my nature buddy Sample file Welcome to Our Backyard! nature study for the young explorer How to Raise Tadpoles

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Linda Osborne
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y my nature buddy nature study for the young explorer $2.95 Welcome to Our Backyard! H i, my name is Mrs. Ringstaff and I am the mom to quite a few young explorers!

1 y my nature buddy nature study for the young explorer $2.95 Welcome to Our Backyard! H i, my name is Mrs. Ringstaff and I am the mom to quite a few young explorers! We live in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of South-East Kentucky. It seems as if everyday is a new adventure! My daughters Sarah, Emily, Hannah, and Laura never cease to amaze me with their enthusiasm for discovering God s creation. In this premiere issue of My Nature Buddy, I hope you will journey along with us as we explore the world outside in our backyard and beyond! And I hope you have as much fun as we have! This past Sunday we went to the pool for the first time this year. My girls just love to find tree frogs when we visit the pool and this day was no exception. Immediately, two frogs were rescued from the waters. This day was a little different, however. Hannah opened the drain cover and said, Mom! There are frog eggs in here! Now, I had never seen frog eggs so I really don t know how my nine year old knows so much about these things, but she just does. Her big sister, Sarah, confirmed her discovery, saying, Those are frog eggs. So, what else could we do? We found a container, scooped out the eggs, and took them home. After all They would certainly die if they stayed in the pool - Mrs. Melissa Ringstaff How to Raise Tadpoles 1. Fill a wide container with clean sand (not from a saltwater beach) and shallow water. If you using tap water, you will need to allow the water to sit out for at least 4 days before placing your tadpole into the water. This will allow time for the chemicals in the water that might harm the tadpoles to evaporate. If you do not have that long to wait, you can purchase de-chlorinating drops at the pet store. Here in Harlan, KY we get our drinking water right out of a spring in the mountain! 2. Place your frog eggs or tadpoles into the water. If you have collected frog eggs, you will need to watch each day for them to hatch. 3. When the tadpoles emerge, you need to provide food for them. You can boil clean lettuce for about 10 minutes and put that into the water for the tadpoles to dine on. It is important not to put too much food in at a time. Otherwise, the water will get dirty quickly and tadpoles need clean water to survive. 4. Clean the water as needed by scooping out 1/3 of the dirty water and replacing it with clean. When the tadpoles develop legs, they will need a rock or other surface to climb on, otherwise they will drown. You can also provide rocks and plants for them to hide in. 5. Once your tadpole has morphed into a froglet and has legs, you will need to provide small live bugs such as fruit flies or tiny crickets. You can find these at the pet store. 6. Enjoy your pet frog! 2010 Cedar Tree Press 1

free lessons 1. Frog Lapbook: http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ Frog_Lapbook.php 2. Frog Unit Study: http://www.squidoo.com/frogunitstudy 3. Frog Worksheets: http://tiny.cc/19g6s 4.

When the tadpole hatches from its egg it grows very fast to about 10 inches. As it morphs into a frog it shrinks to only 2 3 inches! The Paradoxical Frog is sometimes called the Shrinking Frog!

2 free lessons 1. Frog Lapbook: Frog_Lapbook.php 2. Frog Unit Study: 3. Frog Worksheets: 4. Poison Dart Frogs Reader: Hannah holding a toad. Fun Facts The Paradoxical Frog is an extraordinary creature! When the tadpole hatches from its egg it grows very fast to about 10 inches. As it morphs into a frog it shrinks to only 2 3 inches! The Paradoxical Frog is sometimes called the Shrinking Frog! Did you know? All toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads. Books to Read 1. Frogs, Toads, and Turtles by Diane Burns 2. From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer 3. Growing Frogs by Vivian French 4. Poison Dart Frogs Up Close by Carmen Bredesen 5. The Icky Sticky Frog by Dawn Bentley 6. A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson 7. Five Little Speckled Frogs by Nikki Smith 8. Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel 9. Frog Went a-courtin by John Langstaff 10. The Umbrella by Jan Bret Eat a bug first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen all day! Hungry, Hungry Frogs Have you ever watched a frog eat? It s amazing! If you catch a frog and bring him inside, you can easily find food in your backyard to feed the frog. Remember that smaller frogs need smaller food. What makes good frog food? Look under rocks in your yard. You ll find lots of frog food! Rollie Pollies, grubs, worms, small snails, crickets all work well for your typical toad. The bugs must be alive. Watch how your frog prepares for catching his food when he sees movement. Then, all of a sudden his really long, sticky tongue darts out and grabs the bug! If you blink you ll miss it! Tree frogs (if they are full grown) are fun to feed as well. You can purchase crickets at the pet store and put them in the tank with your tree frog. Watch how different they eat from regular toads. A tree frog will jump, grab the bug with his hands and stuff it in his mouth! Amazing! Frogs do not give you warts Cedar Tree Press

craft time Materials: Green felt White Felt Hot glue gun Egg and circle templates Scissors Black Permanent Marker Beans (such as pinto or navy) Instructions for Each Frog: 1.

3 craft time Materials: Green felt White Felt Hot glue gun Egg and circle templates Scissors Black Permanent Marker Beans (such as pinto or navy) Instructions for Each Frog: 1. Cut two ovals from the green felt and two circles from the white felt. 2. Hot glue the two pieces of green felt Together, leaving a small opening. Frog Bean Bag 3. Color black circles in the center of each white felt circle for the eyes. 4. Glue the eyes onto the green felt as pictured. 5. Fill the green felt with beans and hot glue the opening closed. 6. Use bean bags to play Lily Pad Hop. Note: You could cut out legs from the green felt and glue these to the inside of the oval. You could even make a tongue out of pink or red felt! Tadpole Craft: SockCraftsforKids.html#tadpool : Free Download : Frog Food File Folder Game SubjectBees.html Our long time pet toad, Prince Charming Cedar Tree Press 3

4 Issue #1 The Toad Emily Hannah ple file Sarah Laura Sa m On a trip to Cave Morengo in Indiana, we took a trail hike. At this old cistern, Hannah spotted a toad inside! Which Comes First? Number Cedar Tree Press

Froggie Games to Play 1. Poison Dart Frog Tumble - Spray Paint large lima beans bright blue on one side and red on the other. These are the frogs.

Pass a green water balloon around the circle while the music plays. When the music stops, whoever is holding the frog is out! 3.

Musical Lily Pads - Cut out lily pads from green foam or construction paper. Place the lily pads in a circle and walk in a circle.

Flies on a Log - Spread peanut butter or cream cheese on celery sticks (the logs) and place raisins (the flies) on top. 3.

5 Froggie Games to Play 1. Poison Dart Frog Tumble - Spray Paint large lima beans bright blue on one side and red on the other. These are the frogs. Place ten frogs in a cup, shake, and toss onto a green felt mat. Count how many red frogs and how many blue frogs. 2. Pass the Frog - Sit in a circle with your friends. Pass a green water balloon around the circle while the music plays. When the music stops, whoever is holding the frog is out! 3. Lily Pad Hop - Cut lily pads out of large green foam. Toss frog bean bags, trying to land the frog on the lily pad. 4. Musical Lily Pads - Cut out lily pads from green foam or construction paper. Place the lily pads in a circle and walk in a circle. When the music stops, be sure Frog Snacks 1. Fly Catcher - Throw raisins in the air and see how many you can catch! 2. Flies on a Log - Spread peanut butter or cream cheese on celery sticks (the logs) and place raisins (the flies) on top. 3. Frog Pond - Use blue food coloring to tint cream cheese. Spread cream cheese on top of English muffin and put green grapes on top for the frogs. 4. Frog Snack - Color cream cheese with green food coloring. Spread cream cheese on top of English muffin. Make eyes with banana slices and chocolate chips. Use a red fruit roll-up slice for the tongue and place a raisin on the end of the tongue for a fly Cedar Tree Press 5

Let s paw-ty! Children love their pets. It s a day to celebrate our furry friends.

Paw Party Required: Let s paw-ty! Children love their pets. It s a day to celebrate our furry friends. Game Suggestions: Dog Trick Balloons- Fill several balloons with a paper with a dog trick written