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spring

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

May 31, 2023 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a fun hands-on life cycle butterfly activity. Also, look at my page Free Insect Unit Study for more ideas.

Life cycles are often one of the first science lessons that younger children get to learn about.

Instead of putting a preprinted worksheet in front of your child to teach them, why not give them an art project that turns into science with this life cycle butterfly activity?

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

We are taking some basic craft supplies that most of us have in our art supplies and turn them into a lesson on the 4 stages of a butterfly’s life.

Let your child be a part of it from the creation of each piece to laying out the cycle so they get the most out of the lesson.

As your child builds each stage in the life cycle, talk to them about the changes taking place.

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

10 Fascinating Butterfly Facts

First, look at these butterfly facts.

  1. There are almost 20,000 different butterfly species.
  2. A group of butterflies is known as a flutter.
  3. Butterflies taste their food with their feet.
  4. The most common butterfly in the US is the Cabbage White. It is a simple small mostly white butterfly with 1 or 2 black dots on each wing (1 for males, 2 for females).
  5. One of the largest butterflies is the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly, reaching a wingspan of 4 to 7 inches.
  6. While you might think butterflies have 2 wings, they have 4, 2 forewings and 2 hindwings.
  7. The North American Monarch travels an average of 2,500 miles to migrate to warmer weather.
  8. Butterflies have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies, called the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton protects the insect and keeps water inside their bodies, so they don’t dry out.
  9. The only continent where butterflies have not been found is Antarctica.
  10. Butterflies can fly as fast as 12 mph while their cousin, the moth, can reach speeds of up to 25 mph.

Books About Butterflies

Next, look at some of these beautiful books and resources for studying butterflies.

10 Butterfly Resources and Book

Fun books and resources to learn about butterflies.

It's a Butterfly's Life

What is a butterfly s life? Its full of twists and turns as butterfly glide on air currents. Its full of dips and dives as they show off for their mates. There are more than 17,000 kinds of butterflies in the world. Some of them will only live for a few days. Others will migrate thousands of miles to winter in a warmer climate. Still others will hibernate through the cold months. For all butterflies, life begins with metamorphosis. In one of nature s most amazing feats, caterpillars become creatures of beauty and grace.

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

One of the first naturalists to observe live insects directly, Maria Sibylla Merian was also one of the first to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly. 

Richly illustrated throughout with full-color original paintings by Merian herself, The Grew Who Drew Butterflies will enthrall young scientists.

UANDME 4pcs Butterfly Life Cycle Kit Lifestyle Stages of Monarch Butterfly Teaching Tools for Kids, Students

This is a wonderful, realistic set of the life cycle of a Monarch butterfly, which contains the 4 stages, eggs, caterpillars (larva) with a leaf, a chrysalis (pupa), and a butterfly. It is a good learning toy for homeschoolers teaching.

Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey

Some farms grow vegetables or grains, and some raise cows, sheep, chickens, or pigs. But have you ever heard of a butterfly farm? How do you raise a butterfly?On a farm in Costa Rica, workers care for these delicate, winged creatures as they change from eggs to caterpillars to pupae. Like any other crop, the butterflies will eventually leave the farm. But where will they go? And just how do you ship a butterfly?

Insect Lore - Butterfly Growing Kit - Butterfly Habitat Kit

Pop-up, reusable 11.5-inch tall mesh habitat perfect for butterfly viewing; includes feeding dropper and complete instructions

Witness one of nature's most spectacular transformations up close

Caterpillars ship separately via included Voucher (additional $8.95 for processing); packaging may vary

Monarch Butterfly (New & Updated)

Introduce young readers to the fascinating process of how caterpillars become butterflies.Follow the transformation from a tiny white egg laid on a leaf to a brilliantly colored butterfly in this kid-friendly introduction to metamorphosis.  With detailed, bright watercolors, Gail Gibbons illustrates the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, stage by stage, as it grows, changes, and takes flight.

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.

A Butterfly Is Patient: Nature Books for Kids, Children's Books

From the creators of the award-winning An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, and A Rock Is Lively comes this gorgeous and informative introduction to the world of butterflies.Part of the incredible six-book Nature Books series from the award-winning duo of Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long, A Butterfly Is Patient celebrates a dazzling variety of butterflies in all their beauty and wonder.Turn each page to explore the amazing world of these beautiful winged insects through watercolor illustrations that bring to life garden landscapes filled with flowers, vines, leaves, and sunshine. A BUTTERFLY BOOK TO TREASURE: From the tiny Western Pygmy blue butterfly to the grand Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, from the iridescent blue swallowtail to the brilliant orange monarch, curious kids will find a wealth of information and inspiration in this fascinating picture book.

National Geographic Readers: Caterpillar to Butterfly

Butterflies are all around us. It's hard to believe these majestic insects with impressive wingspans and beautifully colored and patterned wings were once creepy crawly caterpillars. How in the world does this transformation happen? This Level 1 Reader gives kids an up-close look at exactly how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. With bonus information including different types of butterflies and poisonous caterpillars, this reader is one of a kind.

Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Butterflies and Moths

Crinkleroot introduces the amazing world of butterflies and moths as he tours the natural world, exposing the facts and behaviors of this fascinating insect group known as Lepidoptera.

Also, look at hands-on fun butterfly activites.

Butterfly Activity Hands-on Ideas

If you are looking for another butterfly activity or two, here are some great ideas that the whole family might enjoy.

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids
  • Butterfly Identification Cards
  • 12 Free Printable Butterfly Symmetry Puzzles
  • Nature Butterfly Sticky Wall
  • Butterfly Balloon Stem Challenge
  • Butterfly Life Cycle Game
  • Easy Butterfly Sensory Bin
  • Flying Butterfly Experiment
  • A butterfly life cycle set can be used to illustrate it. They make a great addition to sensory bins or trays, and also for dramatic play as you read.
  • I found this really fun and kinda gross Dissect It kit that comes with a jelly chrysalis and a tool to dissect and remove the butterfly from the center.
  • 8 Facts About Moths and a Fun Nature Elephant Hawk Moth Craft
Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

Finally, look at how to make this easy life cycle of a butterfly activity.

Life Cycle of a Butterfly Activity

You will need:

  • 2 coffee filters
  • 3 clothespins
  • Colorful pom poms
  • 4 paper plates
  • Pipe cleaner
  • Paint or markers
  • glue
Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

Use markers to color or paint 3 clothespins to create the body. Set aside to dry.

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

Spritz 2 coffee filters until soaked then use watercolors to paint one green for the chrysalis.

Then paint the other colors for butterfly wings. To make it symmetrical you can fold one in half and just paint one side allowing it to soak through.

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

Hang outside to dry with an extra clothespin.

For the eggs, you will just need to set aside a couple of pompoms.

To create a caterpillar, draw on its eyes and glue pom poms along the length of its body.

Cut a small piece of pipe cleaner and bend it into an antenna, secure it in the pincher part of the clothespin.

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

Take the plain clothespin caterpillar and wrap it up in the green-painted coffee filter and twist the top to create the cremaster (or stem) portion.

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

Take the final painted clothespin and draw on the eyes, glue pom poms on for the body.

This time we are going to accordion fold the colorfully painted coffee filter and slip it inside the opened clip of the clothespin.

Spread out the wings and add another small piece of pipe cleaner to the clip to make the butterfly antennae.

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

Write each of the stages on your paper plates-egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly.

Have your child put them in order on the floor and then match each of the pieces they made to the correct spot.

Explain how the cycle continues to repeat itself over and over.

Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids

1 CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: butterfly, crafts, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, life cycle, life science, science, spring, spring crafts

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

April 23, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This easy bird craft paper plate peacock is fun to do to celebrate Bird Day. Also, you’ll love my Free Bird Unit Study.

Peacocks are beautiful and easily identifiable.

They make the perfect model for a fun bird craft to include in your studies or just as a stand-alone activity.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

From their long, beautiful train to their unusual cry peacocks are exotic indeed.

Peacocks are also known as peafowls and peahens. The peafowl is a member of the pheasant family.

Facts About Peacocks

Look at some peacock facts.

  • The beautiful brightly colored birds with elegant tails are all males. Further, females (peahens) are a dull brown color, so they blend in with the nest to protect it.
  • The peahen has a weakness for the magnificent display of the males wide fanned train.
  • Peafowl lives between 10 and 25 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity.
  • In 1963 peacocks were declared the national bird of India.
  • Peafowls can fly, even with tails that stretch out to 5’ long, but not very far distances.
  • A group of peafowls is called a harem. A male can have up to 5 hens and father as many as 25 chicks.
  • Peacock feathers have microscopic structures that appear like crystals, this is what gives the bright almost fluorescent colors and shimmer.
  • There are only three species of peafowl: Indian, Green, and Congo.
How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Also, look at these resources about peacocks.

Books and Resources to Learn About Peacocks

Add one or two of these resources to your study about peacocks.

Unbelievable Pictures and Facts About Peacocks

On average how many years do peacocks live
for? Are peacocks animals which can be kept as pets?

In this book you will explore the wonderful world of peacocks, finding the answers to these questions and so many more. Complete with incredible pictures to keep even the youngest of children captivated, you will all embark on a little journey into the great unknown.

Big Book of Birds (The Big Book Series)

The next Big Book in the series introduces young children to some of the most colorful, magnificent, silly, and surprising feathered creatures from around the world.

Following up the hugely successful The Big Book of Bugs, The Big Book of Beasts, and The Big Book of the Blue, The Big Book of Birds is a fact-filled tour of the world’s most wonderful winged creatures. Yuval Zommer’s distinctive illustrations show off some of the most colorful, flamboyant, impressive, and wacky birds of the sky. Picture-book charm pairs with informative nonfiction to make a beautiful, large-format title for parents to share with young children and for older children to read by themselves.

Natural Peacock Feathers 10"-12" with Eye Peacock Tail Feather

100% Genuine natural peacock feathers.

Approximate Size :10-12 inch

Peafowl

An interesting and informative look into the life and behavior of peafowl for young readers.This book covers the physical characteristics, habitat, family life, behavior, and conservation of peafowl.

Next, look at some facts about peacocks in history.

Peacocks in History

Moreover, the Peacock Throne was a famous jeweled throne that was the seat of the emperors of the Mughal Empire in India.

Too, it was commissioned in the early 17th century by Emperor Shah Jahan and was located in the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences, or Ministers’ Room) in the Red Fort of Delhi.

It was named after a peacock as two peacocks are shown dancing at its rear.

According to Britannica: “It was ascended by silver steps and stood on golden feet set with jewels, and it was backed by representations of two open peacocks’ tails, gilded, enamelled, and inset with diamonds, rubies, and other stones.”

Additionally, in the gardens of India, Rome, and Ancient Greece live peacocks were kept.

According to the Greek Reporter: “The peacock plays a role in ancient Greek mythology as the symbol of the goddess Hera, the consort of Zeus.“

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Peacocks were featured in the royal courts of India for thousands of years.

Peacock and Bird Craft Ideas

  • Need more peacock art? Here is an Easy How to Draw a Peacock Tutorial Video and Peacock Coloring Page.
  • This little Cute Bird Made of Leftover Yarn is going on my to-make-it list.
  • A simple Yarn Wrapped Cardinal Craft not only makes a pretty craft but a great exercise for fine motor skills.
  • Watch What is it? Peacock to learn a little more about this brilliant bird.
  • Make a Tropical Birds Mobile with brightly colored parrots.
  • Little ones will appreciate the simplicity of the Paper & Sidewalk Chalk Baby Bird craft.
  • Listen to these peafowl sounds to get an idea of what this exotic bird sounds like.
  • Try making this Handprint Bald Eagle.
  • These Peacock Montessori Cards are the perfect companion to today’s peacock bird craft, helping your child label the different parts of the bird.

More Easy Bird Craft Ideas and Resources

Also, here are some more fun bird crafts and activities.

  • Free Bird Journal – Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)
  • Free 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
  • Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
  • Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
  • 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
  • Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity
  • Hands-On Nature Study: Make a Fun Bird Nesting Bag
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders
How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

You can make your paper plate peacock bird craft as simple or as elaborate as you like.

Add glitter, vibrant paints, and even sequins to dress up your fancy bird.

How to Make a Toilet Roll and Paper Plate Peacock

You will need:

  • Paper plate
  • Empty toilet paper roll
  • Bright craft paints-teal, purple, blue, yellow/gold
  • Paintbrushes
  • Craft feathers
  • Yellow construction paper
  • Black permanent marker
  • Hot glue gun/glue sticks
  • Glitter or sequins-optional

Directions:

Cut the bottom 1” of your paper plate off straight across.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Paint the entire plate a vibrant teal and set it aside to dry completely.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Pinch together one end of an empty toilet paper roll and secure with hot glue, and hold in place until cooled and hardened.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Paint the entire outside of the toilet paper roll with a deep blue for contrast.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Cut feet and a beak shape from yellow cardstock or construction paper.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Once the body is dry, glue the beak and feet in place and draw on little black eyes.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Add a small piece of feather to the top of the back of the head to give him a little crest.

Draw 6-8 lines from the bottom center of the dry plate up to the top to create the quill of the tail feathers.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Add small little lines up and down either side to represent the loose barbs.

To create the beautiful little eyes on the feathers, press your finger into a shallow puddle of yellow paint and make fingerprints across the top of the barbs.

Add smaller prints of purple and blue on top to form the eye, you can either do it carefully while it’s wet or allow each color to dry in between.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

If you want to add a little sparkle to your peacock, sprinkle a bit of glitter on the paint while it is still wet.

Let everything dry completely.

Finally, hot glue the body to the tail feathers, lining up the bottom so it sits nicely.

How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: birds, crafts, elementary science, life science, peacock, science, spring, spring crafts

Free Bird Journal – Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)

April 11, 2023 | 20 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Last year when spring rolled around, I shared a free Bird Journal along with a Bird Identification page. Also, grab more information about birds on my page Hands-on Bird Unit Study and Lapbook.

Tiny had been coloring birds for a few years before I shared it last year. 

Also, I wanted something that could be used both as a coloring journal AND to print a page over and over when we identified birds.

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)

So this free printable bird journal includes the following pages.

  • Colorful front page for your journal
  • owl coloring page
  • raptor or hawk coloring page
  • cardinals coloring page
  • heron coloring page
  • emeral toucan coloring page
  • spoonbill coloring page
  • sulphur crested cockatoo coloring page
  • cross bill coloring page
  • bob white coloring page
  • quetzal coloring page
  • vulture coloring page
  • song sparrow coloring page
  • catbird coloring page and
  • a beautiful Bird Identification Page which you can print over and over as your children discover new birds

Grab this free and fun Bird Journal which includes high quality coloring pages and bird identification page which allows plenty of room for sketching and noting birding details. CLICK HERE to grab it!

So this year and as all kids do, he has grown up a bit more and wanted the Bird Identification page changed around to allow room for a larger sketch and less coloring.

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)

Moreover, in the download I included a “field guide” page.

Just add the field page into a page protector and add to your notebook.

Using a 3 ring notebook worked best for us so could keep adding to it each year.

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages). Last year when spring rolled around, I shared a free Bird Journal along with a Bird Identification page. Also, grab more information about birds on my page Hands-on Bird Unit Study and Lapbook. Also, I wanted something that could be used both as a coloring journal AND to print a page over and over when we identified birds. Free front page for your bird journal and coloring pages with bird identification key. Free 16 pages,

Additionally, if you want to delve into more spring learning look at the NaturExplorers.

Our Journey Westward

However because I know you still may have younger sweeties and kids who probably like to color, I have added a few more bird coloring pages to the Bird Journal.

Free Bird Journal

I also updated the Bird Identification page to allow room for a larger sketch and to use for an older child.

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages). Last year when spring rolled around, I shared a free Bird Journal along with a Bird Identification page. Also, grab more information about birds on my page Hands-on Bird Unit Study and Lapbook. Also, I wanted something that could be used both as a coloring journal AND to print a page over and over when we identified birds. Free front page for your bird journal and coloring pages with bird identification key. Free 16 pages,

We want to get in the habit of bird watching year around so I created this page so that the season could be easily marked when we’re bird watching. 

More Fun Learning About Birds Activities

Also, I have so many fun activities for your kids to learn about birds.

  • Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
  • North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Bird Craft For Kindergarten Make an Adorable Fun American Robin Foot Print
  • Bald Eagle Fun Facts And Torn Paper Bird Craft
  • Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
  • Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts
  • How to Make a Fun Paper Mache American Robin Bird Craft
  • Kid’s Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity
  • Easy Jumbo Stick Bird Feeder with Kids
  • Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity
  • Make a Fun Bird Nesting Bag
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • Easy and Fun Nature Study: Beautiful Birds
  • Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders

But we only seem to do it when we have spring fever.

Grab this free and fun Bird Journal which includes high quality coloring pages and bird identification page which allows plenty of room for sketching and noting birding details. CLICK HERE to grab it!

More Coloring Pages

  • 20 Fun Home School Education Coloring Books to Pair With Unit Studies

In addition, add some fun bird books to use as referenced for the bird journal.

11 Fun Resources and Books to Learn About North American Robin Birds

Studying about North American Robin birds is fun to do anytime of the year with all ages. You'll love adding one ore more of these resources to your study.

1. All About Robins

A robin is one of the most familiar and beloved of all birds that are found throughout North America. You may see robins running across lawns or going after earthworms in your yard or a park. You can also find robins by listening for their clear, melodic singing.There are many facts about robins that most people don’t know. If your children have ever wondered about robins and how they grow from chicks to adult birds, this book is for them. The book contains dozens of beautiful photos of robins from the time they first hatch, to when their mother feeds them, until they take their first flight. It also includes many little-known facts that are sure to captivate young naturalists.

2. Model Backyard Birds Toys

Set of bird figurine toys, which contains 7 different small plastic birds. The weight of bird figure toy is 96G / 0.2LB. The set of small plastic bird contains 7 pieces of toy birds, such as robin, bluebird, oriole, woodpecker, etc. Please refer to the picture for the actual size and color.

3. Big Book of Birds

The book draws in children and parents alike with captivating information about and charming illustrations of hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, puffins, red-crowned cranes, and more. The book also invites young bird-watchers to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird-friendly. The text is chatty, funny, and full of remarkable facts.

4. A Nest Full of Eggs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Named a Best Children's Science Book of the Year by Science Books & Films, this picture book shows how the birds develop inside their eggs during the spring; how they mature into fledglings in the summer; how they learn to fly in the fall; and how they leave for warmer climates in winter—only to return when spring comes around again.

5. BACKYARD BIRDSONG GUIDE EASTERN AND CENT (cl) (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Suitable for beginning bird watchers, Backyard Birdsongs is an interactive handbook of birds and their songs. With a touch-button electronic module that contains common vocalizations of seventy-five species from across eastern and central North America, this volume offers a truly sensory way to identify and get to know local birds. Crisply detailed, scientifically accurate illustrations accompany each entry, and up-to-date range maps provide clear geographical reference points. With an introduction that will inspire readers to look out their windows and venture into the field, this unique book gives people of all ages an exciting entryway into the subtle art of using birdsong to identify birds.

6. A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home (Nest for Celeste, 1)

Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of black-and-white drawings, A Nest for Celeste is a short novel that tells the story a mouse living in the 1800s and his friendship with John James Audubon’s young apprentice. While enjoying this sweet amd appealing story, young readers will also learn about nineteenth-century plantation life and the famous naturalist who was known for his paintings of birds and American wildlife.

7. 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.

8. Robins!: How They Grow Up

Robins are the most familiar and beloved of all birds, found throughout North America and celebrated as one of the first signs of spring. But there's a lot about them that most people don’t know! In this visually stunning picture book that features comic-book panels combined with painterly illustrations, Eileen Christelow tells the story of two young robins’ first year, and reveals plenty of little-known facts that are sure to captivate young naturalists. Narrated with humor and filled with kid-pleasing details, this fascinating account of how robins grow up includes an Author’s Note, Glossary, More About Robins, and Sources.

9. Rob the Robin: A Tale of a Feathered Friend

Join Rob the Robin on his adventure as he discovers first the difficulty of surviving a long winter and then the wonders of spring. Written as an early reader, this tale is sure to delight children with captivating photography and pictures that visually tell the story in such a way that will interest both readers and non-readers alike.

10. The American Robin

In this book, Roland Wauer offers a complete natural history of the American Robin for a popular audience. Combining his own observations as a field naturalist with data gleaned from the scientific literature, he described the American Robin from every angle - appearance and biology, distribution, behavior, life cycle, and enemies and threats. In addition, he explores the legends and lore surrounding robins ("Whoever kills a robin redbreast will never have good luck were they to live a thousand years") and offers suggestions for attracting robins to your yard with favorite food, water, landscape plantings, and nesting places.

11. American Robin Plush Authentic Bird Sound

Kids and adults love this bird stuffed animal and are captivated by its realistic sound. They are also great baby toys and used as sensory toys. With one squeeze, Audubon birds produce beautifully authentic bird calls provided by the Cornell lab of Ornithology’s bird recording archives.

Are y’all planning any special project for spring?

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)

How to Get the Free Bird Journal

Now, how to grab the free bird journal. This is a subscriber freebie.

 1) Sign up on my list.
 2) Download your freebie NOW!
 3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

20 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Free Homeschool Resources Tagged With: birdjournal, freeprintables, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, middleschool, nature study, science, sciencecurriculum, spring

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

April 4, 2023 | 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This time of year is perfect for fun hands-on honey bee activities to buzz deeper into their lives and learn more about them. Also, grab more ideas on my Honey Bees Unit Study page.

Bees are fascinating little creatures that fly even though they should not be able to,

They spend their days gathering pollen, making honey, and building amazing little worlds to store it in.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

Today we are going to create and explore the various cells in a hive.

It is a great activity for all ages.

Some of your kids might need a little more help than others creating it but even toddlers as you can see here will enjoy exploring and building the hive.

Honey Bee Facts

First, look at some honey bee facts.

  • Each beehive is made up of thousands of hexagonal thin-walled fragile cells.
  • Bees create hexagonal shapes for their cells because the six-sided cells fit perfectly without leaving any space in between, circles would leave wasted gaps.
  • The queen honey bee is about twice the length of a worker.
  • Each hardworking little honey bee only makes about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
  • The tiny tips of the antennae of a honey bee have more than 300 taste sensors.
  • The ancient Egyptians and other civilizations used honey as food, medicine, and as a beauty treatment.

Next, add some of these fun books about bees to your nature study.

8 Honey Bees Unit Study Resources & Books

Add some of these fun resources to your bees unit study or spring unit study.

Bees: A Honeyed History

One part science, one part cultural history, and countless parts fascination, Bees: A Honeyed History celebrates the important role that these intriguing insects have played in our ecosystem throughout the ages, and today.

The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses

Part history book, part handbook, and part cookbook, this illustrated tome covers every facet of the ancient hobby of beekeeping, from how to manage hives safely to harvesting one’s own honey, and ideas for how to use honey and beeswax. Detailed instructions for making candles, furniture polish, beauty products, and nearly 100 honey-themed recipes are included. Honeybees, which are critical in the pollination of popular US produce such as almonds, apples, and blueberries, are actually not native to the Americas. The honeybee that you see dancing from flower to flower in farms and gardens originated in Europe. The introduction of the honeybee began with European colonization of the Americas; before that, wild native bees, other insects, and some birds and mammals pollinated the native flowers of the continent. The honeybee’s ability to pollinate crops, produce honey, and be easily domesticated precipitated the growth in beekeeping all over America.

Flight of the Honey Bee: Read and Wonder

Follow the flight of a honey bee as she searches for nectar to sustain her hive and, along the way, pollinates flowers to produce seeds and fruits. Nature lovers and scientists-to-be are invited to explore the fascinating life of a honey bee.

Life Cycle of a Honey Bee

Honey Bees are fascinating creatures which have been kept by humans for centuries. Now you can explore the life cycle of the honey bee without being stung. Watch as it grows from an egg, to a larva, and to a pupa before finally emerging as a mature adult.

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

Always a favorite when doing any kind of nature study, there are a few pages that cover different types of bees, common nectar sources, and bee anatomy. If you don't have this set already I cannot recommend it enough for nature studies.

Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

One of the companion books to Nature Anatomy, the farm version covers all parts of farming, machinery, and crops but it also caught my eye because it even covers Beekeeping for aspiring beekeepers. It goes over bee terminology, parts of a bee, the parts of a hive, types of bees, flower parts, and beekeeper essentials. These books really put a lot of info into compact parts.

The Life and Times of the Honeybee

Why do beekeepers use smoke machines when collecting honey? Can a bee really sting only once? Why do bees "dance"? In concise, detailed text and abundant illustrations that range from the humorous to the scientific, Charles Micucci offers a wide-ranging and spirited introduction to the life cycle, social organization, and history of one of the world's most useful insects.

The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

When the Magic School Bus turns into a beehive, Ms. Frizzle's class learns firsthand about how workers, drones, and the queen bees live together. Readers will be abuzz with knowledge as they discover how honeybees find food; make a comb, honey, and beeswax; and care for their young, all from the bee's perspective.

Third, look at these 7 honey bee activities.

7 Honey Bee Activities

Besides, hands-on is the best way for learning to stick.

1. Make a Bee Sensory Bin.

Take a bee life cycle set and use it as a base for a sensory bin or put it out on your bee themed science shelf.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

2. Learn about the different types of cells in a comb.

Visit BeeManiacs to learn a little more about the different cells of a honey beehive.

3. Taste honey straight from the comb.

You can grab honey from your local produce stand if you can’t taste it straight from the comb.

If you have a friendly beekeeper locally, consider planning a field trip to see how the process works firsthand.

4. Make honey slime.

DIY Honey Slime is a great sensory activity for your little beekeepers.

5. Honey bee play activity.

Littles will love this Beekeeper Dramatic Play.

6. Create a bee lapbook.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity
  • Dynamic Honey Bee Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Honey Bee Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Look at the fun felt craft below.

7. Make a fun felt beehive.

Also, you’ll love these other bee activities.

Fun Bee Activities for Kids

  • Make a Mason Bee Habitat
  • Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids
  • Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids

Finally, look at this fun hand-on honey bee felt comb.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

How to Make a Felt Honey Bee Comb

You will need:

  • White felt
  • 2 shades of yellow felt
  • 3 shades of brown/tan felt
  • Yellow and gold paint-optional
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Printout of a hexagon shape on cardstock
7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

I found a hexagon on Google and reduced it to 20%.

You can make your hive cells any size that you would like larger or smaller. Print on cardstock so it’s a bit sturdier to use as a template.

Use a pencil to trace the hexagon for as many cells as you would like on the yellows and the two lighter browns.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

Cut them out and trim them if needed by holding the template over the felt to make sure they will line up nicely.

Make a Felt Honey Bee Comb

You are going to assign one color for each cell- eggs and larvae, pollen, honey, and brood cells.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

If you want to add a bit more detail to your hive use paint to add details.

Make “dripping” honey on some of your uncapped cells and paint other solids to represent the capped honey cells.

I did this with a mixture of yellow and gold paint.

For pollen cells, simply make yellow “pollen” dots by dipping the handle end of your paintbrush into paint and dotting the cells.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

Allow the paint to dry fully.

Use the white felt to cut small eggs and a few small larvae.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

While the paint is drying, cut out your beehive.

I did a beehive shape like you would see hanging from the limbs with Winnie the Pooh dipping his hand in.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

You could make a man-made beehive frame or any other type you like.

I found a lot of great examples of different beehives in Bees a Honeyed History.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

Finally, assemble the cells in your beehive.

In a real beehive honey cells are at the top with pollen cells below.

Then the pupae and egg cells, brood cells further down, and a peanut-shaped queen cell at the bottom which we made by using two hexagons together.

You can glue them down if you like but if you have younger children, I recommend leaving them loose so they can take them apart and rebuild it over and over.

Using bee figurines to play with and explore the hive.

The bee life cycle set from Safari Ltd. is perfect to demonstrate the different stages of bees you would find in the hive.

You can also create a little honey bee by twisting yellow and black pipe cleaners together and cutting them off at about 1” long, twist on a small piece of white pipe cleaner for wings.

Another great extension for this activity is heading outside to find flowers either in the garden or growing wild to investigate pollen firsthand.

7 Honey Bee Activities And Explore a Bee Hive With Felt Activity

5 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: bees, crafts, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, life science, science, spring, spring crafts

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

March 17, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun tips on how to plan an easy gardening unit study. You’ll love more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies and Easy Seeds and Gardening Unit Study for Kids (Middle – Upper Elementary) pages.

My favorite place to start with a unit study is with fun hands-on activities.

Besides, getting their hands dirty, in this case literally, is a wonderful way to make sure that the information sticks.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Second, books are also a great learning tool and go hand in hand with more involved activities.

I have gathered up for you plenty of gardening unit study ideas.

From books to manipulatives, and videos to hands- on activities, there is plenty to give you a start.

6 Things Your Kids Learn Through Gardening

Additionally, there is so much that your child learns through gardening.

Look at what your child learns by researching about gardens.

1. Preparing soil

2. Sketching beds

3. Weeding

4. Harvesting

5. Preparing the harvest

6. Eating the harvest

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

There is science, math, history, reading, and many life lessons bundled into what seems to be an ordinary task.

While I am all for hands-on activities which allow kids to dig into the topic (literally in the case of gardening) sometimes you need a break from the heat.

Whether it’s raining or for a change of pace, games keep your kids learning.

Games About Gardening

 Games help teach reading skills, following directions, strategy, cooperation, strengthen working memory, math, and so much more.

Next, look at some fun gardening games I rounded up.

Gardening Unit Study Games

Grab one or more of these fun gardening games to change the pace or to reinforce the concepts your kids are learning.

Buffalo Games - Planted

Test your green thumb in this great plant growing game

Use resource cards to ensure your plants are given the proper food

Who's home will be best deocrated with houseplants?

Strawberry Sunset: A Sweet & Simple Card Game

Easy to carry; Ideal for spontaneous game sessions
Light strategy game for 2 to 4 people
You will have until sunset to grow as many strawberry plants as you can before the sunset

Veggie Farm Sorting Set

HELP kids grow color recognition, matching, and early counting skills with this garden themed sorting set.

Fill bushel baskets with figures representing veggies, from corn and broccoli to onions and pumpkins

Playmat with farm signs includes images of essential colors and shapes

Garden Game

Cottage Garden is based on the game Patchwork, but adds much additional game play and a wider range of player count.

16 Pairs Garden Harvest Memory Games for Kids

The illustrations are identical and beautifully colored with bright colour and cute animals. This memory matching game can help children develop early cognitive ability, attention, observation, problem solving skills, hand-eye-brain coordination & logical thinking.

Outset Media Guacamole Game

EASY TO PLAY: Players must use critical thinking to collect the ingredients for their guacamole recipes.

FAMILY FUN: This lively family card game is perfect for kids to spice up their day or for contemplative adults.

Gathering a Garden Board Game

SCREEN-FREE FUN: For over 25 years, eeBoo has created wholesome, educational games and activities that cultivate conversation, socialization, and skill-building while introducing our world.

Books and Curriculum for Garden Unit Study

Moreover, you can totally create your own unit study about gardens from scratch using a few books l list below.

But if you want a little help and maybe you also want to learn alongside your child, I can’t recommend the Do-It-Yourself Garden Research Handbook by The Thinking Tree enough.

The Garden Research Handbook is full of graphs for your child to plan their own garden, terms to research and words to define, good bugs vs. bad bugs, garden types, soil quality.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

It is meant to be used as a workbook textbook.

However, while it does offer some structure and specific assignments it is still very open ended.

It leaves plenty of room for creative outlet through drawing and coloring as well.

I think that the Garden Research Handbook would be fantastic for unschoolers or those that love unit studies.

Why?

Because it puts the responsibility in your child’s hands and that gives you a break as well as helping your child retain more information.

My favorite part about the book is that it covers so much information and makes a fantastic keepsake.

You can turn your book in as part of your portfolio if you have to use one at the end of each year for your homeschooler.

Next, look at some of these other books to add to your unit study which I found helpful.

11 Gardening With Kids Books & Fun Resources

As a true bibliophile no unit study would be complete without a strong list of books to support a topic. Here is a great list for everyone in the family.

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. 

The Garden Classroom: Hands-On Activities in Math, Science, Literacy, and Art

Packed with garden-based activities that promote science, math, reading, writing, imaginative play, and arts and crafts, The Garden Classroom offers a whole year of outdoor play and learning ideas—however big or small your garden.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt:

Explore the secret realm beneath the dirt that brings the world of nature to life: Follow a young girl and her grandmother on a journey through the year planning, planting, and harvesting their garden—and learn about what's happening in the dirt to help make it all happen.Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt exists a busy world—earthworms dig, snakes hunt, skunks burrow—populated by all the creatures that make a garden their home

Gardening Lab for Kids: 52 Fun Experiments to Learn, Grow, Harvest, Make, Play, and Enjoy Your Garden

A refreshing source of ideas to help your children learn to grow their own patch of earth, Gardening Lab for Kids encourages children to get outside and enjoy nature. This fun and creative book features 52 plant-related activities set into weekly lessons, beginning with learning to read maps to find your heat zone, moving through seeds, soil, composting, and then creating garden art and appreciating your natural surroundings.

The Ultimate Guide to Gardening: Grow Your Own Indoor, Vegetable, Fairy, and Other Great Gardens

Whether inside or outside, decorative or edible, this book is full of gardening projects large and small. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions are accompanied by photographs that guide the aspiring gardening through planting all kinds of gardens.

Kids Gardening Set

MONTESSORI FOR TODDLERS: Our gardening tool set encourages kids to play outside & learn about plants, nature & sustainability. Perfect for the yard and sand box.

OUTDOOR LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Our Kids Garden Set is great for Occupational Therapy & Developing Fine Motor Skills. Suitable for Boys and girls.

Do-It-Yourself Garden Research Handbook - The Thinking Tree: How to Design, Plant, & Care for Your Own Garden! Homeschooling Science, Nature & Home Economics

A Gardening Research Workbook & Planning Guide for Teens, Kids and Families! Perfect for Homeschooling Science, Nature Study, Botany and Home Economics!

Designed for teens, but perfect for Ages 9+ (Younger students will need some extra help).

Raised Garden Bed Wood Planter Boxes Outdoor for Kids with Legs

{Raised Garden Bed for Kids} We designed the children raised garden bed carefully, so that your children can feel the happiness of plant growth and the magic of natural life. Our raised garden bed deep enough to provide your plants and vegetables with ample room to breathe and grow healthy.

From Seed to Plant

Flowers, trees, fruits—plants are all around us, but where do they come from?  With simple language and bright illustrations, non-fiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination.  Important vocabulary is reinforced with accessible explanation and colorful, clear diagrams showing the parts of plants, the wide variety of seeds, and how they grow.  The book includes instructions for a seed-growing project, and a page of interesting facts about plants, seeds, and flowers.   A nonfiction classic, and a perfect companion for early science lessons and curious young gardeners.

National Geographic Readers: Seed to Plant

Kids see plants, flowers, and trees around them every day. In this lively and educational reader, they'll learn how those plants grow. Kids will take this magical journey from seed pollination to plant growth, learning about what plants need to thrive and grow with the same careful text, brilliant photographs, and the fun approach National Geographic Readers are known for.

Oh Say Can You Seed? All About Flowering Plants

An easy and fun introduction to plant biology! With the able assistance of Thing 1 and Thing 2 - the Cat in the Hat explores the world of plants. Kids will learn about the various parts of plants, seeds, and flowers; basic photosynthesis and pollination; and seed dispersal.

Hands-on Gardening Activities

Now to get our hands dirty.

Besides the obvious, starting seeds and planting a garden there are so many wonderful activities that can reinforce and teach all things gardening.

  • You can Plan A Garden With LEGO.
  • Include my Seed and Gardening Unit Study along with the book
  • Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost
  • Kinder Gardening to Celebrate Nature and Science
  • Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Gardens Fun Activity

Also, add this graph paper gardening planning.

Graph Paper Garden Planning

One activity I like to start with in gardening is drawing the bed.

Whether you are planting directly in the soil, in a raised bed, or container it’s a good idea to know what is going where.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Too, research what plants work well next to each other, which ones don’t, and how much space each bed needs.

I also use the graph paper to help them create pages to put together a logbook for watering and other garden details.

With these simple activities your child is already working on math, planning, research, and basic life skills of gardening.

You need:

  • Graph paper
  • Colored pencils

The first thing you want to do is decide how large your space is and outline that on your graph paper.

An 1×1” graph paper is perfect for this. Use each square to represent 1 square foot of space in your garden. 

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Let them go crazy drawing the items they intend to plant in each box.

In addition, extend this activity by also have your kids log the dates that seeds were started, plants, planted, the first harvested item, etc.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Also, another way to use graph paper is to create a calendar for watering to help your child remember to water every day.

They can color in the square completely or draw in a raindrop to log watering days.

How to Plan an Easy Garden for Kids

Now you are ready to gather up some supplies to start things that you will start from seeds.

You can find seeds, gardening tools. soil, and seed starting trays at Dollar Tree to keep your costs way down.

I have had great success with their gardening items

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

If this is your first-time gardening, you might want to start with some easier things to grow.

Finally, use those that mature quickly so your child does not become discouraged (which can also be a valuable lesson).

Here are some tried and true favorites.

  • Radishes
  • Sunflowers
  • Snap peas
  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
  • Pumpkins
  • Parsley
  • Watermelon
  • Cantaloupe
  • Squash

Actually, some libraries also have a free seed library for patrons to get packets of different seeds.

What a great low-cost option. Look at the some of the packets we have picked up.

How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: garden, gardening, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, spring, unit studies, unit study

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