Pond Explorers

Exploring a world beneath the lily pads

During my little hiatus, our family decided that we are going to homeschool. I am so excited to get back to teaching and to embrace the creativity, outdoor time, and family adventures that come with learning together. As we settle into this new season, I hope to share some of the activities we're enjoying along the way.

We begin this week as Pond Explorers. Some of our greatest family memories surround the pond at our campground, so it felt like the perfect place to start. Over the next few weeks, we'll be digging a little deeper into pond life, discovering the creatures within it, and recording our findings through drawing, writing, and hands-on activities.

Pond Activities

• Observe a nearby pond and how it changes morning to night

• Make a simple map of a pond

• Start a nature journal

• Study frog lifecycle stages

• Measure or sort sticks, rocks, and leaves by size

• Pond sensory bin with chia seeds slime

• Lots of read-alouds!

• Learn basic pond food chains

• Build a shoebox pond habitat diorama

• Predict and test floating objects

• Study Monet and paint lily pads

Books We’re Reading

• In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming

• Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner

• Frog and Toad are Friends by by Arnold Lobel

• A Frog Thing by Eric Drachman

Pond Activities

Pond Sensory Bin

• Chia Seeds

• Water

• Food Dye (optional)

• Pond Toys (we used frogs, turtles, and lily pads)

Making Chia Seed Slime:

• Add 1/4 cup chia seeds to 2 cups of water

• Add food coloring to the water (optional)

• Mix well, cover, and place in fridge overnight

Frog Catching

There's nothing more exciting and hopeful than a kid carrying a net and a bucket, scanning the waters edge for frogs. Catching frogs has been a yearly tradition since I was a kid myself, and now my kids look for frogs every chance they get. Somehow, finding and catching a frog holds the same excitement every single time.

If you do catch a frog, your hands should actually be dirty. Soap, sunscreen, bug spray, and other residues left on clean hands can be harmful to frogs. Wetting your hands with pond water before handling a frog can help protect these small creatures that create some of childhood's biggest memories.

Read & Write

We borrowed our books from our local library, and I highly recommend seeing what your own library has to offer. Ours hosts so many wonderful activities for children throughout the year, and my kids love picking out a fresh stack of books each week.

We recently started nature journals and watercolor sketchbooks, and they have been a huge hit. The kids can draw, write, and record what they observe as they explore. By the end of the season, they'll have a collection of memories, discoveries, and artwork to look back on for years to come.