How to Teach Kindergarteners About Snakes

Teaching kindergarten students about snakes can be fun and exciting. Your lesson plan should include activities that refine the children’s gross and fine motor skills. Singing songs and reading stories about snakes will help the children develop cognitively, verbally and socially. Take the time to discuss that there are more than 2700 species of snakes and they all belong to the reptile family. Explain to the children in simple terms how snakes are born, where they live, hibernate, and what they like to eat, Share with the students that many species of snakes are venomous and should never be picked up or touched without adult supervision.

Things You'll Need

• Laminated pictures of snakes
• Books about snakes
• Paper plates
• Scissors
• Crayons
• Markers
• Glitter
• Googly eyes
• Snake stickers
• Poster board or card stock
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup salt
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• Bright green food coloring
• Snake skin

Instructions

1. Gather the class together for circle time. Take this time to explain to the children that they are going to be learning about snakes. Show the children large laminated pictures of various snakes. If they seem interested allow the class to ask questions about the pictures.

2. Add a few simple books about snakes to the reading area, and share them with the class during small group or circle time. Read the book “Verdi” by Janell Cannon to the class. Story time is the perfect opportunity to reinforce basic facts about snakes such as all snakes are reptiles and all snakes have scales, a forked tongue and how the snake has the ability to open its mouth larger than its head.

3. Provide each child with a paper plate, safety scissors, crayons, markers, glitter and a pair of googly eyes. Show the children how to use the scissors to cute the paper plate in a circle by starting at one edge and ending in the middle of the plate. You can then allow the students to decorate their snakes with the arts and crafts material.

4. You can teach the kindergarten students in your classroom about snakes by discussing how different types of snakes have different patterns by making cards placing snake stickers on poster board or card stock. Ask the children to turn the cards face down on their desk or table and find its match in a fun memory game.

5. Make play dough by combining 3 cups flour, 1 cup water, 1 cup salt and 1 tbsp. vegetable oil. In a large bowl. Add bright green food coloring and knead the ingredients together until smooth. The children can use the play dough to create their own snakes. This is the perfect time to join the students at the art table and discuss the fact that snakes have no legs, but use their muscles to move their bodies around.

6. Provide a snake skin for the children to examine. Use this opportunity to explain to the class that snakes shed their skin by rubbing their body against a rough surface to remove the old skin.

Tips & Warnings

• Decorate your classroom with posters of snakes and other reptiles.