The Fantastic Fox

Team Treehouse - The Spencer Family

Fox Tracing Sheets

Link to PDF: Fox Tracing Sheets

Fox Anatomy

Link to PDF: Fox Anatomy

Watercolor Nature Jornaling

Link to PDF: Sheet of Leaves

My Fox Puppet

Link to PDF: Illustrated Instructions  Paper Bag Template

Fox Den Terrarium

Link to PDF: Terrarium Diagram

Gratitude Card 

Link to PDF: Fox and Turkey Template

When searching for information about Red Fox anatomy, I found myself wanting more. There are not many kid-friendly anatomy charts that combine information on tracking and anatomy. 

Initially, I was going to do a simple exercise in which your child could cut out the template and glue the cotton swabs onto it. Still, I decided that I had to set the bar high and create something that truly captured the biological makeup of the Red Fox and a bit of Bushcraft. 

I greatly appreciate Bushcraft, and I am consistently underwhelmed when I search for illustrated explanations of topics that I want to explore further. Tracking is essential to understanding the habits and Biology of the Red Fox and other animals. This information helps your child connect with the subject matter and explore further when they are immersed in the forest school environment.

Cotton Swab Fox Anatomy Step by Step:

Gather your materials: 

• School Glue
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Cotton Swabs (not pictured below)
• Pencil
• Construction Paper (Black + White)

1. It will be beneficial to staple the Cotton Swab Fox Anatomy TEMPLATE to your child's piece of black construction paper. Do not staple inside the fox template; staple only in a few places along the side. Your child will now be able to cut easily around the temple. 

2. After your child has cut out the fox from the template, they will have two foxes; one will be the construction paper fox, and the other will be the blank. Your child may discard the blank or colored version and share it with a friend. 

3. Have your child glue their construction paper fox to their lighter colored construction paper, preferably in the center. They will want to leave a bit of room to add the tags and maybe draw a neat scene after the project. 

3. Now you and your child will need to decide if they want to do the beginner version of the anatomy or the more advanced. The more advanced anatomy is higher level (ages 10+), but with your guidance, you can really start to teach your child a bit of proper terminology + Biology.

4. Lastly, depending on the age of your child, you should cut different sizes of cotton swabs, so they can jump right into the activity and explore the skeleton. Larger parts of the swabs together make great skulls and pelvis, while the smaller sticks are great for the ribs and bones. You can also bend the whole swab in different ways to recreate the spine, tail, and neck. However your child decides to approach the activity, encourage exploration and talk with them about how the skeleton is the framework of the Fox, and without it, the fox couldn't run, jump, or play, just like them. 

Please share Treehouse with your friends and family, and if you feature us in your blog, please leave a link in the comments below.

To download project sheets for printing at home, right-click the image, select "Download as JPEG," and save it to your desktop. Or you can simply drag and drop. All files are 8 1/2" × 11" and are compatible with standard home printers. 

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We would love to know how it went!

The Treehouse Family

Reindeer ADVENTure

Reindeer ADVENTure log: Day 3

Reindeer ADVENTure Day 5: Letter "R" Tracing Worksheets

Link to the PDF: Letter "R" worksheets

Reindeer ADVENTure Day 9: Reindeer Card

Reindeer ADVENTure Day 9: Reindeer Card

Link to the PDF: Hand and Footprint Reindeer Card

ADVENTure log: Day 10 -- Migration

Link to the PDF: ADVENTure log: Day 10

Link to the PDF: ADVENTure log: Day 13

Reindeer ADVENTure: Day 11 -- My Boreal Forest 

Link to PDF project sheet: My Boreal Forest

Reindeer Wood Slice Project Sheet
Link to PDF: Reindeer Wood Slice

My Treehouse: Power Drill BASICS

I have big news for you, Treehouse Family! 

We were treated to a very special surprise at the Milwaukee County Zoo after my daughters zoo class. While we were finishing our class at the reindeer exhibit, we saw a familiar face talking with the Zookeepers. 

Santa Clause seemed to be a bit distraught. Three of his reindeer were sick and he needed three strong reindeer to help pull his sleigh. Ms. Colette, the reindeer's Zookeeper, had no problem allowing the reindeer to go out for Santa's big run. Santa's only request was that we needed to leave reindeer food. 

I thought how I could help and remembered that Gingerbread House was our new way to cook food and share recipes with our family. It's an easy recipe and really tasty too! So, please make the reindeer food for the three reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh from the Milwaukee County Zoo. It's up to you to help keep them strong for the big journey, Treehouse Family!

Reindeer Food Recipe 

Announcing: Gingerbread House Cooking School

Link to PDF: Reindeer Food + Coloring Sheet

Our Treehouse Nature School Facebook group is a vibrant community of nature lovers from around the world and we are all rooted in our love of outdoor education for our children. Join our free Nature School and get featured in our magazine!
Please share Treehouse with your friends and family, and if you feature us in your blog, please leave a link in the comments below.

To download project sheets for at-home printing: Right-click the image, select "Download as JPEG," and save it to your desktop. Or you can simply drag and drop. All files are 8 1/2" X 11" and fit any standard home printer.

 Share your pictures with us on Instagram: @treehousemagazine

Mention us on Facebook: @treehousekidsmagazine

Send us a tweet: @mytreehousekids

We would love to know how it went!

The Treehouse Family

My Nature Wand and My Spider Mobile

My Nature Wand is a great activity for ages 0-12, because it allows all children to take an active part in the process. Older children feel empowered to gather all the materials and follow the illustrated instructions, while younger children enjoy playing with the bubbles. Everyone benefits from shared time spent on creativity and problem-solving.

In our Critter Corner, you see that the ground squirrel is the featured animal of the week. At Treehouse, we tailor the week's activities to what you, as a family, might see with the changing of the seasons. Please call up a few friends for a play date and have some fun with the scavenger hunt! These activities are much more enriching for the learning process when other children are learning together.

To download project sheets for printing at home, right-click the image, select "Download as JPEG," and save it to your desktop. Please note that most printers are not borderless, so you may have to cut around the edge to remove the white border. So, print out your project/parent sheets and get outside!

Share your pictures with us on Instagram: @treehousemagazine
Mention us on Facebook: @treehousekidsmagazine.
Send us a tweet: @mytreehousekids

We would love to know how it went!

The Treehouse Family

Treehouse -- Issue1/Fall 2016

I know not everyone is a fan of spiders. Still, it is vital to educate kids that spiders are essential to our ecosystem and without them, the natural order and hierarchy would be in jeopardy. I decided that the Orb-Weaver was our critter this week, so you can share a few fun facts with your child from the parent sheet.

After you have gathered all of your materials for the Spider-mobile project and before your children assemble this week's project, play the Montessori-inspired game, My Spider Eyes. This game is an excellent exercise for little ones who are just learning to count. I have provided the word and small circles so that you and your child can "see" what two looks like and sound out the word.

As for the Spider Mobile project, I have added pine cone weaving in step one because it is a fantastic activity for younger children; it really works on those fine motor skills!

The Artful Owl

In October, we studied owls and completed the My Great Horned Owl Bark nature craft project. Unfortunately, my work schedule was hectic with three large projects for Kiwico, so the owls' issue was relatively small. My apologies to many of you who were hoping for more projects and live video tutorials.

As always, a big thank you to everyone who has offered ideas and solutions during the early stages of this journey. I am so happy that Treehouse has brought people from diverse cultures together to share our love of nature and our children. You all truly make Treehouse an outstanding community to be a part of.

Please share Treehouse with your friends and family, and if you feature us in your blog, please leave a link in the comments below.

To download project sheets for at-home printing: Right-click the image, select "Download as JPEG," and save it to your desktop. Or you can simply drag and drop. All files are 8 1/2" X 11" and fit any standard home printer. 

Share your pictures with us on Instagram: @treehousemagazine

Mention us on Facebook: @treehousekidsmagazine

Send us a tweet: @mytreehousekids

We would love to know how it went!

The Treehouse Family