I have some fun panda activities and an easy panda bamboo forest bin for your littles. Also, look at my page 4 Weeks Free Homeschool Panda Unit Study & Best Hands-On Ideas.
When you combine animals kids love and a sensory experience, kids will remember what they learn.
And when you add panda with bamboo along with natural materials this invites kids to play and story tell.
Besides, using bamboo, dried leaves, rice, or green-colored sensory fillers invites children to explore natural textures and learn about animal habitats.
For example, using my free panda unit study above while your young child is playing you can ask questions.
Where do panda live and what do panda eat?
BOOKS ABOUT PANDAS FOR KIDS
First, look at some books.
I prefer to use living books when I find them. I know you’ll love some of these I’ve rounded up.
7 Beautiful Books About Pandas
Add these fun books to your home reading library or use any for a fun day themed study or a deeper dive like unit study.
Giant pandas: they are indigenous to China and are adored the world over. But they are more than a bundle of fluff and squeaks. Giant pandas are energetic climbers and swimmers. In one year, they may eat around 10,000 pounds of bamboo. And people in China have worked together to create protected areas for giant pandas to live peacefully.
Follows the first several years of a female giant panda in the Chinese province of Sichuan and presents historical commentary on human being's relationship with pandas
This book simply explains complex information about endangered species by asking questions like " Where have all the tigers gone,?" " Why are the rhinos endangered?," and "Are people saving pandas?" Where have all the pandas gone?From the bamboo forests of China--to near extinction. Today, there are only about 1,000 giant pandas left in the entire world.
When Stillwater, a giant panda, moves into Addy, Michael and Karl's neighborhood, he tells them the most amazing stories!
To Addy he tells a story about the value of material goods.
To Michael he pushes the boundaries of good and bad.
And to Karl he demonstrates what it means to hold on to frustration.
With graceful art and simple stories that are filled with love and enlightenment, Jon Muth - and Stillwater the bear - present three ancient Zen tales that are sure to strike a chord in everyone they touch.
Join in the fantastic fun as one grumpy panda sets off a frenzy of wild partying. There's grunting and growling and prancing and prowling, skipping and scowling and squealing and yowling, squeaking and squawking, snarling and snorting, hysterical howling and chaotic cavorting—all because of one grumpy panda.
If You Were a Panda Bear introduces different types of bears to young children. Through the poems in this charming storybook, kids will learn that pandas are shy and eat bamboo, black bears love to climb trees, and grizzly bears can be up to ten feet tall. A section at the back includes even more fun animal facts. The full-color illustrations are playful and bring the personality of each bear wonderfully to life.
A giant panda and her baby set off on a search for a safe, sustaining home in this informative tale about an enchanting creature.High on a mist-wrapped mountain, a mother panda cradles her newborn, pink and impossibly small. The bamboo patch they need for food is dying, and as soon as her baby is old enough, they must seek a new home, sleeping in trees and swimming across icy streams along the way. Nick Dowson’s lyrical text, interspersed with intriguing facts, follows one of nature’s most magnificent — and endangered — species on its search for a safe habitat, while Yu Rong’s expressive, delicate brushwork brings these legendary creatures to life.Back matter includes an index, and a note about pandas.
Then, look at these panda activities.
PANDA ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
- Easy Pom Pom Panda Craft for Kids
- Gemozaic Diamond Art Kits for Kids with Frame
- Free Panda Notebooking Pages
- Egg carton Panda
- Bottle Panda
- Make a Playful Panda with this Build A Panda Craft
Then, here are a few facts about bamboo.
BAMBOO & PANDA FACTS FOR KIDS
- Bamboo is a type of grass. It is not a tree.
- Pandas eat bamboo almost all day long.
- Pandas live in bamboo forests.
- People use bamboo to make baskets, furniture, and toys.
- Pandas use their strong teeth to crunch bamboo.
- Bamboo has hollow stems.
- And bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth.
Finally, look at this easy panda and bamboo sensory bin.
PANDA BAMBOO FOREST SENSORY BIN
First, look at this short list of supplies which you probably already have in the house.
Supply List
- Sensory bin or shallow plastic container
- Dyed green rice
- Small panda figurines. We love this set that comes in the TOOB series.
- Wooden craft sticks or jumbo popsicle sticks (to create bamboo)
- Optional: small scoop, spoon, or cup
HOW KIDS PLAY
Kids explore the bin by moving the pandas through the “bamboo forest,” standing the craft sticks upright in the rice to create clusters.
They can bury and uncover pandas, scoop and pour the rice, or rearrange the bamboo sticks to make new forest layouts.
Some kids enjoy sorting pandas into groups, building little resting spots, or pretending the pandas are exploring, hiding, eating, or napping among the bamboo.
This bin naturally encourages open-ended play, letting kids decide how the forest grows and how the pandas move through it.
BENEFITS
- Promotes calm, focused play that helps with self-regulation
- Strengthens fine motor skills through scooping, pouring, and placing small objects
- Supports sensory exploration with texture, sound, and movement
- Encourages imaginative play and storytelling
- Builds hand-eye coordination and finger strength
