Kindergarten Lesson: Go for a Nature Walk, Make a Bird Feeder & More
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Materials and Class Preparation
For today’s lesson, you will conduct a review on the discussions concerning trees, colorful leaves, hibernating animals, and nuts.
Keep the morning’s discussion brief, so you will have time to go on a nature walk with the children. If a nature walk is not possible in your school yard, organize a short field trip to a tree filled park or to an orchard.
For today’s material list, you will need:
- Large pine cones
- Ribbon
- Peanut butter
- Shortening
- Cornmeal
- Large bag of birdseed
Circle Time Discussion
- Review tree names and facts.
- Review animals facts about hibernating animals
- Inform students about the planned nature walk. Instruct them on certain things to collect while out walking: leaves, nuts, pine-cones and small twigs
- Discuss with children that even though birds do not hibernate, they have a difficult time finding an ample supply of food in the winter time. Explain to the children that for art today, they will make bird feeders.
- Before leaving on the nature walk, provide each child with a paper sack for autumn collections.
Activity
- Lead children on a nature walk outside or to a tree filled park. Ask children to describe the colors of the trees and the feeling of the temperature outside.
- While out, assist children in locating the autumn treasures that they are looking for.
- Do not spend more than 20-30 minutes on the walk, in an effort to keep the children’s attention and not allow the children to get bored.
Art Activity - Make Birdseed Snacks
- Provide each child with a large pine cone.
- Tie ribbon to the point of the pine cone.
- Melt peanut butter and shortening into a large bowl. To the mixture, add the corn meal. Stir the mixture well.
- Provide each child a paper plate and plastic spoon. Divide the gooey mixture between the children.
- Instruct the children to spread the peanut butter mixture onto the pine cone using the plastic spoon. After the pine cone is coated, roll the covered pine cone in a bowl of birdseed.
- Allow pine cones to dry throughout the day. Send them home with the children by carefully placing the pine cones in a seal-able plastic bag.
Math Skills
- Play the leaf pile game again, as was played in the Day 2 lesson on leaves.
Language Skills
- Ask children to describe the sights, sounds and smells of the nature walk.
- Record answers on a chart and discuss the descriptive words.
Reading Suggestions
- In November by Cynthia Rylant
- Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
This post is part of the series: Kindergarten Lesson Plans: Leaves
A series of five lesson plans in the harvest theme created for kindergarten classrooms.
- Kindergarten Week-Long Unit on Leaves & Trees in the Fall
- Kindergarten Harvest Lesson Plans: Leaves II
- Leaves, Squirrels & Nuts: Day 3 of a Kindergarten Lesson on Autumn
- A Kindergarten Lesson on Hibernation: Part 4 of a Week-Long Autumn Unit
- Day 5 - Nature Walk & Bird Feeder Craft Craft for Kindergarteners