Toad Villas
Ages 3 and up (30-45 minute session)
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Objectives:
- To learn about the benefits of toads and frogs and in our garden.
- To encourage their occupancy in our garden.
Can be used in conjunction with lesson” A Dirty Job”.
Materials:
- Clay pots – preferably broken in half.
- Live toads to look at, or great pictures of them.
- Or clay soil and grass clippings to make adobe houses.
Set up:
If doing adobe houses Follow the directions from section 2, A Dirty Job.
Part One:
Read a book about toads to the children (see list of books below), discuss their needs, likes and dislikes.
Part Two:
Go on a toad-hunting expedition in the garden, or show children some toads you found previously. Children can hold the toads if they want, making sure that they are gentle. Talk about what toads are doing in the garden. Ask how they think we can make sure the toads stay in the garden. Introduce the idea of making the toads a home.
Part Three:
Have fun making the toad houses with the children. Have them help you place the houses in the garden, creating a nice shady shelter for the toads. Place a source of water near the house for the toads. A shallow container can be buried and filled up with water to make a shallow pond. Check it often throughout the summer, changing the water at least weekly so mosquitos don’t take up residence in it.
Questions to ask:
- How are toads different from frogs? Toads generally have dry, bumpy skin and live on land, while most frogs have moist, smooth skin and live in or near water. Toads have stubby bodies with short hind legs. They walk rather than hop. Frogs are skinny and have long legs. They have strong, webbed hind feet for leaping and swimming.
- Do toads croak? Yes, both toads and frogs have distinctive songs. That’s how they call the females.
Great books to read:
Frogs and Toads, Bobbie Kalman and Tammy Everts, Crabtree Publishing Co. 1994; From Tadpole to Frog, Wendy Pfeffer and Holly Keller, Harper Collins Pub. 1994.
For a children’s website on frogs, including pictures and sounds, visit http://www.pca.state.mn.us/kids/frogsforkids.html; for answers to frog questions visit http://cgee.hamline.edu/frogs/science/faq1.html#life
