Y5 and K

Hike With Child in backyard, wooded area, or nature center nearby. Use the Constant Conifer Hike as a guide.

Look for trees that have needles...These are conifers.

Talk About Conifer leaves which we call needles.

Find Pine Cones and Compare Sizes of different cones.

Talk about what a Pine Cone Is.

Gather Pine Cones for Craft: Pinecone Craft Ideas for Kids

Watch the video on hibernation.

Read about the fun facts of bear hibernation with your child.

Have them create a collage or drawing that represents what they know about bear hibernation. Have older students write about their drawing and what the bear needs using sentences or word labels.

Hike your yard or a nearby woods. What type of creatures might rest for winter in your yard? What would they need to survive?

Choose a feeder station to design with your child. Build it and find a place to put it where you are able to observe birds using it. Try to count the number of birds on the feeder, near the feeder, above the feeder, or below the feeder.

Consider making a bar chart or bar graph of the number of birds you see for a few days.

Find a quiet spot in your backyard to sit and listen for bird calls. Morning is Best!

-How many different calls/songs do you hear?

-Are the calls high or low?

-Are the calls fast or slow?

Walk around and listen to birds:

• Try to mimic the noises with kids (quietly, loudly, while “flying” (running and flapping arms) around)

• Play noises on Merlin phone app if adult recognizes call

Scavenger hunt (Talk about the similarities and difference in size, color, and height):

• A bird singing

• A bird in a tree

• A bird on the ground

• A bird with white

• A red bird

• A big bird

• A little bird

Links:

• Bird species present in Ottawa Co. and when they can be found here: Link

After observing what parts of a birds’ habitat are in your yard, create a plan with your child to add more food, water, and/or cover to your backyard.

Manipulatives are sets of materials that kids can use to help them learn to count, add, subtract, and just think about number sense and logic.

Gather a set of manipulatives from nature. These can be sticks, seeds, stones, bark, or just about anything your child enjoys collecting.

Use the manipulatives to help your child count up to ten. Arrange different series of manipulatives and have them tell you how many of each there are in your pile.

Want to do more? Here are 25 activities using Math Manipulatives from Nature for you to try.