Last Fall, we spent time learning about owls and pumpkins. One of their challenges was to engineer an owl nest that could hold an owl and an egg. The Bunnies are free to choose how to accomplish this task with their supplies (pipe-cleaners, plastic egg, and an owl puppet from Ikea). Open-ended projects help little brains build new connections, build relationships, and teach patience. They can either work alone, in teams, or with partners, but either way, this activity makes them think. The feeling of success is felt as soon as someone shares their work, and then others realize that they'll have the same success with a bit of perseverance.
Another one of our favorite fall experiences is dissecting owl pellets. Usually, this is something that fifth graders engage in, but Kinder Bunnies are scientists who are hungry for knowledge.
After reading and watching videos about owls, we spent time dissecting pellets. They were overjoyed to find various bones, fur, and other parts. They quickly connected that if an owl catches sick prey, then they'll get sick. It's our job to keep our habitats safe and clean.
We also learned about pumpkins. Our last activity was inspired by reading Dianne Ochiltree's book Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins. We took our pumpkins to the playground to test force and motion. In fact, pumpkins roll and quickly.
You're STEM-Tastic!
We read Counting with Owl and Bird by Rebecca Purcell, Counting Numbers 1-20 with Owl for Toddlers by R. Rose, various owl poems and rhymes, Owls by Gail Gibbons, National Geographic Readers Owls by Laura Marsh, to name a few.
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