Look how proud Jase was when we finished his lizard habitat. He couldn’t wait to take it home and show his mom and dad. Even though he is young, this was a great opportunity to teach him about habitats of animals. About what animals need to survive. How to be nurturing? And about responsibility. All important skills that we need to share with our little people.
Listen for Things That Interest Them
My day didn’t start out planning to make habitats. Like most things with Jaserbugs, he brought it up. He found a rubber lizard at the bottom of the toy box. Since he has an amazing imagination (we have worked on helping him grow his imagination – get ideas here) his whole afternoon became about this lizard.
After hearing all about his new lizard friend, I decided to jump on the opportunity and turn it into a teaching moment. He was already interested so I had half the battle won.
Add a Variety of Teaching Resources
Books are a great place to start when you want to introduce an activity or concept to children. I had a couple of books about lizards on hand. We relaxed in great grandma’s rocker, and enjoyed some cuddle time. The local library is another resource for finding information on what your kids are excited about.
The internet is a fascinating visual for them as well. (I do have a terrible story on rotten teeth for kiddos that are fighting the whole toothbrush thing! I learned the hard way to view videos myself before I share with them. WARNING!)
Guide Their Learning
Jase and I worked on a list of what lizards need to survive. What do lizards have in their natural habitats? I asked him guided questions to help him when he couldn’t come up with some ideas. “What do you need when you are hungry?” “What about if you’re thirsty?” He was 3 when we completed our habitat. Use questions geared to the child’s age. @thecornerstoneforteachers.com does a good job of explaining this strategy here.
Making Habitats
We found supplies for our lizard habitat around the house. Easy Peasy!
- Stick from the backyard for lizard to climb on
- Grass clippings for a soft bed
- pompons for ‘food’
- a ping pong ball – Jase thought his lizard needed a toy for exercise – and that’s ok! 😉
- a small plastic container as our cage
Other Habitat Themes
- Farm Animals
- Artic Habitats
- Rain Forest Animals
- Desert Habitats
- Pond Life
- Ocean
What a fun, short little mini lesson. Be on the lookout for these opportune times to throw in some knowledge and wisdom with your child. It takes a village… If you liked this post, you might want to check out Mud Kitchen Ideas . Also click on over to Fun With Kids at the St. Louis County Public Libraries. And Amazing Bean Box Fun! ~Susie Pea
