Wildlife Tag
Themed Outdoor Classroom Activities
The Alabama Wildlife Federation's "Themed" Outdoor Classroom Activities include fun, hands-on activities about
Songbirds | Butterflies | Aquatic Habitats | Forest Habitats | Other Wildlife
Click on the Activity Name below to download a PDF of the activity.
Songbird Activities
Watch the Birdie (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-2
Students make pretend binoculars and take a bird watching walk in your outdoor classroom site.
Birds are Everywhere (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-5
Students explore your outdoor classroom’s wild bird habitat for evidence of birds and other wildlife.
Fill the Bill (3 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-8
Students participate in activity stations that demonstrate how different types of beaks help birds eat specific types of food, and then they observe birds and the different types of beaks in your outdoor classroom’s wild bird habitat.
Adapt a Bird (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-8
Students observe birds’ beaks and feet in your outdoor classroom site, and they they will create a new bird species using adaptations of birds.
Birding Lane (3 page pdf) | Grade Level: 6-8
Students test their skills at observing and identifying birds in wild bird habitats as they take a stroll along “Birding Lane” in your outdoor classroom.
Songbird Survey (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: 9-12
Students use bird-counting techniques to conduct an inventory of bird populations as they explore your outdoor classroom site.
Butterfly Activities
Pasta Butterfly (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-2
Students listen to a story abou tthe life cycle of the butterfly, act out the life cycle stages, look for the life cycle stages in your outdoor classroom, and create the life cycle stages on paper plates using pasta and markers.
Butterfly Book (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-5
Students create a butterfly book where they will keep a journal of their observations in the butterfly garden in your outdoor classroom site.
How Many Butterflies (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-5
Students become "butterflies" as they look for one or more components of butterfly habitat in your outdoor classroom site during this physically-involved activity.
Butterflies without Borders (3 page pdf) | Grade Level: 6-8
Students observe butterflies in your outdoor classroom site while searching for monarch butterflies, track the migration path of the monarch, and send a "Symbolic Monarch Butterfly" and letter to students in Mexico.
Bloomin Butterflies (7 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-12
Students collect butterfly eggs or caterpillars in your outdoor classroom, rear them indoors, and then release the adult butterflies in the outdoor classroom site.
Butterfly Gardening (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-12
Students will design and build a butterfly garden for your outdoor classroom site.
Aquatic Habitat Activities
Life in the Pond (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-5
Students observe a local pond or aquatic ecosystem, and study the wildlife that utilizes the pond/aquatic ecosystem for its habitat.
Big Fish, Little Fish (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-12
Students will learn first-hand about predator-prey relationships in an aquatic ecosystem as they pretend to be bass (predators) and bream (prey) in this physical activity that highlights the energy flow in a food chain.
Water Words (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-12
Students will create a list of words that name or describe water and then use these words as they write about water.
Mesh Bag Collector (1 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-12
Students construct a mesh bag that provides an underwater habitat for macroinvertebrates to colonize, and then the students analyze the types and quantity of macroinvertebrates to determine the water quality of the aquatic ecosystem.
Forest Habitat Activities
Seed Necklace (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-3
Students will collect a variety of seeds and then use them to create a seed necklace.
Leaf Creatures (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-4
Students learning about different types of trees as they collect a variety of fall leaves in different colors and shapes. Once they have collected the leaves, they use their imagination to create a variety of animal shapes from the leaves.
Forest Floor Investigation (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-7
While exploring the forest floor, the students will learn about the various organisms that live in and under the leaf litter, including a variety of decomposers.
Colors to Dye for! (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: 4-12
Students will: 1) learn how boiling ruptures plant cells; releasing the color pigments held inside; 2) examine how the amount of time a piece of cloth is left in the colored pigment affects the shade of color created; and 3) experiment with a variety of plant materials to see what colors they can create.
Leaf Chromatography (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: 5-12
Students will 1) experiment with plant pigments and try to separate them using chromatography , and 2) discover that the colors we see can contain other colors
Other Wildlife Activities
Alabama Wildlife Art Contest (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-7
Students will (1) research a wildlife species that is native to Alabama, (2) learn about the characteristics, natural history, and habitat requirements for that wildlife species, (3) determine if that species could use the school’s grounds or outdoor classroom area for its habitat, and (4) depict that species in its habitat in a piece of artwork.
Itsy Bitsy Spider (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-7
Students will 1) learn the differences between an insect and a spider; 2) observe how a spider spins a web and the daily upkeep that the spider performs; 3) observe the predator and prey relationship as they feed the spider insects that they collect; and 4) record their observations regarding the spider and its behavior over a period of several days to weeks .
Songbirds | Butterflies | Aquatic Habitats | Forest Habitats | Other Wildlife
Click on the Activity Name below to download a PDF of the activity.
Songbird Activities
Watch the Birdie (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-2
Students make pretend binoculars and take a bird watching walk in your outdoor classroom site.
Birds are Everywhere (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-5
Students explore your outdoor classroom’s wild bird habitat for evidence of birds and other wildlife.
Fill the Bill (3 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-8
Students participate in activity stations that demonstrate how different types of beaks help birds eat specific types of food, and then they observe birds and the different types of beaks in your outdoor classroom’s wild bird habitat.
Adapt a Bird (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-8
Students observe birds’ beaks and feet in your outdoor classroom site, and they they will create a new bird species using adaptations of birds.
Birding Lane (3 page pdf) | Grade Level: 6-8
Students test their skills at observing and identifying birds in wild bird habitats as they take a stroll along “Birding Lane” in your outdoor classroom.
Songbird Survey (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: 9-12
Students use bird-counting techniques to conduct an inventory of bird populations as they explore your outdoor classroom site.
Butterfly Activities
Pasta Butterfly (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-2
Students listen to a story abou tthe life cycle of the butterfly, act out the life cycle stages, look for the life cycle stages in your outdoor classroom, and create the life cycle stages on paper plates using pasta and markers.
Butterfly Book (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-5
Students create a butterfly book where they will keep a journal of their observations in the butterfly garden in your outdoor classroom site.
How Many Butterflies (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-5
Students become "butterflies" as they look for one or more components of butterfly habitat in your outdoor classroom site during this physically-involved activity.
Butterflies without Borders (3 page pdf) | Grade Level: 6-8
Students observe butterflies in your outdoor classroom site while searching for monarch butterflies, track the migration path of the monarch, and send a "Symbolic Monarch Butterfly" and letter to students in Mexico.
Bloomin Butterflies (7 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-12
Students collect butterfly eggs or caterpillars in your outdoor classroom, rear them indoors, and then release the adult butterflies in the outdoor classroom site.
Butterfly Gardening (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-12
Students will design and build a butterfly garden for your outdoor classroom site.
Aquatic Habitat Activities
Life in the Pond (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-5
Students observe a local pond or aquatic ecosystem, and study the wildlife that utilizes the pond/aquatic ecosystem for its habitat.
Big Fish, Little Fish (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-12
Students will learn first-hand about predator-prey relationships in an aquatic ecosystem as they pretend to be bass (predators) and bream (prey) in this physical activity that highlights the energy flow in a food chain.
Water Words (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-12
Students will create a list of words that name or describe water and then use these words as they write about water.
Mesh Bag Collector (1 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-12
Students construct a mesh bag that provides an underwater habitat for macroinvertebrates to colonize, and then the students analyze the types and quantity of macroinvertebrates to determine the water quality of the aquatic ecosystem.
Forest Habitat Activities
Seed Necklace (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-3
Students will collect a variety of seeds and then use them to create a seed necklace.
Leaf Creatures (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-4
Students learning about different types of trees as they collect a variety of fall leaves in different colors and shapes. Once they have collected the leaves, they use their imagination to create a variety of animal shapes from the leaves.
Forest Floor Investigation (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-7
While exploring the forest floor, the students will learn about the various organisms that live in and under the leaf litter, including a variety of decomposers.
Colors to Dye for! (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: 4-12
Students will: 1) learn how boiling ruptures plant cells; releasing the color pigments held inside; 2) examine how the amount of time a piece of cloth is left in the colored pigment affects the shade of color created; and 3) experiment with a variety of plant materials to see what colors they can create.
Leaf Chromatography (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: 5-12
Students will 1) experiment with plant pigments and try to separate them using chromatography , and 2) discover that the colors we see can contain other colors
Other Wildlife Activities
Alabama Wildlife Art Contest (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-7
Students will (1) research a wildlife species that is native to Alabama, (2) learn about the characteristics, natural history, and habitat requirements for that wildlife species, (3) determine if that species could use the school’s grounds or outdoor classroom area for its habitat, and (4) depict that species in its habitat in a piece of artwork.
Itsy Bitsy Spider (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-7
Students will 1) learn the differences between an insect and a spider; 2) observe how a spider spins a web and the daily upkeep that the spider performs; 3) observe the predator and prey relationship as they feed the spider insects that they collect; and 4) record their observations regarding the spider and its behavior over a period of several days to weeks .