We enjoyed a ssssensational lesson about reptiles today! We compared the look and feel of different reptiles with our ball python and turtle guests. During craft time we got to make our own snakes out of clay. Luckily we avoided the rain and were able to enjoy our nature walk outside!
Alley Pond Pioneers explored desert environments today and got to meet an animal that is well adapted for arid climates. Meeting Rosie, our Chilean Rose Tarantula, was certainly a thrilling experience! Did you know tarantulas turn their prey into a smoothie before they eat it?! It's true! And their fuzzy abdomen - that's actually a crucial defense mechanism that helps them avoid predators because, yes, there are animals that eat tarantulas! We wrapped up the day by making a DIY cactus out of some rocks, glue, and paint. All the fun of having a cactus, minus the spines!
Beautiful birds! That's what our littlest scientists learned about in today's Kindergarten Kids. We explored all the different types of feathers or, plumage, that different birds could have and played a beak matching game! Could you figure out which beak belongs to which bird? We also compared various bird skulls and compared the structure of each beak, just like a true ornithologist. Live animal guests included the ring-necked dove and quail. NYC parks get A LOT of migrating birds so we helped them out by making recycled bird feeders. Food is important to all living things and gives our feathered friends the energy to fly! While on our nature walk, we used our eagle eyes to look for birds in the park - there were so many up in the treetops!
What does the fox say?! Well, we don't know but, we DO know what they eat, how they walk, and that they live here in NYC! Yes - our summer science kids continued learning about urban wildlife with Ms. Karen and focused on the Red Fox. Children analyzed skull models, identified tracks, and learned about the fox's life history through a series of fun activities. We went on a walk through the park in search of clues that a Red Fox may have been around. These animals are very wary of humans and that makes them very difficult to spot. Fresh winter snow is a good place to find fox tracks. What amazing wildlife we have in our backyard!
Happy Monday! Today was kind of 'nutty' for our summer science kids! They kicked off a week of urban wildlife by learning about an animal most of us see daily - the squirrel! These adorable, if we do say so ourselves, rodents are an essential part of natural areas in NYC and do their part in planting trees by burying nuts and seeds to feed on throughout the winter. These fluff-balls are forgetful and the seeds that are not eaten often germinate and GROW! A lesser known fact is that squirrels make nests called dreys in treetops. Though they are hard to spot amongst the summer foliage, look for their leafy nests on your next autumn nature walk! We can't wait to see what's in store for tomorrow!
Hello families! We are so excited to have all of you spending your summers with APEC! This blog will be your go-to spot for updates on our Summer SENSES programs. We will post daily photos of all the fun the kiddos are having and include descriptions of the day's activities. You can navigate each week's updates using the Categories menu on this page.
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