Reptiles and Amphibians

Discovering the richness of the animal world is one of the most rewarding and pleasing experiences that you can introduce to kids. Animal classification is a great way to explore different animal groups and their unique behaviors. Learning to distinguish between different types of animals is not only great for science lessons but also a great way to introduce geography lessons into the classroom. Kids can explore habitats as well as different areas where animals live. 

Reptiles and amphibians may at first glance appear very similar to each other. Explicitly pointing out the differences between the two groups of animals is vital and it will lead to a deeper understanding rather than simply memorizing which animals belong to which class of animals. 

Providing your kids with the chance to draw amphibians and reptiles will help them to discover some differences and similarities between the two classes of animals. Amphibians such as frogs and toads can live both on land and in the water while reptiles such as snakes and alligators have lungs and an outer covering of horny scales or plates. They often lay their eggs on dry land while amphibians such as frogs and toads lay their eggs in the water. Amphibians are born with gills so that they can breathe underwater. Frogs and other amphibians such as newts and salamanders and the charming axolotls develop lungs and legs later in life. 

Learning about the origin of words can also help kids to classify animals. Amphibian comes from the Greek amphi which means both and bios. The perfect way to describe amphibians since they can live both on land and in the water. The word reptile comes from Latin reptilis which means creeping. If you spend time watching snakes and lizards you can understand why this is a suitable name for these creeping scaly animals.

If you have the opportunity to watch some reptiles and amphibians in their natural environment that is fantastic. Otherwise, a great exercise is to describe the skin of a reptile and an amphibian. How does it feel to touch a snake? Snakes are often described as slimy but their skin feels dry and scaly. Amphibians have thin and smooth skin. Their skin helps them with breathing. 

Read and discover the remarkable lives of these animals while you enjoy the weather warming up there are signs of spring starting to appear all around such as frogspawn in your local ponds! 

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April 2023 Products

April is such an inspiring month and many great things are happening both in the classroom and outside. Take time to explore how nature changes from blossoms and new leaves to warmer temperatures. There is a new energy in the classroom so make sure to take this energy and use it to explore our Earth, Climate Change, Easter and the remarkable world of Oviparous animals.

Taking place on the 22nd of April each year, Earth Day offers a wonderful opportunity to support kids thinking about their environmental footprint.  This year, the theme is “invest in our planet”.  You can talk with your kids about ways to encourage people to care and take responsibility for making our Earth a place that protects all species. How can we encourage businesses and governments to provide opportunities for everyone? How can you help? Big questions! Yet, sometimes little kids can come up with Big Ideas. The overall aim of Earth Day is to spread the message that it is important to take action and that everyone can do something. Use a fact booklet about Earth Day and Climate Change to encourage kids to learn and explore environmental issues. Make a display with poems about our Earth and writing samples. Art and craft activities are an important part of making the celebrations of our Earth extra special.

Easter falls in April this year. This a perfect opportunity to plan a project about oviparous animals. There are several ways that you can introduce oviparous animals to your kids. You can use fiction and/or fact books with easy-to-understand and clear explanations of oviparous animals. After a short introduction, kids can continue to learn more about oviparous animals using a fact booklet. 

Filling in a fact booklet with your own findings is exciting. A fact booklet is a perfect way to practice reading and if you have a child who is reluctant to write, they can draw oviparous animals and practice their drawing skills instead. How to draw Easter and How to Draw Oviparous animals are great ways to further enhance kids’ skills and confidence. Hope you have a wonderful April full of sunshine-y days. 

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Farming in March

Spring is full of opportunities to teach fascinating facts about nature! Exploring farm animals is a popular topic and many young children are familiar with some animals. Even if you live miles from grazing cows and quaking ducks, young children have probably seen or heard about farm animals. Many books as well as songs for toddlers feature animals living on farms. Learning the names and vocabulary at a young age helps kids to develop important skills such as categorizing things in the world. A young child might begin sorting animals by putting brown cows and black-and-white cows in the same category. 

Learning about farm animals is fun! Using fact booklets help children to build their vocabulary and knowledge about animals living on farms, for example, sheep, goats, horses, cows, chickens, ducks and pigs. Talk about the baby names for farm animals and discover the fun of using onomatopoeia to describe different sounds that farm animals make such as the clip-clop of horses’ hooves. Let kids explore the range of products we get from farm animals. You can make a display in the classroom with empty packaging and photos of products. 

You can start the project by letting your kids tell you what animals they already know. Ask your kids to identify which animals can be found on a farm. Ask them if they know of any other animals that might live on a farm. Show your kids real photos or videos of the animals that they are interested in learning more about. Encourage creative thinking by using open-ended questions and use story-writing prompts about farm animals. 

With a combination of independent learning and reading and hands-on activities such as craftivities and visits from local farmers young learners can develop various skills. Small-world sensory play is an amazing way to explore the farm animal theme deeper and to solidify learning as well as further develop their imagination and creative thinking.  

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March 2023 Products

Every year on the 17th of March people around the world celebrate St Patrick’s Day with joy, enthusiasm and everything green. St Patrick’s Day is a much-celebrated holiday in not only Ireland but in the US as well as around the globe. Saint Patrick was the patron saint of Ireland and he introduced Christianity to Ireland. According to legend, he used the three-leaf clover, Shamrock,  to explain the holy trinity. Kids love to learn to draw shamrocks, which have three leaves – not four, like the clover. This symbol can be found on rugby shirts but also on the flags of Montreal and the Boston Celtics - the professional basketball team from Boston. Use the resource How to Draw St Patrick’s to inspire your kids to learn to draw clovers, leprechauns, pots of gold and other important items.

The mischievous Leprechaun is the reason why many wear green on St Patrick’s Day. Kids love to learn about this mythical creature who according to Irish folklore hides pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. Use a fact booklet about St Patrick’s Day to help your kids develop reading and writing skills. Print out the booklet and let your kids take notes about Leprechauns and illustrate their stories and research with stunning drawings. Leprechaun cannot see people dressed in green on St Patrick’s day so wearing green is one trick to catch a Leprechaun. Designing and building a trap is a great activity that challenges kids' creative thinking.

You can plan a themed day filled with St Patrick’s inspired activities ranging from color-by-code math and sight words. You can also use BOOM cards where your kids can practice reading short words and also color-by-code.

Want to extend the learning? 

The fact booklet about Ireland is perfect for learning more about Irish people's love for singing, dancing and storytelling! Combining the research with reading books about Irish Myths and Folklore is a great way to welcome March!

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Dental Health Month

How do you support kids’ dental care?  Activities or a longer project about dental health can with engaging resources be both educational and fun.  Sadly, tooth decay is a prevalent childhood disease and motivating kids, as well as parents, is important to ensure a lifetime of healthy smiles. Healthy teeth are an asset for kids and poor oral health can cause pain and increase the risk of dental infections. Brushing up kids' knowledge and understanding of dental hygiene at a young age is important.

Learning appropriate vocabulary is essential to ensure that kids understand advice about how to protect their teeth. Combining drawing activities with looking for information about facts about teeth and what to expect when you visit a dentist is a great starting point. Start small and positive and keep things fun so that kids look forward to taking care of their teeth. Look at basics such as brushing and flossing. Using a toothbrush to paint is a great way to make some special art while learning how to use a toothbrush. 

Learning about a healthy smile from the perspective of an animal is a lovely twist. There is a wide range of books about visits to dentists and teeth. Reading a book about a crocodile who visits a dentist or a bear’s loose tooth is the perfect introduction to a session about healthy smiles.  Use craftivities to support the understanding of healthy smiles. Story writing and crafts ranging from making a toothbrush flip book to a tooth fairy can be mixed with math and reading activities. If you a looking for something special for Dental Health Month I have made a design resource. Designing and creating a Dental Office is such fun. Easy hands-on design projects are a great way to boost your kids’ confidence and allow them to create with joy, wonder and awe!

 

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Valentine's Day products

This Valentine’s Day take the opportunity to celebrate different types of love. The holiday is usually linked with romantic love but exploring other kinds of relationships is beneficial. Encouraging kids to mark and show kindness to friends and family members is important. Also, you can teach your kids about self-love and self-esteem. When you love and respect yourself, you set an example for how others should treat you.

Use the resource “Everybody Loves You” to engage your kids in activities that explore ways to care for others. Read the book “Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch” by Eileen Spinelli and use the storybook activities to help you keep the lesson focused. The resource makes planning easier and kids love the included activities that help them explore the topics in the book. Mr. Hatch is lonely but one Valentine's Day someone sends him a box of candy. It turns out that this is a mistake but his new friends show him that he is loved after all.

Add a fun twist to Math, English, Science and Art lessons by including Valentine activities. Teach number sense up to the number twenty by using a resource with a lovely heart theme. Help your kids to stay focused by using a Digital Rotation Timer for Centers with a Valentine's Day Theme. Boom digital task cards with a Valentine’s Day theme are a great way to capture kids’ attention. They will love watching an image emerge as they work through the task cards filled with counting and addition challenges.

Are you planning a reading activity? There is a set of Valentine’s Day Boom color by code with reading activities. Color by code is always popular and if you prefer there is also the option to use a PDF file. Print out the cute reading challenges and display the finished items in the classroom. A finished color-by-code drawing can also be sent home.

Valentine’s Day celebrations can be made extra special by including drawing and craft activities. Directed drawing resources provide kids with wonderful learning opportunities. They love using their skills to make gifts for friends and family.

Finally, Hearty Animal Crafts is perfect if you are looking for Valentine's activity that combines scissor skills with learning about animals. The finished animals make a beautiful gift. Valentine's Day is such a special day so make sure you fill it with memorable as well as educational heart-filled activities.

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