Winter in the Midwest.

Brown, cold, gray, extreme, bare, icy, snowy, slushy, messy, freezing…these are all words that I myself, think of FIRST when I think about winter. As you can probably guess, it isn’t my favorite.

However, in the winter, we DO cover some of my favorite topics:

animals, habitats, black history, presidents, dental health, to name a few…

But we’ll stick to animals for today…

Once we’ve read LOTS of animals books, I set them free to do a Habitat Research Project. 

Considering that I teach kindergarten, this is a fairly simple kids science project.

Animal Habitat Research

1. They choose a habitat topic from my collection of habitat books.

2. They use the books to closely observe the animals in this area as well as the way that the land (or water) looks.

3. Then they write down their “facts” and draw a picture to go along with the information.

Grab this FREEBIE in my TPT Store.

If you’re looking for a more in-depth animal project, check this one out!

Another favorite is hibernating!

We read and learn about hibernators before engaging in this super-fun activity. After discussing animal dwellings of hibernators, we grab our flashlights and find our homes.

Since I can’t see kinders actually sleeping in some of these positions, we simply worked on building reading stamina in “preparation for hibernation”. 🙂

Next is one of the best science-based independent center activities-

the Animal Track Pack. 

This fun science-themed “hunt and write around the room” activity will turn your students into explorers and observers. Print and hide these cards around the room for an exciting hunt and write experience! These are perfect for small groups during centers or workstations. Adapt for student ability by using 2 different versions of animal track recording sheets.

These items are included in the pack:

-animal tracker sheets to help students in identifying animal tracks
-a recording sheet with enough room for a full sentence (It is a bear track.)
-a recording sheet with room for only the animal name
-numbered animal track cards for hiding around the room
-matching animal cards for use in a pocket chart
-answer keys for the animal tracks (you may choose to print and allow students to check their observations)
-1 animal habitat writing sheet

Here are a couple kinders in action!

These activities certainly help my students and I to get through the January-March slump in the Midwest! It’s real…

Happy teaching!