Snail Life Cycle
LESSON 4
Children explore the lifecycle of snails through observation, and hands-on creative activities.
The book “Are you a Snail?” by Judy Allen and Tudor Humpries
Materials for activity of choice—see activity flow for ideas.
Optional:
Snail life cycle figurines
Materials
Preparations
Gather materials for activity of choice and prepare a suitable space.
Facilitate activities that help children observe and understand the stages of a snail's life cycle.
Encourage imaginative play and role-playing to deepen children's comprehension of the snail's life cycle.
Provide materials and guidance for creative art projects.
Set up and supervise sensory play experiences, promoting hands-on learning.
Support language development and sequencing skills by helping children create and share their own stories about the snail's life cycle.
Objectives for Teachers
Children observe and recall the parts of a snail.
Children engage in imaginative play by acting out the different stages of a snail's life cycle.
Children create art projects representing the stages of a snail's life cycle using various materials.
Children develop sensory and fine motor skills through sensory play activities.
Children enhance language and sequencing skills by creating and sharing stories about the snail's life cycle using story cards and felt boards.
Objectives for Children
Collect and Connect
Create actions and practice saying the poem “Snail Shells” together.
Snail Shells
A curly suit of armor,
That’s the snail’s spiral shell.
It protects the snail from drying out,
From hungry mouths as well.
A shell is like a caravan,
It allows the snail to roam.
But if you take one from the garden,
It will find its way back home!
Activity Flow
Begin by observing your pet snail and reviewing the parts of snail learned in the previous lesson. Then find a comfortable place to sit down and revisit the book “Are you a Snail?” by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries. Ask a few questions to see what your child remembers from the story.
Do you remember how snails begin their life?
What makes the snail grow?
How are snails like humans?
How are snails different from humans?
2. Next, tell your child that today you will be exploring the lifecycle of snails. Choose one or more of the activities below to learn about the snail's lifecycle. Refer to the book as needed to help with understanding.
Lifecycle Role-Playing
Materials: Costumes or simple props representing different stages of the snail's life cycle (egg, baby snail, adult snail).
Activity: Children can act out the stages of a snail's life cycle. Provide simple prompts and let them create their own stories and movements for each stage. This encourages imaginative play and a deeper understanding of the lifecycle.
Snail Life Cycle Art
Materials: Various art supplies like clay, paints, paper, natural materials (leaves, twigs).
Activity: Children can create representations of the different stages of a snail's life cycle using the materials provided. They can make eggs from clay, paint baby snails, and construct adult snails from leaves and twigs. Encourage them to explain their creations and the stages they represent.
Lifecycle Sensory Play
Materials: A large bin, soil, small plastic eggs, toy snails, and natural materials.
Activity: Create a sensory experience indoors or outdoors that represents a snail’s habitat. Bury plastic eggs in the soil to represent snail eggs. Children can dig, discover, and role-play the hatching process and growth of snails. Encourage open-ended play as they practice new knowledge.
Lifecycle Story Time
Materials: Picture books or story cards about the life cycle of snails.
Activity: Read stories about snails and their life cycles. After reading, let children create their own stories using story cards that depict each stage of the life cycle. This activity promotes language development and sequencing skills.
Lifecycle Felt Board
Materials: Felt board, felt pieces representing different stages of the snail life cycle.
Activity: Children can use felt pieces to create and recreate the stages of a snail's life cycle on a felt board. This allows for interactive storytelling and helps them visually understand the progression of the life cycle.
