During outdoor exploration, Kyrielle discovered a snake in a hole and proudly shared her find with her peers. She invited the children to touch it and even helped them hold it, showing confidence, leadership, and care. This sparked excitement among the group, with Elora and Almalinda going hunting for more snakes. As they searched, the children engaged in meaningful conversations about what snakes eat, where they live, and how they look. Their curiosity came through in their questions and comments: Finley asked, “Is it poisonous?”, Ethan wondered, “Will it bite me?”, and Elora suggested, “Can I research what snakes eat?” and later discovered they eat bugs, leaves, and frogs.
The exploration deepened when Aria found a caterpillar, which led to a group discussion with Devyn, Aria, Emma, and Everly about the differences between snakes and caterpillars, comparing how they look, where they live, and what they eat. The children then engag
ed in an activity using glue on toy snakes, peeling the dried glue to represent snake skin. They took turns and shared their thinking about how snakes shed their skin and continue slithering on, even using a microscope to examine the “skin” more closely. This hands-on experience encouraged observation, turn-taking, and deeper understanding of animal life cycles.
Later, the children brought out a ruler to measure the snake and discovered it was about 8 inches long. As they worked, Elora noted, “He won’t stay still for me to measure him,” while Kyrielle added, “I don’t want to squish him.” Their comments showed care for the snake and problem-solving as they worked together to figure out how to measure a moving animal.
The group recalled their interest in snakes from last year, including ideas about making a habitat for them. This opened the opportunity to revisit prior learning and connect it to new knowledge, leading to a discussion about why animals need to remain in their natural habitats to support the cycle of life.
This experience highlighted the children’s curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving as they asked questions, compared animals, measured, researched, and engaged in thoughtful discussions. Their exploration reflected collaboration, empathy for living things, and an eagerness to investigate the natural world more deeply. Moving forward, we can continue to extend their interests by exploring how humans play a role in keeping nature safe and healthy, and how each of us contributes to the care of our environment.
