Amazing Animals 2 Part 2
The fun continues with Day 2 of Amazing Animals Week! Today we’ll have a sleepover with Dinosaur Train, do a challenge under the night sky, read a book about a little owl, and pretend to be nocturnal animals.
Watch Together
In this episode of Dinosaur Train, (Season 1, Episode 30: “Tank’s Sleep Over”), Tank feels a little nervous about sleeping when he spends the night with the Pteranodon family. After watching, you might ask your child:
Why do you think Tank didn’t sleep in the Pteranodon nest?
Why did Tank really want to stay up all night?
How did everyone help Tank feel better when he was feeling homesick?
Do you think Tank will feel as nervous at the next sleepover?
Watch the episode here.
Under the Night Sky Challenge
Staying up at night can be fun! Some creatures stay up at night and sleep during the day. We call these creatures “nocturnal.” This challenge invites you to act nocturnal- just for a little while. Wait until the sun sets and then grab a flashlight, and head outside with a grown up!
Download the activity here.
Cuddle Up and Read
Do you have any books about animals or nighttime? Invite your child to choose one to read. Or, watch this read-aloud of Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan.
Read along to the story here.
Nocturnal Animal Game
This game will not only get your kiddo moving, it’s also a great way to help them practice the concept of opposites!
Invite your child to choose a nocturnal animal he would like to be, such as a skunk, bat, owl, or something else.
Explain that since he is a nocturnal animal, he will sleep during the day and wake up at night.
Demonstrate “day” by turning on a light and “night” by turning it off. Your child will pretend to sleep when the lights are on and get up and move around/fly/hunt when they are off. (He may need a reminder or two since this is the opposite of what usually happens! This will likely result in lots of giggles.)
Play the game, turning on the light for a minute or so and saying “good morning!” and then turning it off, saying “good night!”
Extend the game by having your child switch roles and pretend to be a diurnal animal, (an animal who is awake during the day). Or, if you have multiple players, some children could be nocturnal animals while others are diurnal.
Coming Up Next…
Amazing Animals Week wraps up with Word Party and a book about gorillas!