REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS WEEK focused on these superb creatures and all their slithering, scaly, slimy, and spectacular characteristics. From lizards, chameleons, geckos and snakes to turtles, alligators, and crocodiles…we had our herpetologist thinking caps on and were ready to conquer this long list! We explored their habitats and the numerous details about each of them that make them so unique.
Did you know there are over 7,000 different kinds of reptiles?
We were amazed at the ones we learned about in the books we read! A fun fact about geckos is they have suction cups on their hands to help them climb. We made geckos just like the ones we learned about, adding each detail we could recall.
We were wow’d by the fact that snakes grow out of their skin and shed it. And would you believe their ears are on the inside, not outside like ours? Some of us used bubble wrap rollers that had just the right texture to create their scaly skin. Our older toddlers even made a huge mural of an anaconda! In yoga class, we practiced the cobra pose and hissing as a calming breath technique.
We transformed our sensory tables into swamps and rivers and had our reptiles/amphibians slithering and swimming. We described the appearance and texture of each creature and tried to identify their names as they came out of hiding from underneath rocks, between the brush, and through the water!
After learning about the magic that happens as chameleons change color to camouflage themselves to stay protected, we experimented with that idea! We used different colors to blend together to create new colors to help our own chameleons blend into things here at school. This turned into a helpful lesson/reminder about which colors create new colors when mixed together. Putting our fine motor skills to work once again, we used tweezers and mini pom poms to feed hungry chameleons. The more practice we get with exercises like this, the stronger our writing skills will be!
It seems with each new theme and the discoveries and knowledge it brings, we are growing. Our vocabulary, understanding, experiences, and our minds are ever expanding! Read us a book, explain what you know, allow us to question and experiment…and we will continue to have this thirst for more! Even the silliest “Mixed Up Chameleon” or “Lunchroom Lizard” has a way of engaging our little minds in new and exciting ways!
