A habitat is a home. Start your journey in a Florida swamp before joining the Jacksonville Public Library as we explore animal habitats this week.
READ: Deep in the Swamp by Donna Bateman
Use your library card or apply for an ecard here to access our digital library!
Dive down deep in the swamp! Count from 1 otter pup to 10 baby crayfish as you learn about the mammals, reptiles, birds, and insects that make their home in the Okefenokee Swamp. This book is modeled after the song "Over in the Meadow" by Olive A. Wadsworth.
Increase pre-literacy skills as you read together:
- Flip through the book together before you read it. Take a picture walk by talking about what you see in the pictures and on the cover of the book.
- This book is modeled after the song “Over in the Meadow”. You can read it or sing it with your little ones!
- Count along using your fingers and point out the different swamp animals.
- Introduce the meaning of new words as you read with your little ones (e.g., snooze, bask, soar)
- Pretend to move like the animals in the story. Splash, swim, jump, and more as you explore the swamp!
SING: Sing and count along with the classic song Five Little Speckled Frogs
Five little speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs
Yum, Yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are four green speckled frogs
Four little speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs
Yum, Yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are three green speckled frogs
Additional verses:
Three little speckled frogs
Two little speckled frogs…
One little speckled frog…
He jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are no green speckled frogs.
EXPLORE: Habitat Hunting
Take a walk around your yard, neighborhood, or park and hunt for habitats. Bring a notepad or paper and encourage your little scientists to record what they see by writing, scribbling, or drawing pictures.
- Talk about the different animals you see. (Look for birds, squirrels, snakes, lizards, bugs, etc.)
- Where is the animal’s habitat, or home? Ask them what they see. What makes this spot a good home?
JOIN: Journey to the pond, visit the jungle, and have a beach day without having to leave your home. Start here and go anywhere with our virtual programs.
Little Readers: You want your child to have all the tools they need to start school. Here’s the toolbox! This literacy-based program is for children from birth to pre-k and their families. We will sing, talk, read, write, and play together to develop the pre-literacy skills your little ones need to get ready to read and write.
Monday, August 31, 2020 – 10 am
Saturday, September 5, 2020 – 10 am
Little Movers & Shakers: Let’s get the wiggles out! This music-based program is for children from birth to pre-k and their families. Through books, songs, and movement activities we will build pre-literacy skills.
Each week we will use an instrument to sing a song and explore sounds and movement. This week we will be using rhythm sticks. If you’d like to participate you can use wooden spoons, unsharpened pencils, regular spoons, or anything you can find to tap together.
Tuesday, September 1, 2020 – 1pm
Friday, September 4, 2020 – 10 am
Little Explorers: Is your child constantly asking you “why?” and curious about how things work? This exploration-based program is for children from birth to pre-k and their families. We will use books to nurture curiosity, create, and discover the world around us. After investigating our theme through stories, songs, and a game we will conclude our program with a hands-on activity.
Each week we will use a variety of materials that you may have at home for our exploration activity. This week’s needed materials are:
- 4 cups flour
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- Container with a lid
Wednesday, September 2, 2020 - 10 am
KEEP READING:
