Welcome to our “The Enchanted Spring Meadow: Spring-time Animals” series. For this week, we focused on a different spring time creature each day, bringing some fun & educational adventure mixed in with some crafts and activities!
For this day, we focused on the oh-so-adorable rabbit! This adorable creature is often associated with spring as they can be seen emerging and jumping about as the weather warms. Read on to check out our day!
A TYPICAL DAY
All kids are different and you can definitely vary your day with whatever works for you 🙂 Our relaxed & learning fun day kicks off with an introduction to the day’s theme. Then, we move onto videos and themed activities (reading, writing – or story telling – time, crafts, food crafts/snacks, and games or experiments). Feel free to pick and choose whatever works for you 🙂
INTRO
Rabbits need no introduction! They’re furry, adorable creatures that hop about and are almost synonymous with the warming spring temperatures! But if you want to start out with a few facts or comparisons to hares, check out the links below.
- 10 Hopping Fun Facts about Rabbits by National Geographic Kids
- rabbit and hare by Britannica Kids
- Rabbit Facts for Kids by Kiddle
WHAT TO WATCH
We find that mixing in a short video themed to our day is a great way to add some learning fun! We try to pick informative videos OR mix in a cartoon favorite (where they don’t even realize they’re learning). Below are some of the videos we picked from for the day:
- Rabbits | Kids Educational Video by Educational Videos with Viv (2m)
- Rabbits vs Hares by Lennon the Bunny (8m)
- Wild Kratts: In Search of the Easter Bunny by PBS Kids (26m)
FOOD CRAFTS / SNACKS
What’s more fun than taking a break and having a simple snack??? Including the snack in your theme of the day! We find that our kiddos are more than happy to eat the snacks they create especially when they can arrange them into fun shapes and scenes!
- Annie’s Bunny and Cheddar
- Annie’s Bunny Crackers
- Easter Bunny Candy
READING
It’s no secret that reading is an important part of learning, which is why we pick out a handful of books that are fun and filled with some learning tidbits. For our older ones, we have them fill out some worksheets (or let them create some of their own comics) to describe what they read and/or learned! These are a few we picked from for the day:
- National Geographic Kids – Rascally Rabbits
- The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams
- Peter Rabbit Series
- Watership Down by Richard Adams. This one is a classic rabbit novel and has been turned into a movie twice (though definitely not for young children). The book is also for older children as it’s much longer (will take a few days to finish) and has more mature concepts.
WRITING & WRITING PROMPTS
Just like reading, writing is a great way to keep kids learning by both encouraging their creativity and thought process as well as helping them practice their motor skills and penmanship.
If you’ve got a little one, have them trace words related to the theme: ANIMAL, SPRING, BUNNY, RABBIT
If you’ve got older children, have them write a sentence or two up to a page or two (depending on their age). Encourage them to be creative AND give reasons for why they made certain choices. This was our writing prompt of the day (and we offered up some examples as well) but definitely pick something your kiddo might be interested in writing about!
- Write a short story about two wild rabbits who happen upon a family camping. They decide to jump into the stash of snacks and happen to get packed into the car and all the way back home to the city. Describe their adventure on the car ride and the mischief they cause!
- Write a short story about two or more pet rabbits who meet each other for the first time and are all placed in the same home. Describe their first few days and how they end up getting along (or not!).
CREATE & CRAFT
If you’ve got a crafty little one, a simple craft is a great way to keep them interested in the topic. While their creative juices are flowing, you can also chat about what they’ve learned so far or ask them what else they’re excited about learning! Below are some of the crafts we looked at:
- Mini Rabbit Ceramics (Creatology Bunny Ceramics, Bunny & Chick Ceramics)
- Pom Pom Bunny Tail Pencil Holder: Using upcycled & every day items, create a simple bunny themed pencil or utensil holder.
STEM & STEAM ACTIVITIES
While crafting and writing get their creativity and imagination flowing, we also like to add in an activity that gets them thinking along the lines of science, technology, engineering, or math! These engaging activities or experiments are a great way to keep them learning!
- Lego or Build Kit Bunny Sets (LEGO Friends Garden Bunny House 30722)
- Eugy 3D Bunny Puzzle
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you for checking out our post! If you enjoyed this, please let us know what you think in the comments below and/or follow us on Pinterest
Also, if you haven’t already, check out some of our other Spring Ideas days as well as our DIY At Home Camps!
Happy Learning!
