reptiles

Green Huntsman Spider Activities

October 23, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Get to know the webless green huntsman spider through crafts and sensory play activities. Free printable included.

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Do all spiders spin webs? And are they all black and brown? Well, the Green Huntsman Spider doesn’t fit this typical mold at all. But its unique look and habits are fascinating and can be readily explored by early learners in spider activities involving sensory and art.

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10 Green Huntsman Spider Facts

Indigenous to northern and central parts of Europe, green huntsman spiders live in forest edges and damp woodlands.
A clutch of green huntsman spider eggs is protected in a few leaves stitched together.
40 – 50 spiderlings hatch in about four weeks after the eggs are laid.
The tiny spiderlings are yellowish-brown, and turn green in 18 months.
Eight eyes arranged in an oval shape help green huntsman spiders see.
These showy spiders eat small insects and other invertebrates.
To catch their food, they wait for their prey to come by, and then pounce on it!
Predators of this unique spider are geckoes, birds, wasps, flies, and nematode worms.
The green spiders are camouflaged against leaves, so predators and prey cannot see them.
Green huntsman spiders can live up to two years in age.

An oh-so-green spider sensory tray featuring green huntsman spiders.

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Spider Activities

Green Huntsman Spider Sensory Tray

Gather the following supplies for a spidery sensory tray with no web required.

green spider
green spider cupcake toppers
tiny black spiders
green leaves
small logs
wood slices
rocks
green marbles
spinach noodles
metal tray or plastic tub
gold acrylic paint

Loose parts to collect for a green huntsman spider sensory tray.

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Break up spinach noodles into small pieces and spread out on the bottom of the tray or tub. Add leaves, logs, wood slices, and rocks. Pick a spot to set the marble “eggs.” Put in the green spider and/or green spider cupcake toppers. If using cupcake toppers, snap off the toothpicks and make sure there are no sharp edges.

Paint the tiny black spiders with gold acrylic craft paint to represent the spiderlings. The acrylic paint will adhere quickly. When dry, add them to the sensory tray.

Green huntsman spider-inspired sensory tray using spinach noodles as a base.

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Tip: Split peas or shredded green paper can be used instead of spinach noodles for the base.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Playdough Green Huntsman Spider

Sculpt a green huntsman spider with the best playdough recipe.

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Make a batch of your favorite playdough and color it green. A basic playdough recipe with green food coloring added works well for this activity.

Invite your early learner to mold some dough into a squished circle or oval. Then your little one can add eight googly eyes to the dough.

Cut three green pipe cleaners into thirds. Invite your little learner to add eight pipe cleaner legs to the plump spider.

Sculpt a green huntsman spider including it's eight eyes!

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Green Huntsman Spider Craft

Craft a paper green huntsman spider. The spider won't need a web to be displayed!

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Download this template to make a green paper spider. Printing onto cardstock paper works best, but you can also use regular copy paper.

Spider template to cut out and assemble into a green huntsman spider, or to use as a pattern to craft spiders in colors of choice.

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Spider Template PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Invite your early learner to cut out all the circles. Then have your little one glue the smaller circles to the large green circle to make a cute face. Help your child glue or tape on pipe cleaner legs.

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Tip: Cutting pipe cleaners into thirds works well for this spider craft.

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Spiders In All Colors

After assembling a green spider, your little learner may have fun creating spiders in other colors. Download the template and use the pieces as a pattern for cutting shapes from cardstock paper shades of choice. Have your early learner cut and assemble the circles into bodies of spiders, and add matching or complementary hued pipe cleaner legs.

Craft cheery spiders in your favorite colors. Grab your free template.

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The spiders could be hung from strings to provide colorful room decorations.

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And finally, you could invite your little one to craft a black and grey spider. Print the above template in black and white. Use black pipe cleaner legs.

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Reptile Theme Activities

May 4, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky 7 Comments

Reptile-themed art. science, small world, and pretend play activities for early learners. Topics include snakes, turtles, and lizards.

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A Reptile Theme is THE WAY to encourage early learners to get more comfortable with animals such as snakes, lizards, and turtles. Little ones often have a fear of these animals, partly because of how they get depicted on television. Hands-on activities alleviate fear and encourage an interest in learning more about these creatures.

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Reptile Pet Store

An effective way to introduce a reptile theme is to set up a pet store pretend play center. Collect the following and display them on shelves and tables gathered for the store:

snake. lizard, turtle, frog, and insect figurines
baskets and cages
cash register and play money

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Reptile Store pretend play center. Snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, and insects for sale.

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At first, your early learners may say they are afraid of animals such as snakes, lizards, and turtles. But after playing in the store and organizing, buying, and selling the animal figurines, they will warm up to them.

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Geometric Shape Snake Craft

Geometric shapes snake craft suitable for all ages.

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Cut out large, winding snakes from 12-inch x 18-inch pieces of construction paper.

Paper punch circles, squares, triangles, ovals, stars, and hexagons from bright colored cardstock.

Ask your little learners to use glue sticks to attach shapes to the snakes. Offer tiny sticker eyes for a finishing touch.

Purchased sticker foam shapes would also work well for this craft.

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Mounted together, these snakes make a dynamic display.

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Beaded Snakes

Early learners love using craft supplies like pony beads.

Offer pipe cleaners and a variety of pony bead colors.

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Invite your early learners to string bead colors of choice on the pipe cleaners. Wrap the ends around the first beads so the rest will stay in place. Ask your little ones to stop stringing beads about 4 cm from the other end of the pipe cleaners.

Set the snakes aside and add beads to make the snake heads. Glue on tiny craft eyes.

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Pony bead snake replica of a sedge viper.

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Showing photos of real snakes and discussing their colors and patterns encourages little learners to bead a patterned snake of their own.

Pony bead replicas of a sedge viper, butter corn snake, and Arizona mountain kingsnake.

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Painted Turtle And Lizard

Set out this two-ingredient taste-safe paint in red, green, yellow, and blue colors.

You will need: white corn syrup and food coloring.

Pour corn syrup into paint containers. Stir in a little food coloring. Add a paintbrush to each color.

Cut out cardstock lizards and turtles. Feel free to download the turtle printable below.

Allow your little learners to paint them.

Lizard decorated with taste-safe paint. An all-ages craft.

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Turtle decorated with taste safe paint. An all-ages art activity.

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Turtle template for art and craft activities.

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Turtle PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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This craft needs generous time to dry. It also looks stunning displayed.

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Reptile Sensory Tub

Reptile small world with snakes and lizards, and animals they feed on.

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This sensory tub is sure to delight your little ones. It includes:

leaves and a play grass base
rocks and wooden pieces
snake, lizard, frog, and insect figurines

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Wildlife Worker Photo Op

Hang up a treed party backdrop and set up a table with hats, snakes, and lizards nearby. Ask your little learners to pick a few props and stand against the backdrop. Take lots of photos.

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Wildlife Worker Prop Box

Use the photo op props shown above, and add eggs, gloves, binoculars, and pails. Set all items in a prop box for your early learners to use during play.

Reptile-themed prop box toys for pretend play.

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Family Night

An epic way to end the Reptile theme is to plan a potluck supper family night:

Display art projects on the walls.
Create a spot for a Wildlife Worker Photo Op.
Set out Snakes And Ladders-themed paper placemats, dice, and game chips on the dinner tables.
Assemble plants and beaded snakes in vases for table decor.

Pony bead replica of a burrowing asp snake used in table decor.

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Enjoy a potluck meal together.
Hire a guest to give a live animal presentation (that includes a snake and lizard) afterward. Having explored the topic of reptiles in a variety of ways, early learners are more receptive to being near live ones.

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Locally, Butterfly Wings n’ Wishes gives wonderful animal presentations.

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This reptile theme allows children to participate in engaging, non-threatening activities that help them gain knowledge about snakes, lizards, and turtles. As a result, they value these animals more.

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Reptile Egg Science

September 10, 2019 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Animal eggs come in different colors, shapes, sizes, and shell textures. Bird eggs feel hard. Snakes and many turtles lay soft-shelled eggs with a rubbery feel. Snake eggs are usually oval; turtle eggs are round to slightly oblong.

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Make A Reptile Egg

Here’s an easy-to-do Science experiment to transform an unshelled, boiled egg into a rubbery reptile egg! It’s perfect for the classroom or to do with your children at home.

A container of cider vinegar and an egg.

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Supplies Needed:

one unshelled, boiled egg
1 ½ cups / 375 ml cups of cider vinegar
clear 2 cup / 500 ml jar
tablespoon
dessert plate

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Boil the egg and let it cool. Ask children to describe the color and feel the hardness of the egg.

Place the unshelled, boiled egg in a jar of cider vinegar. Discuss the color of the liquid…yellow, red, and orange are words children might use for the hue. I suggest the word amber.

Put the jar in the fridge.

A boiled egg immersed in a jar half-filled with cider vinegar.

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After a couple of days, take the jar with the egg out of the fridge and have everyone view it. The cider vinegar will look a little foamy.

Scoop the egg out of the jar, place it on a dessert plate, and invite children to feel it. The egg will be tinged with brown residue. Ask children to describe the texture, which has turned rubbery.

A boiled egg taken out of cider vinegar after two days.

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New Discovery

The above egg is the result of the second time I tried this experiment! The first egg I used was not boiled, as I forgot to do it! I left the unshelled egg (in a jar of cider vinegar) in the fridge for two weeks before noticing it! When I finally took it out, it had a neat visual appeal. The outside of the uncooked egg felt rubbery, just as the boiled one did. When I poked it, soft insides spilled out. It was a happy accident that led to a new discovery!

An unboiled egg after being immersed in cider vinegar for two weeks. — Forgotten Reptile Egg

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An unboiled egg placed in cider vinegar for two weeks, then pricked with a fork to show the soft inside. — Forgotten Reptile Egg Insides

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Reptile Egg Science Printable

Extend the Science experiment by setting out this printable with reptile egg shapes to decorate and cut, or use as a play mat for matching turtle and snake figurines.

Reptile egg shapes printable to color and cut. Or invite children to place snakes and turtles in the circle, oval and oblong-shaped eggs.

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Match snakes and turtles to their corresponding egg shapes.

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Reptile Egg Shapes Free PrintableDownload

(This printable was created in PicMonkey and is for personal or one classroom use only.)

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Do you have a favorite experiment to do with eggs? I’d love to hear about it!

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To view a video showing a snake hatching from an egg on the DK website, click here.

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