The easiest way to introduce a child to the system we use to classify various groups of animals is to start by learning about body coverings. This post will only cover animals that have fur, feathers and scales but you can add the others (exoskeleton and skin) if and when you feel your child is ready.
Here are some simple and fun body covering activities to get your child familiar with fur, feathers and scales.
Body Covering Activities
There may be laws in your country governing the use of wildlife and their products (feathers, skins and fur) so make sure you obtain them through legal means (check with zoos and your local wildlife authority). Otherwise, I suspect it will be easier for most of you to go with the substitutes below.
Substitute animal products
- Feathers – Can be easily bought from your local craft shop these days
- Hair/fur – Use your own hair or the fur of your dog after they’ve had a haircut (that’s what we did!). You could even use one of your child’s stuffed toys!
- Scales – Buy imitation snake skin from your local fabric shop, or use your handbag. You could also just use a snake toy that has imitation scales for the rubbing activity too.
Animal Crayon Rubbings
Using the naturally cast off body covering of animals can make a great rubbing activity. Miss Possum had fun seeing the different types of patterns that were created when placing paper over them and colouring with crayons. She liked this so much that I designed a printable for it. You can download it by clicking the image.
Fur, feathers and scales what’s in the box?
Using three tissue boxes, we created a sensory activity. Using touch, Miss Possum had to guess the body covering and an animal the body covering may belong to.
Fur, feathers and scales cover up collage
We used the same printable to match the fur covering to the animal and pasted the body covering onto the printable.
Touching live animals
It’s important to take every opportunity to develop a child’s understanding of the basic body coverings using real animals too. You can do this by talking about the different body coverings on live animals you may see with your child.
Look closer
Inspect each body covering and notice differences between each.
While doing these activities talk about:
- The different types of body coverings
- How they feel? Are they rough or smooth, soft or hard?
- What’s unique about each type of body covering?
- Some animals that have each body covering
Children can amuse themselves with these fun activities and they probably don’t even realise they are building their knowledge of basic animal classification. If they really enjoy them, know quite a few different types of animals and now recognise scales, fur and feathers, then they may be ready to move on to the next learning activities. The next post will give you some activities that will build your child’s understanding that animal body coverings help us put animals into groups.
More fun with Fur, Feathers and Scale
- Furry art activity
- Science Sunday: Birds of a Feather
- O for Owl - Cute little handprint activity with feathers too!
- Slithery Snake
I love the sensory side to this activity, feeling inside each box! Great fun.
Kylie @ Octavia and Vicky recently posted..Toilet Training: Reality Check
It was fun, although quite easy for Miss Possum!
You know, I found myself singing that, “feathers, fur or fins, feathers fur or fins….” song the whole way through this post, lol. Thanks for the ideas and the free printable. Pinned to my printables board for future use
Debs recently posted..Science Activities on Tuesday Tots
Thanks so much Debs! You’re always so supportive of my posts.
I really love the ‘What’s in the Box?’ activity.
Jackie recently posted..Real Life: A Broken Souvenir
Miss Poss love it too. The hardest part will be getting the body covering. I’m lucky that I can get it from work.
A great group of activities – I would not have thought it was possible to do rubbings of hair.
Catherine recently posted..Three Ways with Playdough
I know but this came out great didn’t it. Caddy (our dog) does have slightly more coarse hair so it worked perfectly!
The girls are always picking up feathers etc outside and love to talk and touch them….wonderful post as always (they must take you ages to write!!) Those feely boxes are too cute!
jode@mummymusingsandmayhem recently posted..Hairwashing Fun…An Activity for Sensory Sensitive Toddlers
The girls are always picking up feathers and things outside to touch and talk about…wonderful post as always (must take you ages btw!!)Love those feely boxes!
jode@mummymusingsandmayhem recently posted..Hairwashing Fun…An Activity for Sensory Sensitive Toddlers
This one did take me a while to set up but it was worth it. We had a great time!
Oh, my boys would love putting their little pudgy hands in a box!
As always, great ideas to get the kids (and parents) excited about wildlife, Pen!
Grace recently posted..FYBF – To the Power of Four
Thanks Gracie! So nice to see you here. Thank you for visiting. I know you’re a busy, busy woman these days!
This is awesome Penny – my boys will enjoy this activity.
Trish recently posted..On the way from here to there.
Thank so much Trish. It was so nice to visit your blog the other day. I wish I had more time. I miss WW!
Gorgeous post and activity as always Penny! I always love visiting your blog! Those freely boxes are awesome…….you have inspired me to make some for my kiddos
Janice@ learning4kids recently posted..Back Yard Water Park
Thanks Honey. They were only painted tissue boxes (we like recyling) but it was painful getting the clear plastic in. I think I was almost ready to throw them all out!
Brilliant creativity play with on the side ;earning – just perfect