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life science

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

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

We’re doing a hands-on activity about animals that are born alive and hatched from egg. Also, you’ll love the activities on my post Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet.

A lot of this is learned through our natural conversations and through the myriad of questions your child might ask.

However, it never hurts to have some fun intentional activities to help answer them.

It is an amazing world we live in.

And while most children know very early on that birds lay eggs; they are not familiar with other animals that do.

For instance, the platypus, alligators, snakes, and common house lizards lay eggs.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Too, I have an easy-to-prep and complete activity that can be done in two parts and is a ton of fun.

Besides, if you have plastic animals on hand and a few basic pantry items, this is a no-extra-cost activity that will help your child learn about two types of animals.

The two types are oviparous animals which lay eggs and viviparous animals which have live births.

7 Facts about Viviparous and Oviparous Animals

  1. Animals that give birth to offspring are called viviparous.
  2. Animals that lay eggs are called oviparous.
  3. There are only two types of mammals that lay eggs, the duck-billed platypus, and the echidna.
  4. After laying the eggs, some animals sit on their eggs to keep them warm while others bury the eggs in the sand.
  5. The temperature of the egg is critical during development in reptiles as it determines the sex of the offspring.
  6. Viviparous animals can reproduce any time of the year as they feed the embryo with the fat reserves in the body.
  7. Birds are the only egg layers that have a hard-shelled egg, others are soft and leathery like turtles and lizards.
Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Next, add some books and fun resources to your learning day.

Resources to Learn About Egg Laying Animals & Animals that Have Live Births

Investigate how eggs are hatched and why some animals have live births with these fun books.

Image for An Egg Is Quiet: (Picture Book, Kids Book about Eggs)

An Egg Is Quiet: (Picture Book, Kids Book about Eggs)

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.

Image for Chickens Aren't the Only Ones (World of Nature Series)

Chickens Aren't the Only Ones (World of Nature Series)

Ruth Heller's prose and pictures are the perfect means for discovering the variety of oviparous animals and their unique ways of laying eggs.

Image for Who Laid the Egg? (Exploring Nature)

Who Laid the Egg? (Exploring Nature)

What kind of animals lay eggs?

A chicken?

An ostrich?

Maybe even . . . a dinosaur?!

Find out which animals lay eggs in this entertaining picture book for toddlers, preschoolers, and early readers!

Who Laid the Egg is a simple, easy-to-read book that introduces children to some of the
wonderful egg-laying animals in our world. Kids will love guessing which animal laid each egg as you read this book together!

Featuring: a chicken, an ostrich, a frog, a turtle and others!

Image for Figurines of Mudpuppy, Dragonfly, Water Snake, Bat, Goose, Herring Gull, Blue Heron, Lynx, Sturgeon, Yellow Perch

Figurines of Mudpuppy, Dragonfly, Water Snake, Bat, Goose, Herring Gull, Blue Heron, Lynx, Sturgeon, Yellow Perch

Here are a few great plastic animal collections that have at least a couple of live-bearing and egg-laying creatures in it.

Educational Resource: Perfect for teaching children about the diverse species that inhabit the Great Lakes ecosystem. Encourages curiosity and respect for nature and wildlife.

Image for Mini North American & Australian Animal Figurines

Mini North American & Australian Animal Figurines

North American & Australian Animals has a few egg-laying animals, but I really love that it includes the platypus.

Also, add some of these hands-on activities.

Activities For Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg

  • Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet.
  • Fun Kids Hands-on Egg Carton Sea Turtle Life Cycle Activity
  • Fun Homeschool Unit Study Egg to Sea Turtle Lesson Plans & Lapbook
  • Egg to Gosling Fascinating Journey | Is A Goose Hatched From Egg Or Born Alive

Before you begin your activity, you want to gather up a bunch of little plastic toys, Safari Toobs are my favorite and I linked a couple above but you can even raid the toy box to find some.

You want to collect a variety of both egg-laying and non-egg-laying animals.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Here are a few examples of each to get you started.

Egg Laying

  • Birds
  • Platypus
  • Fish
  • Turtles
  • Lizards

Live Birth

  • Bears
  • Cats
  • Dolphins
  • Fox
  • People
Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Finally, look at this fun hands-on activity about animals that are born alive and hatched from egg.

DIY Hatching Egg Activity

You will need:

  • Construction paper
  • Makers
  • Baking soda
  • Water
  • Vinegar
  • A shallow container
  • Small container
  • Pipette

First, place a cup or two of baking soda in a large bowl depending on how many creatures you want to put in your eggs.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Add water a little at a time while mixing with your hands until it is damp enough to hold together when you squeeze it.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

It should look like this.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

You can color some of the mixture if you like.

Hatching Egg Activity For Kids

Grab one of your animals hatched from an egg and add the damp baking soda mixture around it.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Keep adding and shaping until it is completely covered with the mixture and resembles an egg shape.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Next, let the eggs dry out for several hours or overnight until they harden up.

Place eggs in a shallow container with a small bowl of vinegar and a pipette.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Encourage your child to use the pipette to drizzle the eggs with vinegar, they will know what to do next!

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

They will enjoy watching the fizzing and bubbling acting.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

When they are done, they will see and reinforce the teaching about animals that come from eggs.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Now, take two pieces of construction paper and write across the top on one Hatched from an Egg with an egg next to it.

Across the other write Born Alive with the no egg symbol.

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Additionally, be sure to read these aloud to your child.

The symbols help the non-reader to know which paper to use but it is a very important connection that your child knows that the spoken word and the written word are linked by writing them it will begin to help them identify letters and make that connection.

Next, give them several of both live-bearing and egg-laying animals and instruct them how to sort between the two pages.

Help your child as they need help but give them independence as well.

Finally, talk about the animals and the differences between them. 

Animals That Are Born Alive And Hatched From Egg DIY Hatching Egg Activity

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: animals, eggs, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, science

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

November 14, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We are creating a jellyfish in a jar preschool activity that is part art project and part science to highlight World Jellyfish Day on November 3rd. Also, you’ll love How to Homeschool Preschool and Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft.

It is a fun but simple demonstration of how jellyfish move in the water and making the jellyfish together provides the perfect opportunity to talk about its anatomy.

The best part is that you can make it with trash, well at least items destined for the trash or recycle bin.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

What makes this cool science activity work the way it does?

Air is lighter than water, so any way that you turn the bottle, the head of the jellyfish will rise to the top.

Use these facts below to learn more about the moon jelly that closely resembles our jellyfish in a jar and some of the resources and activities I found to create an entire study or just a day of fun and learning.

4 Facts About Moon Jellyfish

Since our jellyfish in a jar activity resembles a moon jellyfish, we are going to swim right into it and learn all about this amazing invertebrate.

  1. Aurelia is a genus of jellyfish; they are commonly called moon jellies and are in the class Scyphozoa. There are currently 25 accepted species that fall under moon jellies.
  1. Moon jellies can be identified by four circles visible through the translucent white bell and short tentacles.
  1. Moon jellyfish can be found in oceans all around the world. They thrive in a warm environment and are often found near coastlines in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.
  1. Moon jellies even went into space as an experiment on the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1991 as part of a study on the effects of weightlessness on the development of internal organs in juvenile jellies.
Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Also, look at some of these books about jellyfish.

I always lean toward living books first, then add reference books.

7 Books and Resources about Jellyfish

Add some of these books and resources to your study of jellyfish.

Image for Jellyfish: A Natural History

Jellyfish: A Natural History

With their undulating umbrella-shaped bells and sprawling tentacles, they are compelling and gorgeous, strange and dangerous. In many places they’re also vastly increasing in number, and these population blooms may be an ominous indicator of the rising temperatures and toxicity of the oceans.

Image for Jellyfish (A Day in the Life: Sea Animals)

Jellyfish (A Day in the Life: Sea Animals)

Beautiful and translucent, jellyfish can be deadly but some are perfectly harmless. Learn about the physical traits of jellyfish, how they move, where they are found, and their hunting and sleeping habits.

Image for Moon Jelly Swims Through the Sea

Moon Jelly Swims Through the Sea

Describes the life cycle of a female moon jellyfish as she escapes the many hazards of the sea to develop from planula to polyp to ephyra to a young adult ready to lay her own fertilized eggs.

Image for Jellyfish - 70 Piece Tube Building Stem/Steam Toy

Jellyfish - 70 Piece Tube Building Stem/Steam Toy

SIMPLE DESIGN - FUELS CREATIVITY: One shape, endless possibility! Every brick easily connects to the next. Create colorful flat mosaics or work in 3-D to make more intricate builds. Mix and match any Plus-Plus set to bring more ideas to life!

Image for Jellyfish Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles

Jellyfish Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles

CHALLENGE GAME - Wooden jigsaw puzzles with uniquely shaped pieces are actually more challenging than traditional woodcut puzzles. It is absolutely going to be a great adventure!

Image for A Jellyfish Is Not a Fish (Let'S-Read-And-Find-Out Science Book)

A Jellyfish Is Not a Fish (Let'S-Read-And-Find-Out Science Book)

Describes the general characteristics and functions of a variety of jellyfish with emphasis on the ones to avoid.

Image for Bloom

Bloom

Once, the ocean was full of friends. Then a little jellyfish notices that things are changing--friends are disappearing! He sets out to discover the truth and learns that everyone has a part to play in protecting the careful balance of the ocean. "Bloom" refers to a substantial increase in jellyfish population that can be caused by climate change and pollution. In this beautifully illustrated, timely, and topical tale, the jellyfish band together to deliver an important message.

Additionally, look at these other jellyfish crafts.

Jellyfish Activities

Choose one or more additional activities to make your jellyfish study even better, allowing a deeper dive into the topic.

  • Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft that will be fun to hang up in your child’s room as a reminder of what they learned.
  • Make a Paper Lantern Jellyfish as you study their anatomy or habits.
  • I like art activities that serve more than one purpose like this Fine Motor Jellyfish Craft For Kids that will develop fine motor skills and muscles.
  • Create Black Glue Jellyfish Art for a dramatic art activity.
  • A colorful Suncatcher Jellyfish Kids Craft will brighten up your windows on any dark or sunny day.
  • Another craft that uses art and developing fine motor skills Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft for Kids
  • Jellyfish are the perfect shape for a cute and colorful windsock, check out this Scrape Painted Jellyfish Windsock.
  • Make these cute Egg Carton Jellyfish from just beads and egg cartons.
Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Finally, look how to make this jellyfish in a jar preschool activity.

Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

You will need:

  • Large clean jar
  • Water
  • Small plastic bag
  • Scissors
  • Straw
  • String
  • Blue food coloring
Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

First, cut a square of plastic out of a store bag or ziploc bag that would fit inside your jar with plenty of room to move.

Cut strips through both sides, leaving a few inches uncut for tentacles, you may want to cut away a few of the strips so it is not so full.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Place a straw into the center and wrap a string just above the cuts to define the head (bell) of the jellyfish.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Blow into the straw to fill it with air. As you pull out the straw, tighten and tie off the string to keep it filled with air.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Fill the jar with water and a drop of blue food coloring.

If you add too much blue it will be hard to see your jellyfish.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Use the straw to push the jellyfish down into the jar.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Replace the lid and watch the tentacles dance around as you gently swirl the water.

To extend the activity a bit you can let your child use dry erase markers.

Use the markers on the jar to create a colorful world for your jellyfish to live in.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool preschool, jellyfish, life science, ocean, preschool, science, siummer crafts

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

November 10, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Look at these easy and fun Over And Under The Snow activities I have gathered to create a fun and free literature unit study for preschoolers (or even kindergarteners ). Also, you’ll love more ideas on my pages Winter Season Unit Study Free Lapbook & Hands-On Ideas, Best Homeschool Unit Studies and How to Homeschool Preschool.

Preschoolers can benefit from a literature unit study.

And you can easily turn it into a fun week-long theme that covers everything from language arts to science and even math.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

You will want to start each day by reading the entire book from start to finish.

You can choose the order you do these activities.

It is totally up to you and what works for you and your child.

Besides the book and some plastic animals, you can put this entire week together with less than $5 in supplies.

I picked up the pack of styrofoam balls, shaving cream, and baking soda that made up 3 of the week’s activities for $3.75 at Dollar Tree.

I have also included a few more ways to use these items to stretch the fun, learning, and budget.

Language Arts Day 1

The act of reading alone is a wonderful language arts activity.

As you read through the book you stimulate their imagination and expand their understanding of the world.

Reading aloud helps them to develop language and listening skills and is an important pre-reading activity to help them understand the written word.

But there are some places you can be intentional.

Throughout the book, some words will be brand new to your child. Take some time to go over them a bit before you read so that your child can understand and learn the new vocabulary.

Here are some new words that you might pick a couple from to focus on:

  • Glide- To move with a smooth continuous motion.
  • Flash- A quick view of something.
  • Tracks- A mark or line of marks left by a person or animal.
  • Huddle- To crowd together closely.
  • Morsels– A small piece of food.
  • Shelter- A place that gives temporary protection from weather or danger.
  • Gnaw-To bite or nibble something persistently.

Point out letters your child is already familiar with on the cover or throughout the book and have them name the letter.

New letters should be told to the child over and over until they have it down.  But make it fun! Talk about what letter f-f-fox starts with or o-o-over.

Finally, the shaving cream that you will be using later in the week can be squirted right onto the table and smoothed out a bit to practice drawing and writing letters with little fingers.

Sensory experiences like this often stick much better than dozens of tracing worksheets.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

Also, add some of these books for a fun read aloud.

I lean toward living books then like to add in reference book when possible.

26 Winter Books to Read to Kids and For Kids Who Love to Read

Add in a few books to make your winter unit study complete. Add books for all ages.

Image for Winter Is Coming

Winter Is Coming

Day after day, a girl goes to her favorite place in the woods and quietly watches from her tree house as the chipmunks, the doe, the rabbits prepare for the winter.

As the temperature drops, sunset comes earlier and a new season begins.

Image for Hanna's Cold Winter

Hanna's Cold Winter

Hanna was a hippopotamus in the Budapest Zoo. Hanna and the other hippos thrived in the warm springs which flowed from the ground. One winter, however, it was so cold that the river froze.

Image for Over and Under the Snow

Over and Under the Snow

Part of the acclaimed nature book series that includes Over and Under the Pond, Over and Under the Rainforest, and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, this volume takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living 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. 

ENCHANTING AND EDUCATIONAL: A charming story and beautifully rendered illustrations invite readers of all ages to explore and learn about the "subnivean zone" (the space between the colder snow and the warmer ground) where many animals live in the winter, opening a fascinating window into the natural world.

Image for The Snow Day

The Snow Day

A young rabbit wakes up to wonderful news: A snow day! School is canceled, and the day that follows is rich with the magic and delight of the falling snow.

Image for Animals in Winter

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.

Image for Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen,"

Image for Brave Irene: A Picture Book

Brave Irene: A Picture Book

This winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on as she ventures through a bitter cold snowstorm in William Steig's classic Brave Irene.

Image for Moominland Midwinter

Moominland Midwinter

Everyone knows the Moomins sleep through the winter. But this year, Moomintroll has woken up early.

So while the rest of the family slumber, he decides to visit his favorite summer haunts. But all he finds is this strange white stuff. Even the sun is gone! Moomintroll is angry: whoever Winter is, she has some nerve.

Image for Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Blessed--or cursed--with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she's known to her family) has always been seen as strange.

And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servants

Image for If Polar Bears Disappeared

If Polar Bears Disappeared

The freezing ecosystem in the far north of the globe is home to many different kinds of animals.

They can be Strong, like a walrus Tough, like a lemming Resilient, like an arctic fox.

But no arctic animal is as iconic as the polar bear.

Image for The Very, Very Far North

The Very, Very Far North

An inquisitive polar bear named Duane befriends an array of animals as he discovers where he belongs in this charming classic-in-the making

Image for The Longest Night

The Longest Night

It is the longest night of the year, and the snow lies deep. All through the forest, animals long for dawn's warmth.

Strong and clever creatures boast that only they can bring back the sun. But the wind knows better.

Image for The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A novel of snow and courage

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A novel of snow and courage

Flora the pig was born for adventure: “If it’s unexplored and needs to get dug up, call me. I’m your pig,” she says.

The day Flora spots a team of sled dogs is the day she sets her heart on becoming a sled pig.

Before she knows it, she’s on board a ship to Antarctica for the most exhilarating—and dangerous—adventure of her life.

Image for Wolf in the Snow

Wolf in the Snow

A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home?

Image for The Snowflake Sisters

The Snowflake Sisters

Crystal and Ivory snowflake take full advantage of this beautiful snowy evening in New York City as they travel to the park, fly through Time Square, journey past the Statue of Liberty, and more before coming in for their final landing of the day.

Image for Mr. Popper's Penguins

Mr. Popper's Penguins

A classic of American humor, the adventures of a house painter and his brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations.

Image for One Snowy Night (Percy the Park Keeper)

One Snowy Night (Percy the Park Keeper)

Percy the Park Keeper always feeds the animals in the park where he lives.

But one cold winter’s night Percy discovers that his little friends need more than food and he must find a way to help them find a warm place to sleep for the night.

Image for Dog Driven

Dog Driven

From the author of Ice Dogs comes a riveting adventure about a musher who sets out to prove her impaired vision won't hold her back from competing in a rigorous sled race through the Canadian wilderness. Perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen.

Image for Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

There are more animals to find among the trees, and the kindly figure with his "promises to keep" exudes warmth as he stops to appreciate the quiet delights of winter.

Image for Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy (Nature)

Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy (Nature)

Forest animals, awakened by the birds' warning that there is a stranger in the woods, set out to discover if there is danger and find, instead, a wonderful surprise.

Image for Owl Moon

Owl Moon

Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream.

Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird.

Image for Here Comes Jack Frost

Here Comes Jack Frost

One cold morning a lonely boy wishes for something to do. His animal friends are hibernating, and he has nobody to play with―even all the birds have flown south.

When he meets Jack Frost, the last thing he expects is to make a new friend . . . or to discover how enchanting winter can be!

Image for Twelve Kinds of Ice

Twelve Kinds of Ice

With the first ice—a skim on a sheep pail so thin it breaks when touched—one family’s winter begins in earnest. Next comes ice like panes of glass. And eventually, skating ice! Take a literary skate over field ice and streambed, through sleeping orchards and beyond.

Image for Blizzard

Blizzard

With accounts from the survivors and period photos, a tale by the author of the Newbery Honor book, The Great Fire tells what is was like to live through the Great Blizzard of 1888 that crippled New York City with its fierce winds and blinding snow.

Image for Grandmother Winter

Grandmother Winter

Grandmother Winter lives all alone with her snow-white flock of geese. All through the spring, summer, and fall, Grandmother Winter tends her geese and gathers their feathers. Why?

To bring snowfall as soft as feathers and bright as a winter moon. To the woodland and all of its creatures, the arrival of winter is a gift.

Image for Wild Child

Wild Child

Lynn Plourde's text snaps and crackles like the leaves of fall as Mother Earth gently gets her daughter ready for bed.

And Greg Couch's extraordinary illustrations take readers from the soft greens of late summer through the fiery oranges of a fall sunset to the peaceful blues of early winter's eve.

Next add geography or history or both.

Geography Day 2

In preschool, this is focused on the study of people and how they relate to their world.

This means transportation, community helpers, family, emotions, and caring for our world.

You can talk about the relationship between the little girl and her father in the book.

And explain how they each felt throughout their exploration of the woods and ways that we can take care of the world we live in and the animals by respecting them during walks.

Who are helpers in places like this?

Park rangers and game wardens are likely brand-new community helpers to your child.

Explain to them what each does and how they help our world.

You can also focus on the geography of the animals throughout the story.

Where would you find red squirrels or voles for instance?

Next, add in some fun art. Here are some ideas.

Art Day 3

Create a fun puffy sensory paint by combining white craft paint with a little bit of shaving cream.

Then for an easy over and under the-snow activities use it to create a winter scene with areas for creatures over and under the snow.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study


Use a marker to draw trees in the background, encouraging your child to recreate the cover of the book if they like. Both free art and gently directed art are important parts of development.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

Once the paint has dried your child can add animals above and below the snow to re-enact the book.

You can use plastic animals, print out small pieces of paper of winter animals, or let them draw some in.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

You do not need or want a full math curriculum at this age. Simply focus on number sense to begin with.

Math Day 4

As you read the book, have them count with you the number of animals on different pages.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

Number sense includes counting and identifying quantities, number recognition, subitizing (glancing at small numbers and knowing the number).

One-to-one Correspondence- This is simply making the connection between a number and a physical item.

It involves the act of counting each object in a set once, with one touch per object.

 A simple activity you can do to help develop number recognition is to get multiples of an object.

For example, you can grab small styrofoam balls or white buttons to go along with the snow theme of the book and a single dice (two if they are working on higher than 1-5).

Let them roll the die and match the number with the correct number of objects.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

Use positional words like over, under, inside, outside, behind, etc. and have your child move an object to demonstrate them.

This simple spatial activity is a precursor to geometry and measurement.

You can use styrofoam balls for all kinds of counting and adding and subtracting.

More Over and Under the Snow Activities

  • Winter Craft Ideas for Kids Animals in Winter Fun Snow Slime
  • Over and Under the Snow Building Activity
  • Kindergarten Crafts for Winter An Easy and Fun Polar Bear Fork Painting
  • Over and Under the Snow – A Storytime Activity
  • Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
  • Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments
  • Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids

Science Day 5

The science possibilities are wonderful in this book.

You can study specific animals and their habits, winter weather or both. I have an activity suggestion for this that gives you a concrete example of both.

You can take a deep dive into learning about the creatures above and below the snow by watching short videos on various animals.

Pouring over your favorite zoology books, observing these animals in nature in your own backyard, or at the zoo.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

Or with fun hands-on activities like this Over and Under the Snow sensory bin with two ingredient snow as its base.

Over and Under the Snow Activities – Two Ingredient Snow

You will need:

  • Baking soda
  • unscented/sensitive shaving cream
  • Blue construction paper
  • Paintbrush

To create the 2 ingredient snow, combine baking soda with unscented shaving cream until a snowlike texture is reached.

If it’s too dry add more shaving cream, too wet, more baking soda.

I find that it is easiest to mix it with your hands. If it just holds together when squeezed it’s a great texture.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

Fill the bottom of your chosen shallow container for the sensory bin with the “snow”.

Add small pinecones, twigs, etc. as well as plastic animals mentioned in the book like foxes, squirrels, beavers, frogs, black bears snowshoe hares, and owls.

The sensory bin is used for dramatic small-world play, fine motor skills, and as a wonderful base to work in science learning about animals as well as snow.

Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, life science, science, snow, unit studies, unit study, winter crafts, winter season

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

November 6, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have ten crafts with styrofoam egg cartons and some adorable chicken crafts. Also, you’ll my page Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet.

If you’re looking for simple crafts, especially with young children, you’ll love these egg carton crafts.

Besides, I like to reuse something that otherwise might get tossed.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

There are so many creative ideas using different parts and pieces of egg cartons and sometimes the whole thing.

Then I also have a tutorial for how to make an easy chicken craft from egg cartons.

It will be a great accompaniment to a farm unit study and your little one can create an entire flock of unique chickens.

Resources to Learn About Chickens

First, look at some of these fun resources to learn about chickens.

9 Books and Resources for a Fun Chicken Unit Study

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

Image for Chicks & Chickens

Chicks & Chickens

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

Image for 4 PCS Chicken Farm Animal Life Cycle Growth Model

4 PCS Chicken Farm Animal Life Cycle Growth Model

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

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

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

Image for Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

Learn the difference between a farrow and a barrow, and what distinguishes a weanling from a yearling. Country and city mice alike will delight in Julia Rothman’s charming illustrated guide to the curious parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from the shapes of squash varieties to how a barn is constructed and what makes up a beehive to crop rotation patterns, Rothman gives a richly entertaining tour of the quirky details of country life. 

Image for Where Do Chicks Come From?

Where Do Chicks Come From?

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

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

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

Image for Chickenology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia

Chickenology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia

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

Image for LEGO Creator Easter Chickens 30643

LEGO Creator Easter Chickens 30643

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

Image for Farm Animal for Kids, Chicken Coop

Farm Animal for Kids, Chicken Coop

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

Image for Farm Animal Chicken Coop Building Blocks

Farm Animal Chicken Coop Building Blocks

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

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

Image for Farm Animals Figurines Simulated Farm Life

Farm Animals Figurines Simulated Farm Life

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

Also, here are some chicken facts to talk about with your children as they do these fun chicken crafts.

Chicken Facts

  1. One purpose of a chicken comb is to keep the hen cool in hot weather, their combs are filled with capillaries and veins. Heated blood flows through and is air-cooled which reduces the chicken’s temperature.
  2. Chickens usually only lay one egg per day but the record for eggs laid by a chicken in one day is 7. 
  3. The color of the egg depends on the chicken’s earlobes, chickens with red earlobes lay brown eggs, while chickens with white earlobes lay white eggs. (There are plenty of exceptions to this rule but this is the case in most instances).
  4. Chickens can run up to 9 miles an hour, talk about fast food!
  5. There is no shortage of chickens, if all of the chickens on earth were spread out among all the people on earth, each person would have at least 3 chickens.
10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

If you need a great reference book you can use Farm Anatomy for just about every farm topic there is but I am focusing on the chicken and especially learning about their different combs.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

But now let’s take a look at some other crafts with styrofoam egg carton ideas from ocean creatures to ice cream cones.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons

Grab those egg cartons out of the recycling bin and create a few of these fantastically creative crafts using different parts of egg cartons.

  1. Dive deep into the ocean for these Egg Carton Jellyfish Puppet’s, they are simply adorable.
  2. What a fantastic idea to use the part of the carton that is usually discarded when doing egg carton crafts. Egg Carton Sharks
  3. Egg Carton Whale Craft for Kids is cute and easy, great for a preschool ocean study.
  4. Maybe this Recycled Egg Carton Toadstool Craft will be the start of a fairy garden but they are fabulous even on their own.
  5. Look at my fun craft for the littles with 10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity.
  6. I just love the creativity of these Egg Carton Faces and can see them being used for so many things.
  7. Make these Egg Carton Mice and a block of cheese out of a simple egg carton.
  8. And grab my unit study with this Cutest Ever Egg Carton Sea Turtle Craft and Learning Activities for Kids.
  9. The Recycled Ants Craft is too cute to spoil a picnic but makes a great hands-on activity while learning all about ants.
  10. Not only are these Egg Carton Ice Cream Cones the sweetest thing but they would make a great item for a dramatic play area or sensory bin.
10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons

Set up a chicken crafting station for preschoolers through early elementary to enjoy when you are teaching about farm life and chickens or just when you need a rainy day idea.

You will need:

  • Styrofoam egg cartons
  • Red, orange, and yellow craft foam
  • Orange and yellow pipe cleaners
  • Hole punch
  • Craft feathers
  • Tacky Glue
  • Googly eyes 
  • Scissors
10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

First, cut out the individual cups from your egg cartons for as many chickens as you want, and keep as much of each cup as you can.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

Use a hole punch to punch two holes on one side at the bottom of the cup.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

Poke a pipe cleaner through one hole through the inside of the cup and out the other side trim to any length you like for legs.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

Now, cut small triangles out of yellow and or orange craft foam for beaks and feet.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

Then, cut irregular raindrop shapes for the chicken’s wattle (the little dangly thing under the beak. As well as wavy-topped pieces for combs.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

Use a paintbrush dipped in tacky glue to make spots of glue where you want to stick eyes.

Also use the paintbrush glue for the combs, wattles, and beaks.

You can use regular school glue but it tends to run and items will slide down the slippery egg carton.

Tacky glue holds things into place nicely while drying.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

Dab glue on the back and sides as well to add wings and tail feathers.

You will also want to add a generous dollop of glue to the ends of your pipe cleaner feet.

Then press them into the little triangles.

Once dry you can pose your chicken legs in different ways.

10 Crafts With Styrofoam Egg Cartons | How to Make Easy Chicken Crafts

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: chicken, crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, life science, science, spring crafts

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

November 4, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m excited to make this fun animal soap carving and a quick study on a swan. Also, look at this Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests.

Carving with soft soap bars is a great way to practice fine motor skills, safe knife skills, and is fantastic for relaxation.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

I chose to make this carving of a swan because they are such beautiful and graceful creatures and worked beautifully with the white soap.

Swans are birds found in wetlands, ponds, rivers, and lakes around the United States,

I am not going to just leave it there though, you will have tons of facts, resources, and more to help you with your own swan study before I am through.

First, look at these quick facts about swans.

8 Swan Facts

There is much to learn about swans whether they are a topic on their own or part of a larger study on lakes or ponds.

  1. There are both black and white species of swans. Black swans are found in southeast and southwest Australia as well as Tasmania, but white swans can be found throughout Canada, Northern United States, and Alaska.
  2. Male swans are called cobs, females are pens, and young are called cygnets.
  3. Swans choose a partner and stay together for their whole life. If their mate dies they will mourn for a while just like people and may or may not find a new mate.
  4. Swans can eat as much as eight pounds of food per day, they have big appetites and need to consume 20% to 25% of their bodyweight each day.
  5. While most mammals only have 7 neck vertebrae, swans have 24 or 25.
  6. Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl native to North America and they are also the heaviest flying birds in North America. Their wingspans can reach up to 10 feet wide and can weigh up to 30 pounds.
  7. Swans have a long lifespan, In the wild swans can live for over 20 years.
  8. Amazingly swans can sleep on land on one leg or while floating in the water.
How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Then, look at some bird resources or ideas for animal soap carvings.

More Bird Resources for a Fun Animal Soap Carving

  • How to Make a Chalk Pastel Bird Nest Easy Drawing
  • Galapagos Islands Animals Fun and Simple Watercolor Flamingo Tutorial
  • Peregrine Falcon Lapbook And Fun Unit Study Ideas
  • Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet
  • Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play
  • How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock
  • Free Bird Journal – Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)
  • North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Bird Craft For Kindergarten Make an Adorable Fun American Robin Foot Print
  • Beautiful Bald Eagle Fun Facts And Torn Paper Bird Craft
  • Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
  • Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts
  • How to Make a Fun Paper Mache American Robin Bird Craft
  • How to Make a Kid’s Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity
  • How to Make an Easy Jumbo Stick Bird Feeder with Kids

Your kids will love my Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan
  • Dynamic Delightful Bird Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Delightful Bird Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Also, here are more activities to learn about swan.

Swan Unit Study Activities

  • 7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Next, look at these resources for a study of a swan.

Resources for a Quick Study of Swans

7 Swan Quick Unit Study Resources

Read The Trumpet of The Swan as your read aloud during your study, it is a wonderful classic by E.B. White..

Image for The Trumpet of the Swan

The Trumpet of the Swan

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection—he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

Image for Needle Felting: The Swan
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Needle Felting: The Swan

Challenge yourself to make this needlefelted swan next, a beautiful handiwork craft.

Image for Paper roll swan craft
Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

Paper roll swan craft

These swans are particularly simple to create, the first time we made them was back when the girls were princess-obsessed preschoolers.

Image for Origami Swan Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial
Photo Credit: backyardsummercamp.com

Origami Swan Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial

Create a paper wonder by following this Origami Swan Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial.

Image for Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake - The Kirov Ballet
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake - The Kirov Ballet

Take in some of the beautiful music and dance of Tchaikovsky’s  SwanLake

Image for White Swan Figurine Animals Figures  Project Diorama Model

White Swan Figurine Animals Figures Project Diorama Model

4PCS farm animals figures. Kid can use these plastic animals farm toys to build their own farm up. Farm sets for kids can bring happy.

Farm Animal figurines farm toys set made of environment friendly materials.Good quality and durable to deal with lots of play.

Image for Swan Lake

Swan Lake

A prince's love for a swan queen overcomes an evil sorcerer's spell in this fairy tale adaptation of the classic ballet

Finally, look how to make this fun animal soap carving.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving

A soft soap like Ivory carves nicely with simple tools like plastic knives and toothpicks.

It is a great size for small hands and makes a good new medium for an art project.

You will need:

  • Ivory soap bars
  • Toothpicks
  • Wooden Skewers
  • Carving tools-Dollar Tree (optional)
How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

First, open soap a few days ahead of when you are ready to use it and allow it to dry out for 2-5 days, the longer the better.

It makes a little less mess and is easier to work with than if you carve it straight out of the package.

Scratch off the name of the soap with your tools.

Use a toothpick or wooden skewer to lightly outline the shape of the swan on both sides of the soap.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Continue scraping away at the edges of the soap, removing the bulk of the soap that is not part of the design, going all the way from one side of soap to the other.

Going slow and easy will allow you to get more details and less mistakes.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Once you have removed the bulk of the excess material scratch details like feathers deeper into the wings and tail to create some texture by going in different depths and avoid using perfectly straight lines.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Be sure to do all sides of your swan with all the feathering.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Add details like eyes and the beak with a toothpick, do both sides.

Use a smooth rounded tool to rub the edges smooth and flat.

If your child wants to keep their soap, you can seal it with a good lacquer sealer to preserve it.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: animals, birdjournal, birds, crafts, elementary science, homeschoolscience, life science, science, spring, spring crafts, swan

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