Here is an easy and fun snake craft preschool idea that any reptile loving kid will love to make and observe as long as it lasts afterwards. Also, look at How to Homeschool Preschool.
Snakes are a fascinating topic for many preschoolers.
They are intrigued by the way they move, the way they feel, and unique characteristics like the shedding process.
You might have the kid that comes walking through the kitchen with a frog in one hand and a snake in the other.
If that’s your kid you’re going to want to do this snake unit including a very fun DIY snakeskin activity.
If you have found an intact snakeskin on a nature walk or maybe even in your own backyard, it’s cool for your preschooler to hold and study.
Snake Books for Kids
Next, I love adding books to our day. Choose one or two of these non-scary living books for your preschooler.
Also, I add reference books to use for a child of any age.
9 Books for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read to About Snakes
Grab some of these books for your fun reading day about snakes or for a snake unit study.
Deep in the jungle where all the pythons are green, Verdi is born a little bit different. This gorgeously illustrated picture book from the creator of Stellaluna sends a timely message to young readers about the importance of loving the skin you're in.Young Verdi doesn’t want to grow up big and green. He likes his bright yellow skin and sporty stripes. Besides, all the green snakes he meets are lazy, boring, and rude. When Verdi finds a pale green stripe stretching along his whole body, he tries every trick he can think of to get rid of it—and ends up in a heap of trouble. Despite his efforts, Verdi turns green, but to his delight, he discovers that being green doesn’t mean he has to stop being himself.
They’re slithery and scaly, and they have icky, flicking tongues and creepy, unblinking eyes. What’s to like about a snake? You’d be surprised!This little girl has a problem. Her family doesn’t have dogs, or cats, or birds—they have snakes! And she really, really, really really doesn’t like snakes. Her family can’t understand her dislike, but they can help her understand why snakes do the things they do and look the way they look. And maybe once she knows more, she will start to like snakes a little . . . or even a lot. Packed with snake trivia, this clever story includes realistic illustrations and simple explanations of snake behavior sure to make even slither-phobic readers shed their misconceptions about these fascinating reptiles. Back matter includes a note about snakes, a bibliography, and an index.
“This attractive and readable book is an excellent introduction to informational literature and to a fascinating creature.” — School Library JournalPython stirs and slithers out from her shelter, smelling the air with her forked tongue. It’s time to molt her dull scales and reveal the glistening snake underneath. Gliding along a tree, the hungry python stalks her prey. Combining informative facts, expressive illustrations, and a lyrical, mesmerizing narrative, this book will captivate anyone fascinated by this iconic creature.
Akimbo can’t believe his luck when his father allows him to visit his uncle Peter’s snake park. And when a local village calls to report a sighting of a green mamba snake—the rarest and most deadly one of all—Akimbo hopes to help his uncle catch it for the park. But little does he expect to find himself trapped face to face with the deadliest of reptiles. Bestselling novelist Alexander McCall Smith brings the majesty and dangers of Africa to life in this vividly imagined adventure for young readers.
A Primer on Reptiles & Amphibians is an innovative educational resource designed to forge a connection between the reader and the creeping critters of the world. Turtles, frogs, lizards, salamanders, snakes, and crocodiles… these animals evoke fear and fascination. This primer dispels myths and unlocks mysteries surrounding these diverse survivors which have mastered virtually every habitat on Earth. Tragically, these animals now face pressures of unprecedented severity, but there is still time to make a difference if more of us work together.
Embark on a fun, fact-filled dive into the world of snakes with Everything You Need to Know About Snakes. Children will love to learn all the basics of reptile anatomy in this beautiful and informative book on our serpent friends.Packed with vibrant pictures and lots of fascinating facts, kids can enjoy learning all about a snake’s habitat and behavior. See how they survive in forests, deserts, and oceans, and how these clever creatures have adapted to live in seemingly inhospitable habitats. Alongside, in between, and on top of all that, this riveting snake book also provides ideas for things to make, games to play, quizzes, and amazing facts to share with friends!Inside the pages of this reptile book for children, you’ll find:- Facts on habitat and anatomy, as well as oddities such as why snakes have scales and why chameleons change color.-Close-ups, quizzes, and games with an exciting take on the amazing world of our cold-blooded friends.-A look at these creatures from all angles – information on habitat and breeding habits, as well as information on pythons, Komodo dragons, sea turtles, and many more.
For millennia, humans have regarded snakes with an exceptional combination of fascination and revulsion. Some people recoil in fear at the very suggestion of these creatures, while others happily keep them as pets. Snakes can convey both beauty and menace in a single tongue flick and so these creatures have held a special place in our cultures. Yet, for as many meanings that we attribute to snakes—from fertility and birth to sin and death—the real-life species represent an even wider array of wonders.The Book of Snakes presents 600 species of snakes from around the world, covering nearly one in six of all snake species. It will bring greater understanding of a group of reptiles that have existed for more than 160 million years, and that now inhabit every continent except Antarctica, as well as two of the great oceans.
Presents a year in the life of a female water snake, resident of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A sign painter and a giant bull snake cause a commotion when they replace Buffalo Bill as official buffalo hunters for the United States Army.
5 Snake Facts Your Preschooler Will Love
- All snakes are reptiles and vertebrates, which means that they have a backbone that provides them with protection of their organs and gives their body stability and movement.
- Hawaii and Alaska are the only two states in the US that do not have snakes, road trip anyone?
- The longest known snake is the reticulated python, which can grow to 32 feet. Try measuring that out with a rope or string to show your child just how big that really is!
- Snakes shed their skin somewhere between 4 and 12 times a year, the scientific name for this is Ecdysis.
- Snakes have two layers of skin. The top layer has scales that are visible. These scales are made out of keratin which is the same material your fingernails are made of. The second layer of snakeskin is underneath and will become the new layer once the snake sheds its skin.
Also, here are more activities about snakes.
Celebrate Snakes With More Fun Activities
- Create clay snakes with amazing detail in the scales by using discarded fruit mesh bags.
- Mix and Match Articulated Snakes are a great tool for creativity but are also a unique way to help your child learn to develop stronger hand eye coordination and fine motor skills as they snap and unsnap them creating new snakes each time. What I also love about them is that they can be used for patterning and even to practice making some letters.
- Make a big snake that can be worn around the neck using this Fun Easy Amazon Rainforest Crafts and Make a Bubble Wrap Pattern Anaconda.
- Check out these cute little Pipe Cleaner and Perler Bead Snakes that are great for fine motor exercise.
- Play Dough Snakes let your child’s creative side take over while their hands get a workout too.
- Before you move onto today’s craft watch this really cool video demonstrating how a snake sheds its skin to help them understand it a bit better.
Finally, look how to make this snake craft preschool activity.
Snake Craft Preschool
I tried several methods like dipping the snake in glue and only painting one layer to make it quicker and easier but for the best results you will want to follow the instructions I used below.
Once dry it is clear, the texture is like that of real snakeskin, and it will pick up the detail of the scales and eyes if your rubber snake has them, making it realistic.
You will need:
- Rubber Snake
- School Glue
- Paper Plate
- Foam brush/paint brush
- Wax Paper or Silicone Mat
First, lay your snake out on waxed paper or a silicone mat, you can even use a coated paper plate.
You want to use something that the dripping glue will separate easily from. I have found these craft mats to be invaluable for things like this as well as painting and they clean up so easily!
Paint a thick layer of glue over the entire thing from nose to tail.
Allow to dry just until the outer coating begins to dry out just a bit, repeat twice more to give it a thick coat. If you paint one coat right after another it doesn’t work as well.
Leave the snake to dry overnight until completely cured throughout.
Cut off the little extra bits where the glue has pooled and dried around the snake form.
Begin at one end and carefully peel back the skin.
If the bottom is covered in glue you may need to flip it over and split the underside first.
If you go slowly and carefully you will get large pieces, maybe even an entire snake shaped skin.
Look at the details of the eyes from just glue.
And even each individual scale.
This makes a great addition to your science shelf so that your child can investigate it by observing the impressions of the scales, measuring its length, feeling the texture, and more.
