Nature Nuts
First time campers will be introduced to the Nature Center and the Great Outdoors! We’ll use stories to introduce each day.
Objectives:
- Orient and familiarize preschoolers with the center’s facilities and activities inside and out
- Develop and encourage an awareness and appreciation of nature through books, art and explorations
Day 1: Planting a Rainbow
Gathering
Decorate cups for planting seeds with stickers and foam shapes.
Plant wildflower seeds in cups.
Stations (books, puppets, etc.)
Circle
Introductions to camp, naturalists, other kids
Guidelines, rules, and what to expect for the week
Read Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Use Plant Costume to learn parts of a plant (roots, stem, leaves & flower)
What is a seed? What do they need to grow?
Seed to flower or tree – look at different seeds, pictures of trees & flowers
Outdoors
Plant Discovery Hike (Show oak tree – lowa state tree)
Shapes and Colors of Nature – (give children color and shape sticks to find a plant that matches their color and shape)
Plant wildflower seeds in decorated cups
Snack
Seeds and cereal mix and tree (apple) juice
Craft: Hand-print Painting
Swirl paint in trays. Ask children to put paint on one hand and press their hand-print around a circle on poster board. These will be the petals of a flower.
Press 2-3 hand-prints on a rectangle of poster board for the leaves. When dry, cut flower shape out and tape onto a dowel rod for the stem. Add the leaves. The children can then glue a circle of construction paper for the center of their flower.
Story
Sunflower House by Eve Bunting
Wrap-up
Review the day and preview tomorrow.
Book Table
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
The Tree; A First Discovery Book
Why do sun flowers face the sun?
A Gift of a Tree by Greg Henry Quinn
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
Sunflower House by Eve Bunting
Eyewitness Books- Tree
Dandelions by Mia Posada
The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller
Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington
Learn about Trees by Peter Mellett
Day 2: Waiting for Wings
Gathering
Finish hand-print painting flowers
Complete a butterfly life cycle pasta page. The pasta life cycle worksheet is divided into 4 sections. Two sections have a leaf, one section has a leaf or flower, and the last section has a flower. The children glue beans on the first leaf to represent butterfly eggs.
A twist pasta piece represents a caterpillar and is glued onto the second leaf. A shell-shaped pasta represents a chrysalis and is glued to the leaf or flower. A bow-tie pasta represents a butterfly and is glued to the flower.
Circle
Read Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
What is a Caterpillar? What does it change into? Use props to discuss the butterfly life cycle and their characteristics.
Outdoors
Caterpillar hunt
Snack: Caterpillar Rolls and Nectar
Tear or cut tube biscuits into smaller pieces. Roll pieces into balls. Place balls together to form a caterpillar. Bake according to package directions. When cool, decorate with icing. Add pretzels sticks for antennae.
Craft: Egg Carton Caterpillars and Butterflies
Cut egg cartons into 2 strips of six egg cups. Poke holes for antennae in one end of the strip. Have the children decorate with markers, crayons or paint. Use pipe cleaners for antennae. Glue on eyes or use colored paper reinforcements for eyes. To make a butterfly, accordion fold a square of tissue paper and tape in the middle of the egg carton strip.
Story
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Book Table
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Butterflies by Karen Shapiro
Know it all Butterflies by Darlene Freeman
Monarch Butterfly of Aster Way by Elizabeth Ring
Creepy, Crawly Caterpillars by Margery Facklam
How to Hide a Butterfly by Ruth Heller
Day 3: The Salamander Room
Gathering
Salamander Memory Game: Children match different salamanders in a memory game.
Circle
What is a salamander? Look at pictures of salamanders, frogs and toads and tadpoles and discuss what an amphibian is. How are they different from other amphibians?
Song
The Forest is a Wonderful Place by Steve Schuch
The forest is a wonderful place,
Filled with frogs and snakes.
l want to see a salamander’s face;
The forest is a wonderful place.
Outdoors
Salamander and Worm Search, meet a live tiger salamander.
Snack
Crunchy bugs and pond water (cereal mix, lemonade)
Craft: Squirmy Salamanders
Cut salamander shapes from construction paper. Have children glue yellow, tan, and brown construction paper ‘spots’ onto their salamander. Glue on wiggle eyes. Fold the legs so they stand up.
Story
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
Wrap-up
Review of the day and preview tomorrow
Book Table
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
Frogs by Susan Canizares
All about Frogs by Jim Arnosky
Hungry Harry by Joanne Parlis
From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer
Day 4: Fish Eyes
Gathering: Fish Magnets and Pond Fishing
Fish Magnets: Cut fish magnets made of Model Magic clay with cookie cutters. Have the children paint them. Add a magnet to back of fish.
Pond fishing: Laminate fish shapes. Add a piece of magnet tape. Lay the fish in a hula hoop ‘pond’ and use dowel rods with a magnet on the end for fishing poles.
Circle
What is a fish? What makes them different from other animals?
Read Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert
Up close look at fish.
Outdoors: What aFish Never Sees Hike
Ask children to find 3 things in nature that they would want to show a fish if it could take a walk.
Snack
Fish crackers and “pond water”
Craft: Fancy Fish
Cut fish shapes out of colored poster board. Ask the children to decorate them with colored pasta, foam shapes, and shiny ribbon scraps.
Story
Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Wrap-up
Review the day and preview tomorrow.
Book Table
Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert
What’s it like to be a Fish by Wendy Pfeffer
Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Day 5: Owl Babies
Gathering
Owl coloring page and stations (book table, fishing pond, puppets, and touch table)
Circle
Introduction to owls – how are they special?
Read Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Use feathers, talons, pictures for discussion. Use ldentiflier to listen to owl sounds.
Outdoors: Owl Hike
Look for trees that owls might roost in
Snack: Owl Cookies and Moth Juice
Sugar cookies that were cut out with owl cookie cutter and lemonade.
Craft: Paper Bag Owl Puppets (see directions below)
Materials Needed:
- 1 small paper bag
- Brown, black, and yellow construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue sticks
- Crayons or markers
- Craft feathers
Cut random triangles out along the bottom of the paper bag to give it the appearance of feathers. Cut out two circles of different colors and different sizes for each eye. Glue these onto the folded part of the paper bag. Cut a diamond shape piece of yellow paper and fold in half for the beak. Glue this onto the folded part of the bag also. Glue feathers on the back top of the bag for ear tufts. Use crayons or markers to decorate the bag for the owl. – For 3-4 year olds, l have all the pieces pre-cut for them. For 5-6 year olds, l have the pieces traced for them to cut themselves.
Story
The Barn Owls by Tony Johnston
Ceremony
Have parents arrive 15 minutes early and present certificates
Book Table
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Night Creatures; A First Discovery Book
All About Owls by Jim Arnosky
Owls for Kids by Neal Niemuth
The Barn Owls by Tony Johnston (SCL)
Activity provide by:
Woodbury County Conservation Board
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center
4500 Sioux River Road
Sioux City, IA 51109
www.woodburyparks.com
_ 0-1
_ 1-2
_ 2-3
✓ 3-4
_ 4-5
_ 5-6
Category: Group Activities
Iowa Early Learning Standards:
8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 10.3, 10.4, 11.1, 11.2, 12.1, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 13.2, 13.1, 14.3
Related Kindernature Resources:
- A Corn Cob is a Seed Package
- Are You as Tall as a Tree
- Birds
- Buggy Antennas
- Buggy Buddies
- Catch a Butterfly Game
- Fishing Song
- Fish Prints
- Fish Songs
- Fishy Circle
- Garden/Seed Songs
- Hi-Ho the Oak Tree Grows
- Make a Butterfly Puppet
- Make a Colorful Butterfly
- Make an Owl Costume
- Make an Owl Finger Puppet
- Make a Pinecone Owl
- Metamorphosis Finger Play
- Monarch Metamorphosis
- Over in the Forest
- Owl I Spy
- Paper Plate Owl
- Rainbow Fish Banner
- Salamander Colors
- The Owl in the Tree
- Triangle Trees
- Walnut Shell Crafts
- Growing Up Wild: Fishing Fun, Grow As We Go, Owl Pellets, Seed Need, Wiggly Worms