Archive for January 29th, 2010
A snail lives in a shell and moves very slowly. To teach kids about snails it helps to have a live specimen available.
If you have a garden you probably have a snail nearby. Did you know garden snails feed on both living and decaying plants which can damage your garden’s crops? Because of this fact, snails are not very welcome in your garden and are considered pests.
Regardless that the snail is a pest they do make an interesting educational lesson for your children. Snails are neat to learn about and fun to watch.
Let’s get back to the “snail trail hunt”. So where do you look for snail trails? Most garden snails live in and around moist areas such as near ponds, in the woods, and of course, in the garden. They usually travel in irregular paths, oftentimes in a circle and sometimes even upside down.
Take the kids for a walk on a cloudy day along a nature trail or at night in the backyard to see if they can spot any snail trails. Hunt for snail trail in the garden along walks and walls or beneath stones, leaves, or flowerpots. Follow the snail trail to see where it leads. Be aware, however, that not all snail trails are the same. It could belong to the slug instead. A slug is simply a snail without a shell. So how do you tell the two trails apart? If the snail trail is continuous, then it’s a slug. If there are breaks in the trail, it’s a snail.
If you find a snail have your child capture him and put it in a clear container with a lid and air vents. When disturbed the snail will retreat back into its shell. This is how they also sleep and hibernate during the winter. Find more snail facts online or at your library.
For craft ideas you may like a website I just located: http://daniellesplace.com/HTML/snailcrafts.html
If you have a young child 3 and up who is learning his numbers he will love our snail 3d wooden puzzle. This wood puzzle is made from splinter-proof hardwood and measures 6” x 5”. Painted in bright primary colors that kids love each chunky piece has an individual number painted on it.
The wolf is the largest member of the canine family. Gray wolves range in color from grizzled gray or black to all-white. As the ancestor of the domestic dog, the gray wolf resembles German shepherds or malamutes. Wolves are making a comeback in the Great Lakes, Northern Rockies and Southwestern United States.
Wolves like to eat Ungulates (large hoofed mammals) like elk, deer, moose and caribou. Wolves are also known to eat beaver, rabbits and other small prey. Wolves are also scavengers and often eat animals that have died due to other causes like starvation and disease.
Wolves live, travel and hunt in packs of 4-7 animals on average. Packs include the mother and father wolves, called the alphas, their pups and several other subordinate or young animals. The alpha female and male are the pack leaders that track and hunt prey, choose den sites and establish the pack’s territory. Wolves develop close relationships and strong social bonds. They often demonstrate deep affection for their family and may even sacrifice themselves to protect the family unit.
Wolves have a complex communication system ranging from barks and whine to growls and howls. While they don’t howl at the moon, they do howl more when it’s lighter at night, which occurs more often when the moon is full.
The most common cause of death for wolves is conflict with people over livestock losses. While wolf predation on livestock is fairly uncommon, wolves that do prey on them are often killed to protect the livestock.
We hope you enjoyed reading a few facts about the grey wolf. You can easily find more facts and crafts by doing an online search. And your children may love to have a grey wolf of their own.
Available online are 3d wooden puzzles from ImagiPLAY’s line of wooden kids toys. When you want quality built educational childrens toys your children will take great delight in a new wolf puzzle.