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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

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.

Image for It's a Butterfly's Life

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Image for Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey

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?

Image for Insect Lore - Butterfly Growing Kit - Butterfly Habitat Kit

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

Image for Monarch Butterfly (New & Updated)

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.

Image for Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)

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.

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

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.

Image for National Geographic Readers: Caterpillar to Butterfly

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.

Image for Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Butterflies and Moths

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.

Image for Unbelievable Pictures and Facts 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.

Image for Big Book of Birds

Big Book of Birds

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.

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

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

100% Genuine natural peacock feathers.

Approximate Size :10-12 inch

Image for Peafowl

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.

Image for Can You Dance Like a Peacock?: Encourage Kids to Get Up and Move with this Adorable Animal Book

Can You Dance Like a Peacock?: Encourage Kids to Get Up and Move with this Adorable Animal Book

Can YOU dance like a peacock? Stand up straight, fluff your feathers, stretch your neck, and STRUT STRUT STRUT!

Discover the amazing ways that animals use movement to communicate! Lighthearted text and vibrant illustrations teach readers how honeybees waggle, dolphins splash, and flamingoes march. It even invites kids to get up and try out some animal-inspired dance moves themselves

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. 

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

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.

Image for 1. All About Robins

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.

Image for 2. Model Backyard Birds Toys

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.

Image for 3. Big Book of Birds

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Image for 7. An Egg Is Quiet: (Picture Book, Kids Book about Eggs)

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.

Image for 8. Robins!: How They Grow Up

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.

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

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.

Image for 10. The American Robin

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.

Image for 11. American Robin Plush Authentic Bird Sound

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?

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.

Image for Bees: A Honeyed History

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.

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

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.

Image for Flight of the Honey Bee: Read and Wonder

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.

Image for Life Cycle 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.

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

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.

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

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.

Image for The Life and Times of the Honeybee

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.

Image for The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

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

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