Animal Homes

Materials

box (large, to keep building materials in);
everyday building materials: blocks, cardboard boxes, tubes, and sheets;
fabric pieces
plastic containers and bottles
sticks
stones
string
yarn

Animal Homes

Explore different animal homes together. Discover how animals use materials from their environment to build their homes. Learn about how animals build homes to meet their particular needs.

Look at books, magazines, or Internet sites that feature animals and their homes, such as Animals at Home by David Lock and photos of birds’ nests by Sharon Beals at http://twistedsifter.com/2011/05/25-photos-of-birds-nests-sharon-beals/.

Here are a few ideas talk about:

What materials animals use to build their homes. (What does a beaver use to build its home? What does the bird use?)
Where animals build their homes. (I wonder why many birds build their nests up high instead of on the ground.)
How different homes meet the needs of different animals. (Why does a tunnel underground make a good home for a worm? Why doesn’t an elephant build and live in a bird’s nest?)

Have your child choose one of the animals you read about or a favorite animal. Plan and build a house for the animal.

Collect everyday building materials. (see materials list)
Talk about the materials found in the animal’s environment and the animal’s characteristics. Where does the animal live? What size is the animal? Does it have wings?
Then use your building materials and build the animal a home together.

Media Connection: Watch a video about a bear and his winter home in Between the Lions “A Bear Snores On.”