Desert Habitats Science concepts some deserts are areas where there is little rain some deserts are caused by people destroying the environment in these areas, not very many plants grow there are many kinds of deserts some are rocky, some have sand dunes, some have pebbly plains, some are cold some animals and people live in the desert Desert animals animals have to adapt in order to live in the hot, dry habitat the desert provides. Desert snakes and lizards have scaled, waterproof hides to keep them from loosing water through their skin. They sleep under rocks during the day and hunt at night. The snakes and lizards are usually the color of the earth. Mammals in the desert must conserve the water they find. The camel survives on the fat stored in it's hump when water is scarce. It can walk long distances on the hot desert and go many days without water. Other desert animals include jack rabbits, coyotes, road runners, scorpions, snakes, etc. concept literature The Desert is Theirs by Byrd Baylor Desert Buddies by Dabney M Philabaum Math Concepts sort snakes by size match different catcus shapes Language Cc is for camel and cactus have children collect various items that begin with the letter Dd for desert Dramatic play have children build pyramid out of blocks children take hike in desert fill dramatic play area with sunglasses, hats, waterbottles, & summer clothing Cooking Snake eggs Materials: 4 hard cooked eggs small bowl 3 cups cool water 1 envelope unsweetened soft drink (kool aid etc) clear plastic wrap 1) gently tap hard cooked eggs all over till the shells crack. Do not take shells off 2) in a small bowl stir together water and the soft drink mix. Add cracked eggs into the colored water 3) cover the small bowl with wrap. Place in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the colored water and peel away shells. Your snake eggs are ready to eat!! Science have children blow flour in the bottom of a baking pan to understand how sand dunes form have children observe a cactus plant and houseplant as they water and care for both Health talk to the children about the importance of drinking plenty of fluids when it is hot outside Motor movement have the children slither like snakes to the song sammy have the children hop like jack rabbits Music desert toad this little desert toad broke his toe this little desert toad said Oh Oh Oh This little desert toad laughed and was glad This little desert toad cried and was sad this little desert toad did just what he should do hopped straight to his mother as fast as he could two year olds walk through sand, play at sand table, make sand art paint with colored sand have children dig rubber snakes in sand box Make desert cacti out of styrofoam, green paint and toothpicks learn about different desert creatures such as snakes, lizards, etc with illustrated children's books sprinkle tempra paint on paper. put one ice cube on the paper and let it sit in the sun make sun out of fingerprints three year olds sand art in jars and bottles rotating center: sand box or sand table with desert objects buried treasure game in sand make paper cacti using old soup cans for potting/planting make snake out of old nylons...stuff one leg with newspaper, tie off both ends, add eyes introduce theme with "The Desert Alphabet Book" by Jerry Pallotta make oasis by tracing childs arm on yellow paper. Paint hand green and arm brown cut out blue pond for oasis make sunglasses four year olds books: Look Closer: Desert Life by Barbara Taylor Vanishing Cultures: Sahara by Jan Reynolds Watching Desert Wildlife by Caroline Arnold decorate large yellow sheet cake with desert scene vanilla wafers for sand, blue jigglers for oasis, popcorn for tumbleweeds, stick pretzels and green icing for palm trees, gummy candies or animal crackers for animals make newspaper palm trees make clay snakes make sand pudding with vanilla wafers and vanilla pudding make wet sculptures by wetting sand and using cookie cutters OTHER RELATED IDEAS snake patterns use two or more plastic snakes about 6 inches in length. Mix paint in colors close to colors of snake. Pour paint into tray. add one snake to each color. Let child choose if snakes are on green paper for grass, blue paper for water, black paper for dirt. place snakes on paper and slide it to make trails snake farm gather toy snakes at least six inches long. add toy snakes to sensory table or dish with rocks and twigs and one of the following sensory environments plastic easter grass, potting soil, sand. encourage child to explore the snakes and materials. Encourage child to move like snake: lay on ground and stretch as long as they can and curl up slither on floor, lay on tummy and move head from side to side, crawl under table for rock MOve like creatures with in the following chant Crawl like a lizard, crawl like a lizard, very very quickly creep like a turtle, creep....very very slowly slink like a snake (repeat) on the ground leap like a frog (R) off the ground do other actions: hide like a turtle (R) in your shell (bend over and cover head) curl like a snake (R) in a circle eat like a frog (R) catching bugs with your tongue freeze like a lizard (R) and not move at all