Use finger paint to create colorful butterflies.
Preschool-aged children are eager to learn about the world around them. Presenting children with opportunities to explore the vast ecosystems that make up our world helps them develop an appreciation for the environment. If you are a preschool educator, incorporate hands-on projects to teach your students about the animals and plant life of the rainforest.
Paper Towel Tube Trees
Trees are an important part of the rainforest and this project enables children to make their own renditions of rainforest trees. Provide children with empty paper towel tubes and instruct them to paint the tubes green. Set the tubes aside to dry and give children leaf-shaped print-outs to color and cut out. Once the painted tubes have dried, help your students staple the leaves to the tops of them, transforming the tubes into trees.
Feathery Parrots
The rainforest is home to several species of parrots. After discussing parrots, have your students create feathery paper parrot crafts. Print out black and white images of parrots and instruct children to color them with brightly colored markers. After they color the parrots, set out a bin of colorful feathers and help children glue feathers onto the bodies of their parrots.
Coiled Snakes
Use clay to create sculptures of coiled snakes. Set out different colors of clay and invite children to select a color to use. Have children use a rolling pin to flatten out the clay. Once the clay has been flattened, show them how to roll it into a snake. Turn the long snakes into coiled snakes by wrapping the clay in a circular motion so that the material piles up on top of itself, creating the look of a coiled snake. Set the coiled clay snakes aside to dry.
Handprint Butterflies
Use children's hand prints to create colorful butterflies. Paint along the outside of one of each child's hands and pinkies with black finger paint and instruct him to press it onto a piece of paper. This print serves as the body of a butterfly. Next, the children each select a color finger paint to use for the wings of the butterflies. Instruct them to dip their hands into the finger paint they have chosen and to press their hand prints, with their fingers closed, on either side of the butterfly body -- they should press two hand prints on each side of body, creating wings for the insects. Once the wings are made, have them dip their fingertips in different colors of finger paints and press their prints onto the wings to create different patterns.
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