Reptiles, Preschool Learning Activitie

Featured Articles

Learning at the Grocery Store

Fun & easy Ways to make this everyday chore a learning experience for both preschoolers and elementary school kids.

Both of these shows make parents cringe, but how do they change the behavior of children who watch them? A simple experiment in child psychology provides an answer, a cautionary warning about how children absorb what they watch on TV.

More Evidence That TV’s
Don’t Teach Tots

Many parents own baby Einstein tapes, but evidence continues to mount that they don’t actually teach toddlers much of anything, despite their name. This article explores recent research into the topic, and outlines differences in the ways that toddlers and preschoolers learn.

Getting Your Baby to Wear Hats, Sunglasses, or
Other Props
You hit the malls and come home with all the latest gear, determined to have more fun accessorizing than you've had in years. You pick out the perfect look, and try it on your baby. Then the first thing they do is yank whatever it is off their head. What do you do? Read and find out.

Child Safety is everyone’s
responsibility!
Child Safety Resources:
Child Safety Books & Information
Child Abduction Prevention
Fire Safety
Water Safety
Child Safety in the Home
Child Proofing Your Home
Gun Safety for Kids
Child Car Safety

Activity Listings (page 1 of 1)
Click on the activity link to view instructions for that activity and
print any worksheets that go with it:

Need help? Read our FAQ page.Resource: Sensory

SNAKES IN THE WATER _____________________ View This Activity
Ages: Preschool to Kindergarten

Fun (and perhaps frightening) snake facts:
*The largest snake ever found was 42 feet long and weighed 2,500 pounds.
It was discovered in Panama.

*An Anaconda is not necessarily one particular snake, but any type of constrictor that grows to a certain length. Many anacondas can grow up to 30 feet (10 meters) in length.

*Burmese pythons, a type of anaconda, will eat anything...even alligators!
Wildlife specialists in Florida say that one snake they captured threw up 4 feet of alligator. Wildlife specialists in Florida have recovered 10 alligators in python stomachs, though for the most part the constrictors prey on small mammals and birds. South American anacondas feed on fish, small caymans’, even hunting deer, peccaries, and birds along the waters edge.

Language / Fine Motor
REPTILES THEME SPELLING WORKSHEET
Good writing practice for younger kids and spelling practice for emergent readers.
Ages: Pre-K to Second Grade

Stupid reptile jokes that little kids might like:
*What snake builds things? A boa constructor!
*How do you make a snake cry? Take away his rattle!
*What did the girl snake say to the boy snake? "Give me a little hiss!"

Language / Cognitive
REPTILES WORD MATCHING WORKSHEET
A phonics activity for whole-word sounds.
Ages: Pre-K to Kindergarten

Snag a scale
A snake’s scales help them to slither around, even on smooth surfaces.
The belly scales are oriented so that they snag on irregularities, giving a snake a grip. By pushing parts of their belly down to take advantage of this friction, the snakes have enough leverage to move ahead.

-Related curriculum (large motor): Cut the end out of some old pillow cases, or bring in several rolls of cloth bandage, or gather anything else you might have that could encase the kids like a hot dog. Wrap the bandage around them with their arms at their side and their legs together, or have them wrap the cut out pillow case around them with their arms at the side. If you don't have these things, simply wrapping them snug in old blankets will do. Once bundled, have the kids try to wriggle their way around the classroom using their stomach and midsection muscles like a snake. Afterwards, have a group time discussion about how hard it was, and if there were any tricks they discovered to get around.

Language
REPTILES MISSING LETTER WORKSHEET
A phonics activity for beginning sounds.
Ages: Preschool to Kindergarten

Printable Coloring Sheets / Coloring Book Pages:
Tree Frog Coloring Sheet

Reptile helpers
Many people dislike snakes and reptiles, but they are actually a great help to humans. When snake species are lost, mouse populations skyrocket, invading and eating our crops. Then people have no food to eat. As chameleons, other reptiles, and amphibians vanish, massive numbers of insects will remain uneaten, many of which carry deadly diseases to humans. So although they may be creepy and crawly, reptiles are actually a big help to humans!

Grow a new one
If a gecko loses a body part, that's no problem. It simply grows a new one. Geckos are one of many species that can grow new body parts if something happens to an old one. Salamanders can also regrow their tail after amputation.
-For discussion: If you had this power, which body part would you regrow? How do you think it would change the way you behave?

We’re adding new activities to our list every month, so if you didn’t find what you needed, be sure to check back!