Animal Tracks & Signs (particularly in winter)

The children became (winter) nature detectives this week and we discussed some of the signs that we might see in our own backyards that tell us animals have been around during the winter.  We talked about seeing animal tracks in the snow and some other signs such as feathers, fur, scat, bones, holes and burrows, claw marks,  spider webs, nests, claw marks, etc.  We also discussed some of the sounds we hear in nature that tell us if an animal is nearby.  We talked about what we can learn from these sights and sounds.

We identified the following tracks...

We made our own tracks!

Here are several of the books I had available for the children to look at, or that we read together:

Other fun books I suggest:

How to be a Nature Detective by Millicent Selsam

Tracks, Scats, and Signs by Leslie Dendy

Whose Tracks are These? by James Nail

Ewww! Critter Litter  See what animals leave behind by Stan Tekiela

Animal Tracks & Signs by Jinny Johnson