Nature on the Move | Nursery School | Washington University in St. Louis

School Year 2024-2025:

CAMOUFLAGE

Animals play hide-and-seek, but not for fun! They may hide to sneak up on their prey, or they may hide to avoid being another animal’s dinner!

Many wild animals have black, brown, tan or green coloration so that they can blend in with the trees, bushes, and grasses in their natural surroundings.

Animals can be camouflaged by their color, the pattern on their skin or fur, or they can even have a shape that makes them look like, or mimic, something else like a leaf or a stick!

Some animals that are very well camouflaged are owls, rabbits, frogs and toads,

and walking sticks.

Ask your child to take a favorite stuffed animal and find the best hiding place for it. Encourage them to remember the trick of camouflage! Try it inside and outside.

Book Suggestions: How To Hide A Butterfly, by Ruth Heller and Where in the Wild? by David M. Schwartz

FALL THINGS

Ways to know that fall is approaching: cooler weather, shorter days, leaves changing color.

In the summer leaves make food for the tree with sunlight and a chemical called chlorophyll, which turns the leaves green. During the fall, the leaves stop making food for the tree so the green color goes away, and the red, yellow, and orange colors can be seen.

Some insects, such as spiders and praying mantis, lay eggs in the fall before they die. Butterflies can overwinter as a chrysalis. Monarchs migrate to central America.

Many of our bird friends migrate, while others can be seen all winter in our backyards.

Turkeys are some of our favorite fall birds!

Nature gives us many delights in fall. A few Missouri favorites are pumpkins, gourds, and apples.

Pick out a tree that you can watch all the year and observe how it changes each season.

Book Suggestions: How Leaves Change by Sylvia Johnson or Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins.

POISONOUS THINGS

There are some animals and plants that can give us a nasty bite, sting, or rash, and we need to learn to identify them.
Berries that grow wild are for animals to eat; if we eat them, they could make us sick.
All parts of the poison ivy plant can leave an itchy rash. Remember: “Leaves of three, let it be!”
Some wild mushrooms can be eaten, but others are poisonous and can make us very sick. They are hard to identify even for adults. Make sure to use a guidebook to help you tell the difference.

All spiders have venom that can make you itch if you’re bitten, but only the black widow and brown recluse can make you very sick. Leave spiders alone to eat insects and other spiders.

Venomous insects include bees and wasps. Don’t bother them, for they help us by making honey, pollinating plants, and eating other insects and spiders.

Only 5 of the 50 Missouri snake species are venomous, but they all have teeth and may bite if threatened. Keep your distance and let them “do their job” of eating insects, mice, and rats!

Many household items are poisonous to eat or drink. We don’t eat or drink anything without asking an adult!

Book Suggestion: Leaflets Three, Let It Be, by Anita Sanchez

SQUIRRELS AND CHIPMUNKS

Squirrels and chipmunks belong to a group of animals called rodents. Rodent teeth are made for gnawing and continue to grow during the animal’s lifetime.

In Missouri we have grey squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, Thirteen lined ground squirrels, Franklin’s ground squirrels and chipmunks. Both types of ground squirrels are rare and diminishing in numbers.

Flying squirrels don’t actually fly, but loose folds of skin on their sides help them glide quite far.

The grey and fox squirrels make their homes in hollow trees or in leafy nests in the forks of trees. Chipmunks and ground squirrels dig an underground home, called a burrow, with many rooms.

Only the ground squirrels are true hibernators in winter. Other squirrels remain active, even on the coldest days. Chipmunks may sleep for periods of time, eating food stores in their burrow, but they may emerge on warmer days to find more food.

Both squirrels and chipmunks eat many kinds of nuts and seeds. Their strong teeth are made to chew through the hardest of shells. They hide extra food underground and return to it later.

Predators of squirrels and chipmunks include owls, hawks, foxes, coyotes and bobcats.

School Year 2023-2024:

Our topic was: FOOD CHAIN

Chains are meant to be strong. Their overall strength depends on each link.
If we remove a link the chain is broken.
Every living thing depends on the sun. It is the source for each food chain.

Your lunch is made by the sun! For instance, if you have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the peanuts and grapes grow on plants and the bread is made of another plant called wheat.

These plants all need the sun to grow.

Animals which eat other animals are called predators.
Animals which are eaten by other animals are called prey.Animals which eat plants are called herbivores.
A typical food chain in nature might look like this: The sun grows grass. The grasshopper eats the grass. The spider eats the grasshopper. The turkey eats the spider. Man eats the turkey.

We need to respect and protect each link in the food chain.

Book Suggestions: What If There Were No Bees, What If There Were No Gray Wolves, What If There Were No Sea Otters all by Suzanne Slade & Carol Schwartz

Our topic was: EGGCITING

Animals that lay eggs are called Oviparous. We have many egg layers in Missouri. Not just birds!

Some animal mothers care for their eggs. Others may leave their eggs and the babies must fend for themselves upon hatching.

Bird eggs come in many colors…sometimes used for camouflage. The hummingbird lays one of the smallest bird eggs, while an ostrich lays one of the largest.

Other egg-layers include insects, frogs, toads, salamanders, lizards, turtles, and some snakes.

Eggs contain everything the baby needs before it hatches…including food, water, and air.

Bird eggs have a hard shell. Reptile eggshells are flexible and leathery. Amphibian eggs are laid in the water and are surrounded by a jelly-like covering.

Book Suggestions: Chickens Aren’t The Only Ones, by Ruth Heller An Extraordinary Egg, by Leo Lionni An Egg is Quiet, by Aston and Long

Lessons from Ms. Becky

Nature on the Move was here today, March 18th

Our topic was:

HEALTHY EARTH

April 22 is Earth Day. We have a special day called Earth Day to remind us that we need to take care of our planet every day, so it remains a great place for us and all the animals to live.

What can we do to help? Remember the three “R’s”: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Reduce: Turn water off when brushing your teeth or washing your hands. Turn off the TV, tablets, or lights when not in use. Try to walk or bike to nearby destinations instead of taking the car.

Can you think of more things to do?

Reuse: What can you make that old milk jug into? What about the can from those green beans you had last night?

Recycle: Many communities either have weekly pick up or a deposit center nearby.

Litter is dangerous to wild animals. Always throw your trash in a sealed container.

Protect wild animals by cutting each section of the plastic rings around soda cans so animals cannot get stuck in them. Animals can get stuck in the plastic rings from milk jugs, too.

Don’t pollute our water, air and land. If each one of us cleans up after ourselves Earth will be a better place to live.

Lessons from Ms. Becky

Nature on the Move was here today, February 12th.

Our topic was: OWLS

Owls are among the group of birds called raptors, or birds of prey. Other raptors include hawks and eagles. Hawks and eagles are diurnal while owls are nocturnal.

The most common Missouri Owls are the Great Horned Owl,

Barred Owl, Barn Owl, and Screech Owl.

Owls’ wings are serrated at the leading edge so that they can fly silently.

Owls have large eyes for seeing their prey at night. Their eyes are fixed in the socket, but they can turn their heads up to 270 degrees to see around them.

Owls also have excellent hearing. Their ears are on their faces and are hidden by feathers.

Owls have sharp, curved claws called talons, which they use to catch and kill their prey.

Owls eat mice, frogs, snakes, insects, rabbits and even skunks!

Book Suggestions: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Song: If you want to be an owl shout-Who! Who! If you want to be an owl shout-Who! Who! Then you get to sleep all day and at night you get to play. If you want to be an owl shout-Who! Who! (Continue with Flap you wings-Shh! Shh! and Look around-Twist, Twist!)

NATURE ON THE MOVE was here today, January 8th.

Our topic was: GETTING READY FOR WINTER

People prepare by wearing warmer clothes and shoes. They also participate in different activities than the summer…sledding instead of swimming, hot cocoa instead of popsicles.
Trees prepare by losing their leaves and going dormant. Spring will bring new leaves.
Our animal friends have 3 choices…migrate, hibernate, or stay and adapt.
Animals who cannot find food and protection in the winter might migrate to warmer places.

Monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, ducks and geese migrate.

Other animals that cannot find food and cannot migrate will hibernate. Hibernation means more than sleeping all winter. True hibernation means slowed breathing, slow heart rate, and low body temperature. Groundhogs, bats, reptiles and amphibians are a few of Missouri’s true hibernators.
Animals that are able to find food will stay active during the winter. Squirrels, deer, coyotes, foxes and many birds can be seen all winter long in Missouri.

*Homemade or store-bought bird feeders give your child a great opportunity to care for and observe many different types of birds. It’s a great family project. Don’t forget fresh water!

NATURE ON THE MOVE was here today, December 11

SOUNDS OF NATURE

Adult animals (usually males) make sounds for many reasons including establishing territory, looking for mates, and communicating danger is near.

Young animals make sounds for some of the same reasons that human babies do: to say they are scared, lonely, hungry, or cold.

Daytime sounds to listen for include the many different bird songs (each have their own), geese honking as they fly over, and many insects buzzing including bees.

Animals you may hear at night are owls, coyotes, frogs, and the singing of crickets.

Don’t forget to listen to the many sounds of nature that do not include animals: the rain, the wind, or a babbling brook.

Book suggestions: Bark George, by Jules Feiffer and The Very Quiet Cricket, by Eric Carle

NATURE ON THE MOVE was here today: November 6

Our topic was: WILD TURKEYS

Wild turkeys are smarter than domestic turkeys. They are able to take care of themselves.

Male turkeys are called toms, females are hens and the young are poults.

Males can spread their tail feathers into a large fan shape, in order to attract a mate.

The bright colors on their heads are also attractive to hens.

Turkey hens lay their eggs on the ground. Not in a nest in a tree.

Turkey feet are like a garden tool. They are used to rake through leaves for food

such as acorns, spiders, insects and various seeds.

Turkey predators include coyotes, foxes and man; their eggs are eaten by

squirrels, snakes, coyotes and foxes.

Book Suggestions: Turkey Trouble, by Wendi Silvano.

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving, by Dav Pilkey

NATURE ON THE MOVE was here today, 10/16.

Our topic was:

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS

• Animals sleeping during the day and becoming active at night are called nocturnal animals.

Animals that sleep at night and are active during the day are called diurnal animals. We are diurnal animals!!

Why is being nocturnal helpful to some animals? If they are prey, it is easier to hide from predators at night. If they are predators, it is easier to be sneaky in the dark.

Nocturnal animals include, among others: moths, bats, owls, spiders, opossums and skunks.

Book suggestions: Owl Babies, The Kissing Hand, and The Goodnight Circle

Song: Have you ever seen a Moth, a Moth, a Moth? Have you ever seen a Moth Fly this way and that? Fly this way and that way, Fly this way and that way? Have you ever seen a Moth Fly this way and that? Continue with…Bat-Hang, Spider-Crawl, Owl-Hunt, Skunk-Spray.