|
Type: Crafts
Skills: Health & Safety,
Math & Numbers,
Science & Environment,
Social & Emotional Skills
|
 |
|
A habitat map is a three dimensional map (but it doesn’t have to be) of a child’s household. Children at this age are learning about sharing about themselves and talking about who they are. This gives them a platform to share something personal about themselves and encourages them to say things like, “I live on the 1st floor…” or “I live in a house.”
|
|
What We Learn |
Understanding of themselves, their family and their home
Similarities and differences
Respect and acceptance of diversity
Math skills |
Supply List |
Cardboard
Popsicle sticks
Pipe cleaners
Paper towel rolls
Toilet paper rolls
Old buttons
Cotton balls
Construction paper
Glue
Markers
|
How-To |
Introduce the idea of making a map of their home or yours, since you’ll be doing it with your kids. Use language about different types of homes like, apartments, houses, town-homes, single story, two story, etc.
Have each kid pick whatever part of the home they want to model, such as the living room, kitchen, dining room, bedroom, etc.
Have the children use whatever materials you have available to create an aerial view or map of the room they’ve chosen. They can glue various items to a piece of cardboard that will serve as the base for the habitat map. For instance, they can glue three cotton balls together to form the outline of a couch. Or they can bend pipe cleaners into the form of a rectangle to represent the dining room table. Buttons can be glued to represent chairs. The children can also use markers to further draw details on their habitat map. Write a title for each map to help children with pre-literacy skills, such as “Our Home” or “My Bedroom.”
When the maps are complete, give the children an opportunity to talk about their work and their home. Display the habitat maps to be admired by all the families. Encourage kids to do the same with their parents at home.
This activity can be extended for older children who can make a map of their entire neighborhood. You can also group children’s maps of their own houses into a make-believe neighborhood where the kids themselves will make the connections – roads, neighborhood shops, etc. |
|
|
