Animals of Antarctica

Here are five animals that can be found on the continent of Antarctica. There are no land animals on the continent. There are birds, fish, sea mammals and a few kinds of insects. Antarctica consists of the ocean and places frozen over by ice. The temperatures are extremely cold and over centuries, animals have adapted to living in the freezing cold.
Ideas:
Play memory by matching the pictures,
Match the pictures to sounds,
Find arctic related books,
Arctic animals dramatic play,
Arctic theme crafts,
Arctic sensory tub,
Learn vocabulary,
Arctic printable and coloring pages,
Search online or in planning books for more activities.

Click here to download the folder.
It includes the pictures, sounds, map of Antarctica and fact file in Microsoft Word.




Arctic Skua :




Size: Body, 16 to 18 in (41 to 46 cm); Wingspan, 43 to 49 in (110 to 125 cm)
Weight: 12 to 20 oz (330 to 570 g)
The word “skua” comes from the Old Norse term for seagull.
Skuas are sometimes called avian pirates.
Skuas steal much of their food from terns, puffins, and other birds that are carrying fish and other foods back to their nests and young.
They live most of their lives at sea, but come to shore to breed in the summer.Skuas can be light or dark colored.
Click here to hear the Skua's call.
Diet: Eggs, small birds, small mammals and fish.

Blue Whale :




Blue whales are the biggest whale and the biggest animal that has ever lived on Earth.
They are the loudest animal on Earth - even louder than a jet plane.
In good conditions, blue whales can hear each other up to 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away.
Click here to hear one.
They can be found in Antarctica as well as through out the rest of the world.
Can swim at more than five miles an hour (eight kilometers an hour) but accelerate to more than 20 miles an hour (32 kilometers an hour) when they are agitated.
Average life span in the wild: 80 to 90 years
Size: 82 to 105 ft (25 to 32 m)
Weight: Up to 200 tons (181,437 kg)
Group name: Pod
Protection status: Endangered
When a blue whale exhales, the spray from its blowhole can reach nearly 30 ft (9m)
When a blue whale calf, (baby) is born, it already weighs up to 3 tons (2.7 metric tons) and stretches to 25 feet (8 meters). It gorges on nothing but mother's milk and gains about 200 pounds (91 kilograms) every day for its first year.
Diet: Tiny crustaceans and tiny fish.
They can eat some 4 to 8 tons (3.6 to 7.3 metric tons) of krill per day.
Krill are very similar to shrimp.

Elephant Seal:



Average life span in the wild:
9 years (northern); 20 to 22 years (southern)
Size:
Up to 20 ft (6 m)
Weight:
Up to 8,800 lbs (4,000 kg)
Group name:
Colony
Hear a seal colony.
Southern elephant seals can dive over 4,921 feet (1,500 meters) deep and remain submerged
For up to two hours.
There are two species of elephant seals, the northern and southern. Northern elephant seals can be found in California and Baja California, though they prefer to frequent offshore islands rather than the North American mainland.
Southern elephant seals live in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters.
Southern elephants are the largest of all seals.
They are called elephant seals because of their trunk-like inflatable snouts.
Female seals have one pup per year.
Elephant seals were once hunted for their oil and became endangered until laws were made to protect them. Since then, their population has increased.
Hear a young elephant seal play with his echoing call.
Diet: Fish, squid and other marine foods.

Emperor Penguin:




They are the largest of all penguin species.
Size: 45 in (115 cm)
Weight: Up to 88 lbs (40 kg)
Group name: Colony
Hear a colony of emperor penguins!
Penguins are birds that cannot fly.
They are excellent swimmers and spend most of their lives in the sea.
Emperor penguins can dive to 1,850 feet (565 meters)—deeper than any other bird—and stay under for more than 20 minutes.
Average life span in the wild: 15 to 20 years
They live in colonies on ice packs in Antarctica.
They are kept warm by a layer of blubber (fat) and insulating down feathers which are water proof to keep their skin dry. The female lays a single egg and then leaves it behind with the father for around two months.
Male emperors keep the newly laid eggs warm, but they do not sit on them, as many other birds do. Males stand and protect their eggs from the elements by balancing them on their feet and covering them with feathered skin known as a brood pouch.
Hear a penguin chick!
Diet: They eat fish and squid.





Leopard seal:




Average life span in the wild: 12 to 15 years.
Size: 10 to 11.5 ft (3 to 3.5 m).
Weight: Up to 840 lbs (380 kg).
The leopard seal is named for its black-spotted coat. The pattern is similar to that
Of the famous big cat, though the seal's coat is gray rather than golden in color.
Like the big cat, leopard seals are also fierce predators.
leopard seals are insulated from frigid waters by a thick layer of fat known as blubber.
Leopard seals are earless and have long bodies.
Hear a leopard seal!
Diet: Smaller seals, fish, penguins and squid.

Vocabulary:
Blubber: Fat.
Brood Pouch: A pouch where penguins keep their eggs.
Colony: A group (usually referring to animals).
Crustacean: Shellfish that have segmented bodies such as lobsters, crabs and shrimps.

Pod: Group of whales.

My next post will be on Antarctica itself and the habitat of these animals. I’ll have more ideas for planning and play from the list above which I will explain in more detail. My third post will contain a list of books, crafts and printable.

Facts found from: National Geographic.
All pictures found from: Google Images.

The Animals of Africa

I've picked six animals of Africa for children to become familiar with, but there are many more African animals that children can learn about through books, the zoo or online.
You can use the sets of pictures for a matching game.
You could also match pictures with sounds.
Teach vocabulary.
Older children can read the facts to see what they understand and maybe become interested in some of these fascinating animals.




Click here to download the folder containing all the files.
It includes the picture sets, sound files, a large picture map of Africa and a Microsoft Word document with all the facts I've written here.

African Elephant
Facts:

• The African Elephant is the largest living land animal. African elephants are larger than the Asian Elephant.


• They live in large close families led by a female.


• Female elephants are called cows and males are called bulls.


• They are excellent swimmers.


• They have few natural enemies besides humans and are an endangered species. They have been hunted by humans for their ivory tusks.


• Both males and females have tusks.


• They have wrinkled, gray-brown skin that is almost hairless.


• Their ears are large; about five feet across and are shaped like the continent of Africa.


• The trunk is an extension of the nose. They can use it to drink water or eat food. To get water, the elephant sucks water into the trunk, then curls the trunk towards the mouth and squirts the water into it. The trunk has two prehensile (grasping) extensions at the tip, which it uses like a hand.

Diet:
Elephants eat roots, grasses, leaves, fruit, and bark.
Sounds:
An elephant can trumpet, snort, bark and roar.
Elephants can call each other by making rumbling sounds so low that humans can’t hear them.
Article about elephant sounds
Kids won’t understand that article, but I included it if any of you might be interested in learning about the many sounds and calls that elephants can make.






Giraffe
Facts:

• Giraffes are the tallest land animal reaching up to 19 feet (6 m) tall and can weigh up to 2,800 pounds (1270kg).


• Patterns: Most have brown polygons on a cream/tan background. The polygons are larger on the body and smaller on the face and limbs.


• Both males and females have two short horns.


• Giraffes live in the African grasslands also called savannas.

Diet:
Herbivores (plant-eaters) Eating mostly leaves, twigs and bark.
Sounds:
Giraffes are quiet animals, but they can make a bleating sound like a sheep or a loud grunt or roar if they feel threatened. I searched online, but couldn’t find these particular sounds. However, I found sounds of giraffes walking around and munching on plants.





Hippopotamus
Facts:

• The Hippopotamus is a large mammal from swampy areas, lakes, and rivers in sub-Saharan Africa (south of the Sahara desert).


• It is semi-aquatic, spending much of its time in the water.


• They can open their mouth up to four feet wide and weigh up to 10,000 pounds.


• Hippopotamus means "river horse" in Greek.


• They are nocturnal (active at night).


• Hippos spend the day resting and cooling off in shallow water, emerging from the water at night to graze on grass.

Diet:
Hippos are herbivores (plant-eaters).
Sounds:
Hippos make many growling and grunting sounds.
Click here to hear a hippo grunting and moving around in the water.
Here’s my favorite hippo sound.





Lion
Facts:

• A group of lions is called a pride.


• There can be up to 25 lions in one group.


• Lions live in grassy plains (savannas) in Africa and some live in India.


• Lions are nocturnal which means they are active at night.

Diet:
Carnivore (meat eaters) they hunt and eat large animals.
Sounds:
Click here to hear a powerful roar.






Meerkat
Facts:

• Meerkats are small, burrowing mammals that live on the plains of southern Africa.


• They are a type of mongoose.


• Meerkats live in groups of up to 25 animals (called a "mob" or "gang").


• They are fiercely territorial and usually stay very close to their underground burrows, where they live.


• One meerkat will stand watch in order to warn the group with a shrill cry when a dangerous predator approaches.


• Hawks, eagles and jackals hunt meerkats


• Meerkats frequently sit or stand on their hind legs in an upright position to watch what’s going on around them, using their tail as a third leg.

Diet:
: Meerkats are primarily insectivores (insect-eaters). They scratch into the ground
For insects and insect larvae to eat. They also eat other small animals (like lizards
and mice) and some plants.
Sounds:
Meerkats make many sounds including alarm calls, growls and chattering. I couldn’t find any meerkat sound clips online so I’ve taken a clip from the popular TV show, “Meerkat Manor”.
Click here to hear what they sound like.






Zebra
Facts:

• Zebras live in African grassy plains (savannas).


• They are closely related to horses and donkeys.


• They live in families or large herds.


• Females lead the group while males watch the back of the group to protect them from other animals.


• Zebra fur has distinctive white stripes on a black background. No two zebras have
  the same pattern.

Diet:
Zebra's are herbivores and spend a lot of time eating grass and need to drink a lot of water.
Sounds:
Since zebras are related to horses, they make the same galloping sound when they walk.
I also found a zebra sound that sounds like barking.





Vocabulary:

• Carnivore: Meat eater.


• Endangered species: Means there are very few left alive.


• Herbivore: Plant eater.


• Insectivore: Insect eater.


• Nocturnal: Active at night.


• Pride: Group of lions.


• Savanna: Grassland.

Semi-aquatic: To spend part of the time in the water.

I hope you've enjoyed this post.
Soon, I will be posting more activities dealing with African animals and their habitats.
Most facts were found from:
here.

All images were found on Google Images and are clipart.

In the Kitchen

Here’s another sound and picture matching activity. This one deals with things that can be found in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy it.
Click here for the folder with sounds and pictures.


Track List:
1. Hot Chocolate
2. Popcorn
3. Frying Bacon
4. Pouring Cereal
5. Chopping Vegetables
6. Filling Sink
7. Refridgerator Closing
8. Cracking Eggs
9. Ice Cubes in Glass
10. Rolling Pin Rolling Dough
11. Silverware
12. Spreading Jelly on Toast
13. Peeling Potatos
14. Nut Cracker
15. Mixing Whipped Cream








































All pictures were found using Google Images and they are clip art.

What's In My Toy Box?

This is a listening activity as well as a matching activity. It was hard to find sounds for toys so there are only nine, but there will be a part two. It won’t have sounds, but it’ll include more toys. I hope you enjoy it. This would probably be too hard for kids younger than four or five, but you could just have them listen to the sounds or print out a duplicate set of pictures and have them match them.



Click here to download the sounds and pictures.


























Track list:
1. Ball
2. Blocks
3. Book
4. Dice
5. Marbles
6. Rattle
7. Rubber Ducky
8. Teddybear
9. Truck


All pictures were found using Google Images and they are clip art.