Frog

Source:

Wee Green Fingers fun pack

Templates for a similar activities are also available in Nature Detectives – Environmental games and activities (NTS/SNH publication); also those suitable for older children.

Did you know?

Frogs are also called ‘puddocks’ in Scotland

Before the activity

Visit a pond through the spring and summer. Watch the frogspawn develop into tadpoles and the tadpoles into frogs. You may find toad eggs too!

Read Fred and the Frog (see Download section) or other appropriate stories.

The activity is most meaningful outside, or when exploring the frog’s natural habitat. If you don’t have access to this, ask the children to designate an area outside where they can pretend there is a pond. Think where a pond would be in your space outside – look where puddles gather.

Add props like coloured cloth, or leaves and bark, and tubs of water for the different stages. A long rope can be fashioned by the children to make a ‘pond’. Laminated images of a frog’s life cycle stages.

The activity

Can you be a Frog?

Getting About

As the weather warms in spring, frogs wake from winter sleep and hop towards water. (children hop)

Where are they?

Look in damp places on warm spring or summer evenings. Listen to them (cup ears). What are they saying? (children croak) They are trying to find each other (children gather together)

In the water

Frogs lay their eggs which sticks together in jelly called frogspawn (children splash their hands in the water, then huddle together)

The frogs eggs turn into tadpoles

Tadpoles wiggle about in the water with their tails, feeding on plants, then animal food (children hold their arms by their sides and wiggle in groups together)

The tadpoles develop

Tadpoles grow back legs, the front legs (children move their legs, then arms) and then lose their tail and hop out of the water and onto land to find food (children hop out)

Tadpoles have to be careful!

Hunters like herons will snap up any little frogs – look out! (pretend to chase the hopping children)

Keeping safe

Frogs are difficult to see during the day because they are coloured like the grass, leaves and earth in which they hide (children wrap themselves in green and brown cloths, crouch down among plants, grass, bark)

Suggested follow-up

Read the poem on the Frog Card in the Wee Green Fingers fun pack.

Garden for frogs:

Frogs like damp shady places and need places to hibernate in winter. Holes and crevices under sheds, in stick piles and compost heaps can all be used by frogs. Can you develop frog friendly places in your outdoor space? Even a small tub of water with some wildlife friendly plants can attract frogs in the spring and be a magnet for all sorts of other water loving wildlife. This can be covered with mesh to keep very young children safe.

Downloads

Fred and the Frog – a fun story with an environmental message. that children can act out as the story unfolds. Download from Wild About Play

Wee Green Fingers fun pack