Wee Steamers: Follow That Toad!
What’s the difference between frogs and toads? Take a moment to share our toad-ally awesome video, FOLLOW THAT TOAD, with your little nature lovers. Don’t forget to subscribe!
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CATEGORY:Science |
GRADE LEVEL:Early Childhood |
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ACTIVITIES:
We're Going on a Toad Hunt!
Strengthen children’s observation, ecological, and estimation skills with a field trip to search for toads! Best times to search are in spring and summer, during the late evening. Look under leaf piles, logs, branches, or rocks. Note: Avoid picking up these amphibian friends, to respect their habitat, keep them safe, and for purposes of mutual protection and hygiene. 
Look-Alikes! Toad and Frog Comparison
Your little scientists will expand comparison, shape, size, texture and ecological skills when they become familiar with the characteristics of toads and frogs. After having discussed and observed toads, create a simple comparison chart to deepen children’s understanding of their similarities and differences. 
Life Cycle of a Toad
Children are fascinated by animals’ – and their own – growth and change. help build your little biologists’ concepts of observation, order, and change by helping them trace the life cycle of a toad: from eggs, to tadpole, to froglet, to adult. 
Home Sweet Home!
Children will better understand the behavior and needs of toads when directly involved in creating a simple habitat – which can be constructed in your backyard or a special area at your Early Childhood center. This activity instills an array of skills and concepts, including observation, estimation, life cycle (biology) and animal-environment interaction and climate (ecology). Check out our "Make A Toad House" Activity. Click CRAFT tab to download instructions. 
"Hop-To-It" Toad Race!
Extend children’s fun and learning with a simple board game for a toad race – a great way to practice the math skills of number, order, distance, comparison, and estimation. Use the model pictured here. Provide two toad game pieces from https://amzn.to/41Y0QAI and one die. Consider blocking out the 5 and 6-numbered sides on the die, to keep the game basic. Children take turns throwing the die and advancing the number of spaces shown. The first to reach the finish line wins! 
CRAFT:
Home Sweet Home!
Welcome a toad into your back yard with Doodle Lou's Toad House! Creating a toad habitat garden is a fun way for children about to learn about nature and care for wildlife. To download PDF, click CRAFT tab. 