces readers to this
desert--yes, desert!--continent that holds about 90 percent of the
world's ice; showcases some of the 200 species that call Antarctica
home, including the emperor penguin; and discusses environmental dangers to the continent, underscoring how what happens to Antarctica affects the entire world.

A Desert Scrapbook: Dawn to Dusk in the Sonoran Desert

In the early morning hours, an artist stirs. Gathering her paints and notebook, she heads into the Arizona Sonoran Desert to explore its treasures. Sketching, painting, and writing, she records all that she sees and as night falls, she spreads out her pictures to make this scrapbook of her day, from dawn to dusk.

This Place Is Dry: Arizona's Sonoran Desert

Surveys the living conditions in Arizona's Sonora Desert for the people and unusual animals that live there. Also describes the engineering accomplishment of Hoover Dam.

Desert Solitaire

In Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey recounts his many escapades, adventures, and epiphanies as an Arches National Park ranger outside Moab, Utah. Brimming with arresting insights, impassioned arguments for wilderness conservation, and a raconteur’s wit, it is one of Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works.   Through stories and philosophical musings, Abbey reflects on the condition of our remaining wilderness, the future of a civilization, and his own internal struggle with morality. As the world continues its rapid development, Abbey’s cry to maintain the natural beauty of the West remains just as relevant today as when this book first appeared in 1968.

Coyote Raid In Cactus Canyon

While the rest of the animals hide from view from a group of rambunctious coyotes, the fearless gang takes full advantage of the open space of Cactus Canyon and participates with great zeal in an array of nighttime activities, but an unexpected encounter with a rattlesnake quickly puts an end to the coyotes fun as they are sent running for cover, too!

Roxaboxen

Marian called it Roxaboxen. There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill—nothing but sand and rocks, and some old wooden boxes. But it was a special place. And all children needed to go there was a long stick and a soaring imagination.

Why Oh Why Are Deserts Dry? All About Deserts

n this latest installation of the Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, the Cat takes Sally and Dick to explore different kinds of deserts around the world,  from the hot, dry Sonoran and Mojavi to the bitter cold Gobi and Antarctica. Young readers learn why deserts are dry, and how plants and animals—including cactus, kangaroos, camels, penguins, roadrunners, and many others—have adapted to survive the unforgiving climate. Also included: how sand dunes are formed; the reason we see mirages, and how shallow water beneath the surface of the ground can create an oasis. Fans of the new PBS preschool science show The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (which is based on the Learning Library series) won't want to miss this hot new addition to the series!

One Day in the Desert

‘A wounded mountain lion moves from his mountain habitat to a Papago Indian hut in Arizona’s Sonoran desert during a record-breaking July day. All creation adapts to the blistering heat until a cloudburst causes a flash flood. With a measured yet vivid style, this introduction to desert ecology makes a memorable impact."

Deserts

This intriguing yet simple description will captivate young readers who have an interest in the unfamiliar.

A Walk in the Desert (Biomes of North America)

Take a walk through the desert. This hot, dry biome of the southwest is full of life. How do plants and animals of the desert live? As you wander through the desert, discover how each and every plant and animal relies on the others to live and grow.

Wildlife of the Southwest Deserts

Learn about the fascinating creatures of the desert Southwest including: Venomous Animals Insects and Arthropods Rattlesnakes, Lizards, Desert Tortoise The Roadrunner and other Birds Bighorn Sheep, Kit Fox, Coyote.

Indian Uses of Desert Plants

Now in its fourth edition, this is a beautiful book with both historical and contemporary images showing the most important plants used by Native Americans. Medicinal, food resources, tools and shelter are just some of the uses discussed. Plants shown and described are among the most widespread plants in the desert Southwest.

Desert Snakes

Learn all about desert snakes with the beautiful book by James W. Cornett.

The Namib Desert

An excellent introduction to the natural history of the Namib Desert of southwest Africa. At its heart, second only to the Atacama Desert of Chile and Peru as the driest place on Earth. Also, it is the oldest desert on our planet and the only desert with a megafauna including elephant, giraffe, and rhinoceros. The lofty orange dunes, highest in the world, are also shown and discussed.

Also, many animals make their home in the desert. Some animals, like camels, are big and strong.

Others, like lizards, are small and speed, they all have special ways to stay cool and find food in the desert.

 Let’s learn about some of these “cool” desert animals

DESERT ANIMALS

CAMELS

  • Often called “ships of the desert” due to their endurance.
  • Humps- Store fat reserves for energy, not water. Enables survival during limited food.
  • Long Eyelashes- Protect eyes from sand, maintaining visibility in dust storms.
  • Wide Feet- Improve movement on sand by distributing weight and preventing sinking.

LIZARDS

  • Prefer sun exposure and basking on rocks.
  • Scales: Provide protection, thermoregulation, and camouflage.
  • Tail: Some can detach their tail as a defense mechanism; it regenerates.
  • Food: Diets vary, including insects, plants, and small vertebrates.

SNAKES

  • Move via slithering.
  • Skin: Scaly, shed periodically for growth and repair.
  • Tongue: Used as a chemosensory organ for detecting stimuli and prey.
  • Food: Varying diets, swallowing prey whole.

SCORPIONS

  • Possess an exoskeleton and venomous stinger.
  • Claws-Used for prey capture.
  • Stinger- Used for venom injection in predation or defense.
  • Nighttime-Mostly active at night to avoid heat.

VULTURES

  • Vultures are big birds that help keep the desert clean. They eat animals that have died.
  • Wings-They can fly very high in the sky and can see far distances.
  • Heads-Their bald heads help keep them clean when they eat.
  • Groups-Vultures often fly in groups called kettles.

MEERKATS

  • Food-Opportunistic omnivores, eating insects, small vertebrates, and plants.
  • Live in social groups called mobs or gangs.
  • Group Living- Enhances predator detection, defense, and offspring rearing.
  • Lookouts- Individuals act as sentinels, surveying for threats.
How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Then look at these activities to learn more about the desert.

DESERT ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES

  • Check out these 8 Desert Craft Ideas | How To Make Egg Carton Cactus to focus a bit on the flora of the desert biome.
  • Get little ones active while still on theme with these Desert Themed Yoga ideas.
  • 7 Desert Crafts For Kids: How To Make A Clay Cactus Jewelry Holder
  • Watch the video What Animals Live in the Desert? To learn more about some of the most common creatures who live there.
  • Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)
  • Build fine motor skills while you work on bending and folding paper with Scorpion Origami.
  • The book based Camel Race STEAM Activity Inspired by The Wooden Camel gets kids thinking critically.
  • Easy Desert Animal Crafts And A Scorpion Creation
  • Memory games are great for strengthening various cognitive skills, including memory, attention, focus, and problem-solving. Here are Free Printable Shape Matching Games for Desert Theme that also incorporate early math.
  • Explore 3 completely different desert habitats and learn How to Make A Desert Triorama About the Gobi, Sahara, & Antarctica to display the flora and fauna of each.
  • While you are learning about snakes of the desert here is a fun craft Celebrate Snakes | How To Make A Fake Snakeskin Snake Craft Preschool to learn about this aspect of snakes.

 

Of course a good reference book nearby is important as well. Both Nature Anatomy and Wildlife Anatomy are a treasure trove of information for little learners on up to upper grades.

HOW TO CREATE AN ENGAGING DESERT SENSORY BIN

I recommend including your child in the creation of the sensory bin from the start so you can talk about the characteristics of each element as you put them in place.

You will need:

  • Safari Desert Animals
  • Sensory Bin Tub
  • Play Sand
  • Small pebbles
  • Air dry clay, paint

Start with a good sized bin.

You can use anything you have on hand but I really like to use stackable sensory bins like those I listed above.

You can put a variety of base filler like sand, rice, pebbles, and more, leaving them to be turned into an amazing themed sensory bin.

Add sand until it’s about halfway full.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

You can leave it just sand or add some small pebbles or rocks to give it more texture and of course sorting possibilities.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

If you would like to add a few cactus plants you can make some with air dry clay ahead of time and paint them green, add some broken toothpick pieces for spikes.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Set a few cacti in place.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Place plastic desert animals in the sensory bin.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Other items I like to include with a sensory bin are small cups or bowls, slotted spoons, small strainers, and even flash cards with animals related to the topic.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Finally, look at a few more sensory bins.

SENSORY BINS

  • Sensory Play Made Easy: Crafting a Community Helpers Sensory Bin
  • How To Create An Engaging Cranberry Sensory Bin
  • 10 Kindergarten Sensory Bin Ideas | How To Make A Summer Sensory Bin
  • Discover The Magic Of Nocturnal Creatures | Nocturnal Animal Sensory Bin
  • How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning
  • 9 Hands on Weather Activities for Kids and Awesome Weather Sensory Tray
  • Fun Corn Life Cycle Preschool Sensory Bin and Printable Lifecycle Foldout

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: desert, earth science, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, homeschool, life science, science

Respiratory System Fun Facts For Kids And Free Worksheets

May 17, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We’re learning some respiratory system fun facts, and I have some free respiratory system activity pages. Also, I have this Human Body Crafts page for more hands-on ideas. And this Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study.

We don’t really think about breathing, but it is amazing the way it happens. The respiratory system is the part of your body that helps you breathe and keeps you alive.

The respiratory system is the group of organs and tissues that work together to help you breathe.

Respiratory System Fun Facts For Kids And Free Worksheets

And the respiratory system is your body’s way of bringing in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide.

Every cell in your body needs oxygen to create energy. Without it, your body wouldn’t be able to move.

So, you’ll love using these easy free activity worksheets to learn about it.

HUMAN BODY BOOKS FOR KIDS

First, look at these human body books to use with your unit study.

I prefer to use living books then add reference books to our research.

16 Human Body Books & Hands-on Resources

Add a few of these fun resources whether you do a couple of lesson plans about the human body or a unit study.

The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body

One of the resources we used as a reference for this activity was The Way We Work, it covers a lot of interesting topics on the human body.

Medical Torso Human Body Model Anatomy

Vivid Human torso organ structure: 15 Pcs Removable Organs including: Torso, Brain (2-part), Heart, Esophagus and Aorta, Lungs (4-part), Cranial Cap, Stomach, Diaphragm, Liver, pancreas and spleen, small and large intestine. The torso structure showing the relative position, morphological features, anatomy of the head, neck and internal organs, especially the respiratory, digestive, urinary and nervous systems.

Human Organs Shape Silicone Molds 8 Pc

[HUMAN ORGANS SILICONE MOLD]: 8 Pcs Human Organs Mold With Different Shapes, Include 1 Human Heart Mold, 1 Brain Silicone Mold, 1 Liver Mold, 1 Intestinal Mold, 1 Lung Mold, 1 Stomach Mold, 1 Brain Stem Mold, 1 Kidney Mold.

Ooze Labs: Visible Human Body with Squishable Organs

This human body with squishable organs is another great way to identify the organs and become familiar with their layout in the body, it has that gross factor that so many kids love.

Human Body Model for Kids 8PCS Mini Body Parts

8PCS Human Organ Figures Set:Human organ anatomy parts display model children learning toy include small intestine, large intestine, lung, brain, stomach, heart, liver, kidney. Suitable for boys and girls over 6 years old,good for brain ability and imagination.

Anatomy (Quickstudy Academic)

Complete labeled illustrations of over 1,400 anatomical identifications.Loaded with beautifully illustrated diagrams clearly and concisely labeled for easy identification.

Basher Science: Human Body: A Book with Guts!

Basher Science: Human Body, A Book with Guts! Created & illustrated by Simon Basher, written by Dan Green

From the best-selling team that brought you The Periodic Table, Physics, Biology, and Astronomy comes a topic that's close to our hearts-literally! Meet the characters and processes that that keep the human body chugging along. From the basic building blocks like Cell, DNA, and Protein, to Bones, Muscles, and all of the fun-loving Organs, readers will cozy up with the guys on the inside. Trust us-Liver has never looked better!

Heart Anatomy Poster - LAMINATED

High-quality 3 MIL LAMINATION for added durability

Tear Resistant

Human Heart Anatomy Floor Puzzle

HUMAN ORGANS LEARNING: Marvel at the rich complexities of the human heart muscle! Every piece has a unique shape designed to outline each major part of the heart organ, making these an exciting challenge to assemble. Each puzzle includes an Anatomy Reference Guide, so you can learn as you build!

Fixed Bones X-Rays, Black/White, 14 Pieces,

  • Authentic x-ray images
  • Works with any light source or light table)
  • Matching facture card
  • Detailed teaching guide

4 Pack - Anatomical Poster Set - Laminated - Muscular, Skeletal, Ligaments of the Joints, Anatomy of the Spine

  • Set of 4 Posters Made in the USA
  • Posters are 18" x 24” in size
  • High-quality 3 MIL lamination for added durability
  • Tear Resistant

My First Book About the Brain (Dover Science For Kids Coloring Books)

Discover the workings of the body's most complex organ! How does the brain control the rest of the body? How does it enable the senses to function, regulate speech, affect balance, and influence sleep and dreams? These 25 illustrations to color explain every aspect of the brain's important jobs, from communicating with the central nervous system to retaining memories. Suitable for ages 8–12.

Skull Anatomy Coloring Book: Incredibly Detailed Self-Test Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Book

Enjoy This Coloring Book with 34 Beautiful Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Pages.

The Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Book Provides A Means Of Learning About The Structure And Function Of The Human Skull Anatomy Through A Process Of Coloring-By-Directions.

Coloring The Human Skull Anatomy And Its Nerves Is The Most Effective Way To Study The Structure And Functions Of Human Skull Anatomy. You Assimilate Information And Make Visual Associations With Key Terminology When Coloring In The Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Book, All While Having Fun.

1 Pair Plastic Skeleton Hands

Fall is a grea time to grab a set of hands at Dollar Tree but also here is a pair if you're doing a unit study and need one now.

Circulatory System Poster

This poster makes a great reference and can be used with older children to help them add more detail to their project.

The Circulatory System (Your Body Systems: Blastoff! Readers

Our bodies contain a super highway of blood vessels that carry nutrients, waste, and much more from our heads to our toes. This network is the circulatory system! Beginning with a deep breath in, this fact-filled title uses easy-to-follow text and diagrams to allow readers to dive inside the bodys circulatory system!

The human body is a complex being made up of systems that keep us alive and moving! In this series, readers will dive into the bodys systems though engaging, leveled text and related diagrams that follow the parts and functions of each system. Get a microscopic view inside the body with A Closer Look, and put new knowledge into action with a hands-on activity. Check out what is happening inside the body with each title!

Then, look at some respiratory system fun facts.

And i have some hands-on activities too.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM FUN FACTS

  • Bringing in oxygen (O₂) and remove carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the respiratory system’s main job to exchange gases.
  • Did you know your lungs are not the same size? The left lung is a bit smaller to make space for your heart.
  • You start by breathing in through your nose or mouth. Your nose even helps warm and clean the air.
  • Then the air travels down your throat (pharynx) and passes through the voice box (larynx).
  • Next the air then moves into the trachea, also called your windpipe.
  • The diaphragm is the main muscle involved in breathing.
Respiratory System Fun Facts For Kids And Free Worksheets

Additionally, look at these hands-on activities.

HANDS-ON RESPIRATORY SYSTEM ACTIVITIES

  • 8 Facts About the Respiratory System & Fun Lung Craft for Kids
  • How to Measure Lung Capacity
  • Simple Lung Craft For Preschoolers To Learn About The Human Body
  • Human Body Activities: Respiratory System Model
  • Respiratory System Lesson
  • Lung Science Experiment and Tobacco Prevention Resources

Also, look at the free worksheets included in this download.

  • Respiratory system diagram & labeling activity
  • Alveoli diagram & Parts of the alveol labeling activity
  • Parts and function of the respiratory system
  • Fun word search
  • Coloring page
  • Matching activity

HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE RESPIRATORY WORKSHEETS

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 instantly.

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

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, human body, human body crafts, life science, respiratory, science

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