I have a paper plate squirrel craft that is a fun way to express creativity while learning about the fascinating life of red squirrels and other species. Also, look at my post, Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources.
The squirrel family includes many species, from tree squirrels to ground squirrels-including chipmunks and prairie dogs, and flying squirrels.
They come in a wide variety of fur colors as well.
If you are looking to study nature in your own backyard squirrels are a great subject because you can find them in pretty much any habitat.
From tropical rainforest to semiarid desert, with the exception of the high polar regions and the driest of deserts, you can find squirrels.
The red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is a tree squirrel species found in North America.
It makes its home in the coniferous forests, including evergreen and mixed forests.
They create nests called middens, made of leaves, moss, and twigs, located in the branches of conifer trees.
And the red squirrel can be found in most parts of Alaska and Canada.
Also, they can be found in the Rocky Mountain states, in the eastern United States south to northern Virginia and west to Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
They are plentiful in the states but there are only about 140,000 red squirrels left in Great Britain.
Additionally, they are classified as ‘Near Threatened’ in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Books for Kids Who Love Learning About Squirrels
Also, add these books about different kinds of squirrels to your reading list.
You’ll love some of these living books and then add in reference books too.
16 Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading About Squirrels
If your child loves reading about all kinds of squirrels, they’ll love reading these books and add some of these fun resources to your unit study.
The Arctic ground squirrel looks small, harmless and innocent. But this little creature survives some of the most challenging weather conditions that occur on the entire planet. It lives in the Arctic, which is literally on top of the world. In the winter it gets so cold that humans couldn't survive in the open!
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is an original classic by Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter's famous tale of a naughty squirrel who loses his tail is as popular today as it was when it was first published over 100 years ago. Join Nutkin, his brother Twinkleberry and all his cousins as they make their way over to Owl Island to gather nuts. See what happens when Old Brown, the terrifying owl guardian of the island decides he has had enough of silly Nutkin's cheekiness! Ouch!! Beatrix Potter is regarded as one of the world's best-loved children's authors of all time. From her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published by Frederick Warne in 1902, she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten. Her humorous, lively tales and beautiful illustrations have become a natural part of childhood. With revenue from the sales of her books, Beatrix Potter bought a farm - Hill Top - in the English Lake District, where she later became a farmer and prize-winning sheep breeder. She launched the now vast merchandise programme by patenting the very first Peter Rabbit doll in 1903.
A young squirrel experiences the wonders of forest life and befriends a human toddler in this collectible edition of a classic animal story from the author of Bambi.Perri is a young squirrel living in Bambi’s forest. She grows up, learning about survival, friendship, and love as she observes and interacts with the complicated world around her. Most exciting of all, she meets a three-year-old human girl who can understand and talk to animals!
Gray squirrels leap from high heights to move from tree to tree. Discover these delightful rodents' life cycle and lifestyle in the woods.
Fun Toys include 8pcs miniature squirrel figurines in different style. With bright color and cute designs. You’ll certainly be impressed by the amazing level of details of these squirrel character figurines
Welcome to a new adventure in the Neck, a beautiful place where animals and humans live together in harmony--most of the time. In this book, a young boy named Eli builds a log fort with his dad, but it's not long before mischievous squirrels Chatter, Whistle, and Squeak move in and take over. As the nuts, acorns, and pinecones pile up inside, Eli realizes he's going to have to get creative to get them out. Will his plan work, or will the squirrels win?
Author and editor of numerous children's books, Thornton W. Burgess was also a noted conservationist. In writing for youngsters he combined a gift for storytelling with his love of the outdoors, creating an entertaining menagerie of animals whose adventures he skillfully recounted in a series of charming fables. In them, he taught young readers about nature and encouraged them to love the "lesser folk in fur and feathers."In this delightfully told tale, Burgess chronicles the escapades of Chatterer the Red Squirrel, who's known throughout the Green Forest as a mischief maker. Narrowly escaping the clutches of Shadow the Weasel and Redtail the Hawk, the bushy-tailed little fellow decides to leave the forest for a new home, only to learn that curiosity, carelessness, and mistrust can lead to a heap of troubles.
It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.
How far would you go for a friend? In Nuts to You, the funny and moving illustrated novel by Newbery Medalist Lynne Rae Perkins, two squirrels go very far indeed to save a friend who has been snatched up by a hawk. Nuts to You “begs to be read aloud . . . another completely original and exceptional package from Perkins,” said the Horn Book. Nuts to You features black-and-white art by the author on every page, as well as exclusive material original to this edition.
Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. Mysteriously, the hawk has dropped him. They saw it. Jed could be alive. New communities are discovered, new friends are made, huge danger is encountered (both man-made and of the fox and bobcat variety) and the mysteries of squirrel culture are revealed. Nuts to You is wholly original, funny, lively, and thought-provoking. Publishers Weekly said, “Readers . . . will relish the squirrels’ adventures, as well as Perkins’s laugh-aloud illustrations and equally witty footnotes.”
Portrays the physical characteristics, behavior, life cycle, and natural habitat of the small mammals.
Miss Suzy is a little gray squirrel who lives happily in her oak-tree home until she is chased away by some mean red squirrels. Poor Miss Suzy is very sad. But soon she finds a beautiful dollhouse and meets a band of brave toy soldiers.
How Miss Suzy and the soldiers help each other makes a gentle, old-fashioned tale that has captured the imaginations of girls and boys alike for more than fifty years. Arnold Lobel’s enchanting pictures are sure to make the kind squirrel and the gallant soldiers the everlasting friends of all who turn these pages.
Here, in a comprehensive and extremely readable volume, the author-artist whose many nature books are favorites with children gives an absorbing account of little animals equipped with chisel-like teeth for gnawing including their habits, appearance, and activities. The world of this army of small mammals is one which most of us could observe for ourselves if we wished to. No one reading these lively chapters about the squirrels, beavers, rabbits, prairie dogs, etc., could ever again take them and their interesting ways for granted.
Children will enjoy this exciting story as Gray Squirrel darts and dashes away from predators while trying to gather up a tasty meal of bird seed and acorns. Reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution for accuracy, Gray Squirrel at Pacific 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!
Silky plush and soft huggable bodies
Text and illustrations describe the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of the red squirrel.
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.
Also, look at these facts about red squirrels.
5 Fascinating Facts About Squirrels
- Red squirrel fur can range anywhere from jet black to a dull yellowy-brown covering most shades, red to brown.
- Some squirrel species are able to find food buried beneath a foot of snow which means they can lose up to 25% of their caches to other squirrels (and some of that grows into new oak trees).
- A newborn squirrel is only about 1” long and is born blind.
- Putting on some extra weight is one way squirrels stay warm during the cold winter months. The extra layer of fat helps to insulate them.
- While you may have thought squirrels were herbivores, they are actually omnivores, eating plants like acorns as well as meat like carcasses, small snakes, lizards, and mice.
They are adorable with their fluffy tails and long ear tufts, if you are unable to see one in person you can check out this YouTube video on Red Squirrels.
As with any great study you will want to start with a wonderful informative book that keeps your child’s attention.
Nature Anatomy is a must for any kind of nature studies, just check out this beautiful two page spread on squirrels alone.
Next, look at these fun squirrel activities.
Fun Squirrel Activities
- Turn the most basic art supply into Paper Bag Handprint Squirrel Craft for a puppet to play with as you learn about squirrels.
- Make a Dixie Cup Squirrel Craft in any color you like, isn’t it just too cute?
- Art based on a book is a wonderful way to go, check out Nuts to You! Watercolor Squirrel Art Project.
- The simple math activity Feed the Squirrel Acorn Counting Activity is a great way to teach children the most basic of math skills like counting.
Finally, look at how to make a paper plate squirrel craft.
Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
You can make your paper plate squirrel craft any color you like- gray, brown, red, or even white to create an albino squirrel, the rarest of them all.
You will need:
- 3 Paper plates
- Red-orange craft paint
- Green craft paint
- Google Eyes
- Glue stick
- Paintbrushes
- Scissors
First, we must put our cute little squirrel in a tree so the first thing you want to do is paint a plate green for the leaves. Set aside to dry.
Next cut the bottom off another paper plate making it flat then follow up and around on the ribbed edge to create a tail curving up and over.
From the third plate cut a small wedge, and then shape it by cutting ears on the top and rounding out the bottom point.
You may be able to cut your wedge out of the plate you used to cut the body if you cut carefully to conserve supplies.
Paint both your pieces your chosen red color and set aside to dry.
Once dry you can add more detail with brown paint or a marker to create a nose, feet, and some shading to the fur.
Glue on googly eyes and use glue to attach the head to the body.
Finally, glue your finished squirrel onto his “tree”. Use a marker to add a limb for the squirrel to rest on.
