Backyard Fun

The backyard is a great place to explore nature. It also provides an opportunity to learn science, reading, writing, math, and art.
First, make a chart and ask your child what they think they know about bugs. Write their responses under the first part of the chart.
Then ask your child what they want to learn about bugs and what would be a good location for learning about bugs.

What I think I know about bugs…	What I want to learn about bugs…	What I learned about bugs…	Questions I still have about bugs…

After you fill out the first two sections of the chart, read from the book selections on Bookflix.
http://bkflix.grolier.com/
The username is foxrun and the password is bookflix.
Under the Animals and Nature section, you will find a cute and informative book entitled,
Bugs!Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner.
It is a colorful and musical book that introduces children to grasshoppers, caterpillars, ladybugs, and other backyard insects.
After reading this first book, help  your child list what they learned about bugs in the third section of the chart. You may want to replay the book in order to help in remembering the facts.
Then you can read the non-fiction book that is paired with the first book, A Ladybug Larva Grows Up.
At this point, you can ask your child what else they learned about ladybugs.
There are word matching and ladybug drawing activities provided by Bookflix.
 Fill out the last section of the chart by asking about questions they may still have about bugs.

You can extend the science lesson by going out to the backyard and asking your child where they think they might be able to find insects, with your supervision. Remind them about safety and that animals are living things that must be respected.
Begin by sectioning off any 12X12 section of the backyard that your child chooses. If possible, provide a magnifying glass. With your assistance, your child can observe the area. If insects are found, you can help lift the  insect onto an index card in order to observe its movement, describe its characteristics, and discuss the insect's role in the environment. This is a great opportunity for discussion.

For art, your child can draw the backyard, draw insects that are of particular interest, or draw on any related topic of his/her choice.
Your child can draw a picture in the writing notebook and write about the day in the life of an insect, living things in my backyard, or any topic of choice.
For math, you can model creating a math story such as:
There were 3 ladybugs sitting on the rose bush.
2 more ladybugs landed on the rose bush.
How many ladybugs are on the rose bush now?
Encourage your child to solve the problems using household items, drawing the picture, using numbers and words.
The next step would be to have your child create a math problem on his/her own.
The possibilities for learning fun activities  in your backyard are endless. Have fun!