Going Down to the Frog Pond

Photo Credit: Dick, Jane and Sally Go Down to the Frog Pond
on Flickr, Creative Commons.

There is nothing that children like more than to head down to the frog pond. We bring clear plastic jars, fish nets, eye droppers, magnifying glasses and guidebooks. We run and sing frog songs as we go but when we are approaching the pond we begin to tiptoe, hush our voices and look all around.

Sometimes we only see water striders on the surface and minnows swimming near the edge. But on special days we have seen wood ducks with their ducklings, tadpoles by the thousands and bullfrogs puffing out their throats calling out their deep-voiced Chug-a-rum!

We scoop up jars of water, catch a minnow or tadpole, sit down on the bank and start to observe. No matter how many times we go down to the frog pond there is something new to see. By careful observation we discover something we have never seen before.

That is the time that we begin to record our observations. We take photos with the digital camera, make carefully detailed drawings and write a through and detailed report of what we have seen.

These recordings are later made into books, poems, calendars, or card games so that we can share our information with others.

What do you do when you go down to the frog pond?

For lots more froggy activities go to Frog Unit Study