Frogs and Herons

Source:

Grampian NNR's Activity Guide (SNH)

Time

10 - 20 minutes

You will need

• blue rope to represent a pond
• frog badges for children (optional)
• photo of a heron

Did you know?

Frogs have lots of predators besides herons. Cats, badgers, crows, blackbirds, hedgehogs, buzzards, pine martens, stoats, weasels, kestrels, owls and foxes all eat frogs. Frogs eat flies and other insects and also slugs and snails.

Before the activity

Visit a wet area or pond with the children to look for frogs, tadpoles and/or tiny newly emerged adult fogs (froglets). Your local ranger or reserve warden may  be able to give help or advice. You may also find toads and newts, and see a heron too!

Play the Frog game

The activity

Use the blue rope to show the edge of the pond. Give each child a frog badge and explain that they are the "frogs" trying to get down to the pond so that they can lay their eggs in the water. Decide which child (or leader) will be the "heron".

Play 'grandmother's footsteps', with the "heron" trying to 'catch' the "frogs". Caught frogs become extra herons.

Suggested Follow up

Read poems about frogs

Discuss what tadpoles eat and what eats tadpoles. Discuss what eats little froglets and what little froglets eat. Discuss what eats big frogs and what big frogs eat

Downloads

Find out more about herons and frogs

Additional Information

Both  frogs and toads hibernate in the winter. They find damp, safe hidey holes either at the bottom of muddy ponds or under logs, roots or buildings or under the earth in old burrows, in which to pass the winter. In the Spring they head towards water. The males croak to attract females. Frogs breed and lay eggs in ditches and shallow ponds. 

Curriculum Links

Science - main

Age Range

1. Pre-school / Nursery

2. Primary