8-30
7-12 years
This is a popular game adapted from ‘Project Wild.’ Students pretend to be an animal such as a squirrel and they must collect food (popsicle sticks) without being caught by a predator such as a fox. Complete instructions can be found in the game link above.
1-25
3-10 years
When the leaves have fallen from deciduous trees in autumn, it’s a perfect time to go hunting for squirrel dreys. Dreys are the nests that squirrels make from dried leaves, situated in the crotch of tree branches.
Go for a walk in any nearby area with tall trees and see how many squirrel dreys the students can find and count.
This is a perfect complement to the Squirrel Nest game (see ‘Going Deeper’ activities for November.
8-30
5-10 years
This is a great active seasonal game when the weather is getting chilly. You might even see geese flying overhead while you play the game!
Explain that geese fly in a V-formation for many reasons. They follow the lead goose to stay on course, and they conserve energy by raising their wings when the goose ahead of them pushes their wings down, so they can use the updraft. Divide the class into groups of at least ten students and have them try to ‘fly’ around the schoolyard, running and flapping their wings, following the lead goose and staying in a V shape. They can also change the lead goose periodically to give the leader a rest.
This is a hilarious activity that is more difficult than it seems!
Educators from the TRACKS program share Indigenous and biological information about these fascinating birds of the night. In this 1 hour workshop, learn cultural teachings and unique adaptations that make owls of Ontario unique and amazing!
1-20
5-12 years
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology hosts so many wonderful programs for amateur birders! Project Feederwatch is an excellent program for school groups. If you can install a birdfeeder at your school, join the program and report what birds you see. They provide information on what birds will visit your feeders in your region, and what to feed them. You can also watch their live webcam anytime, and see if you can identify the birds that visit. Observations can be used in the classroom to develop charts and practise a variety of math skills.
1-25
10-18 years
Observation and memory are important skills, and benefit from exercise! This activity involves going for a silent neighbourhood walk close to school or home. The object is to notice and remember as much as you can of what you see, without talking to others.
Then, when you return home or to class, students will draw a map of the route they walked, and draw in as much detail as they can remember of what they noticed along their walk. It can be fascinating to compare individual maps and notice how differently each of us sees the world around us.
This activity can be repeated later along the same route, to see how many more features students can observe and add to their original maps.
Eastern Grey Squirrels are the common tree squirrels found in many areas of southern Ontario, and are more often black than grey. What do they do in winter? They need to construct a well-insulated nest in tree branches or tree cavities for protection from the harsh weather.
Can you build a nest that will keep a tiny squirrel warm? This game is a great fall activity for families or school groups.
Getting Started…
For this game, every player will need a small container with lid that will be their ‘squirrel.’ Pill bottles, old film canisters or baby food jars are all ideal. Just be sure that every player’s container is the same size (kids can work in teams for larger groups). Everyone can decorate their ‘squirrel’ if they like – just make sure you can still remove and reseal the lid. You will also need a small thermometer and some warm water – set all these aside while you prepare your nest.
Hope you stay warm this winter too! Staying cozy outdoors in cold weather depends on having several layers of insulation and a good windbreak. Squirrels use the same tricks!
Did you know that the average child recognizes hundreds of corporate logos but fewer than 10 local plants or animals? Getting to know your ‘neighbourwood’ is an important first step in connecting with the natural world.
While some local birds fly south for the winter, many stay around, and can be a focus for lots of winter sleuthing, especially if there’s a birdfeeder nearby. Here’s an activity that exercises the memory and observation skills, in preparation for going outdoors in winter, especially with Grade 1-2 children working on Landmark 12 (Getting to Know Local Plants and Animals). Older children and adults can play too.
This idea is inspired by a Christmas gift of a game of birds from around the world, where the goal is to find matches of males and females of the same species. This version has a simpler, more local focus, based on common winter birds in the Peterborough area.
Find pictures online of any of the following birds:
(if you know of others in your area, include them too)
Paste the pictures into a template of squares (2.5” to 3” are ideal), and make sure you have two copies of each picture. Use card stock or bristleboard if possible, so you can’t see through the paper when they’re placed face-down. Write the name of each bird on each square.
TO PLAY:
Turn all the squares face-down on a table or other flat surface. Every player turns over two cards, saying the names of the birds on each card, then turning the cards face-down again. The goal of the game is to remember the location of each card that was turned over, so you can turn up a matched pair when it’s your turn. If you find a matched pair, you take them off the table and keep them. Whenever you find a pair, you get an extra turn. This game can be played by various numbers of people, but 2 to 5 people are best, so you don’t have to wait too long for your turn.
To make the game more permanent, you can laminate the cards so they’ll last through many games. For older children, you could make sets of local flowers, animals, insects or trees. The memory challenge of the game is a great mental workout for all ages!
