Have you ever wondered how to help your children develop a love for animals and nature? As a teacher and a mom, I am always trying to find new ways to add learning opportunities into our everyday play routines. LeapFrog® makes this easy with a variety of interactive and hands-on activities that feel like FUN to young children, all while teaching them about animals and nature! Here are a few of my favorite ways to introduce these science concepts to your children.
Introduce Animals from a Young Age
LeapFrog® makes it easy to introduce even the youngest children to animals with their 100 Animals Book™! This interactive book includes touch-sensitive pages that children from ages 18 months and up can enjoy. As children walk their fingers through the book, they will learn about animals from a variety of habitats. Children can tap to hear animal sounds, animal names, and fun facts about each animal.
As children grow, you can use this book as a tool to learn about how each animal lives in a specific habitat. Your children can take field trips from the comfort of their home to the ocean, savannah, farm, desert, and more! You can even have your children draw their favorite habitat on a piece of paper to show what they have learned. It is never too early to promote science awareness, and this book makes it easy no matter where kids are!
Work on Academic Skills Through Animal Themes
I am always on the hunt for children’s toys that contain academic skills to help prepare my toddlers and preschoolers for kindergarten. The LeapFrog® Interactive Wooden Animal Puzzle™ is full of surprises with four different modes for playing and learning!
This puzzle is designed to grow with your 2-year-old as they begin matching pieces by color and border. Then, you can adjust the puzzle settings to move on to more complex topics as your child grows.
Depending on the play mode you are in, children will learn about animals, Spanish and English words, colors, and numbers. These play modes will reinforce learning about animals, all while building their vocabulary and fine motor skills as they build a puzzle.
Learning About Animals On the Go!
As a busy mom to little ones, the LeapFrog® Touch & Learn Nature ABC Board™ is the perfect tablet for days we’re on the go. This tablet has a touch-sensitive wooden board and an animated light-up LED screen that immediately captures the attention of even the youngest learners. Not only does it incorporate fun animal pictures, but this toy tablet also teaches letters, letter sounds, and counting…. All essential skills for kindergarten readiness!
With nine interactive activities such as Animal Band, Sound Detective and Weather Report, this tablet is designed to reinforce learning during playtime. Your little ones will love getting to touch the animals one by one as they learn to count to 10. They can also explore animals that begin with each letter from A to Z. To show what they have learned, you can again have your children draw a picture of each animal on a piece of paper, while also reinforcing the letters they have learned.
The best part is, you can experience all this fun at home, in the car, waiting for an appointment, or anywhere else you find yourself needing a quick activity to pull out of the bag for your little one!
Pair Learning Toys With Educational Activities
LeapFrog® also has activities that teach school-aged children about animals and nature. My first grader’s new favorite activity in our home is playing with the LeapFrog® Magic Adventures Globe™. When children use the included stylus, they can tap anywhere on the globe to trigger BBC videos that teach about countries, their cultures, animals, and more. Watch your little ones light up as they immerse themselves in a world of animals and nature as they travel around the globe by plane, train, or another form of transportation.
Make Learning Fun!
Finding ways to make learning fun is essential in developing a love for animals, science, and nature. Using the LeapFrog® Magic Adventures Globe™, children can try to race around the world in record time. They can also solve a mystery by answering questions and following clues to discover secret items and locations. You could even have your children create a paper map highlighting what they have learned as they discover each item and location. The only thing more fun would be to challenge a friend to find different countries, landmarks, and animals as you race around the globe together!
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Helping your children build a love of animals, science, and nature takes time. The more exposure you give your children, the greater the chance that your children will grow in their desire to learn more about science. With the help of LeapFrog®, I am sure you can find activities your little ones will love. I hope you are as excited as I am to help instill a love of animals, nature and science in your little ones!
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AUTHOR BIO:
Laurin Brainard, also known as The Primary Brain, began her teaching career in 2011. This was when she found her passion for teaching young children! Today, Laurin enjoys spending time with her soon-to-be three little ones as they learn and play at home! You can connect with Laurin on Instagram @theprimarybrain and find tips and tricks for engaging your children at: www.theprimarybrain.com