Activity 3: Frog Metamorphosis
Part of World of Wonder
Activity time: 20 minutes
Preparation for Activity
- Designate a large space, preferably outdoors.
- Communicate to families that children should come dressed for outdoor fun (in clothes that can get dirty).
- Practice the body motions so you can demonstrate them for the children.
Description of Activity
Participants act out the life cycle of a frog.
Gather the children in a circle. Tell them that they are going to become frogs today. Ask if they know what a frog is when it starts life and where frogs are usually found. Usually someone will know that frogs start as eggs in a pond; some will say a tadpole.
Say in these words or your own:
Now we are ready to become frogs. Follow me and do what I do.
Frogs start as a tiny glistening egg placed in the pond by a mama frog. [Crouch down in a ball.]
The glistening eggs hatch into little tiny tadpoles.
[Rise part of the way up, but stay halfway bent over.]
We tadpoles swim quickly around, darting here and there in the pond looking for food.
[Put two hands together and point them from the lower back like a tadpole tail.]
What's next? We become froglets when our legs begin to grow.
[Put hands along the hips and out to back for back legs then put hands in along ribcage near the shoulders for front legs.].
Froglets still have a tail, but it's getting shorter and shorter. As we become grown-up frogs, we will be able to travel on land. I think you know how frogs move around on land-show me!
[Crouch down again and hop onto land and all around.]
Some frogs live on mainly on land and some still live in the pond, but all frogs are always looking for a tasty mea-l-mosquitoes and other good things to eat.
[Stick out tongues to catch mosquitos.] Glump!
Now, let's hear from our chorus of frogs!
[Invite children to make frog sounds.]
As time and interest allow, repeat the process of metamorphosis.