arctic animal science experiments

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9 Arctic animals learning activities

Preschool , Kindergarten , 1st Grade

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With winter being upon us, I recently planned a series of  learning activities to teach my kids about Arctic animals . Arctic animals are those that live in the Arctic region of the world. The Arctic region is located in the northernmost part of the Earth. It consists of the Arctic ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Alaska, and a few Nordic countries. The animals that live in this region for all or part of the year are known as Arctic animals, and they are specially adapted to life in this unique region of the world.

This post details 9 Arctic animals learning activities we did together.

Note: For more Arctic learning resources, see my Polar Animals and Lands Unit Study page or grab my Arctic Unit Study .

1. Read about Arctic animals

Two books we read were:

In Arctic Waters by Laura Crawford

Over in the Arctic: Where the Cold Winds Blow by Marianne Berkes

UPDATE: See my review of 20 books about Arctic animals . 

2. Watch videos of Arctic animals

I thought that the best way for the kids to get to know what these wonderful Arctic creatures are like – other than visiting them in real life, of course – was to see them in action. I found several youtube videos that were short but interesting for the kids.

• Polar bear emerging from the ice after 5 months with two cubs
• Polar bear stalking seal as prey
• Baby harp seal on the ice
• Orcas in the water

Update: See my review of free Arctic animal videos .

3. Where is the Arctic?

After getting the kids interested in the arctic animals, we pulled out our globe to see where the Arctic is located. Since the kids are still talking about Santa and his reindeer, they were fascinated to learn that the North Pole is also in the Arctic. We talked about how it is very, very cold in the Arctic and there is snow for much of the year.

4. Blubber experiment to learn about Arctic animal adaptations

The blubber experiment is one of my favorite Arctic animals learning activities! After talking about how cold the Arctic is, the kids and I talked about what we, as humans, do to stay warm. Of course, animals don’t have clothes or blankets like we do, so they have to rely on their blubber to keep them warm. So we decided to do the blubber experiment I’ve seen all over the web lately. I filled two containers with icy water.

Then I put a big hunk of clarified butter blubber into a baggie for each kid, and made them stick their fingers into the middle of it so that the blubber completely surrounded their fingers and would keep them insulated in the cold water. We put their other finger into an empty baggie so that the only difference between their two fingers was that one was insulated in blubber and one was not.

Then the kids dipped their fingers into the frigid water.

The kids noticed right away the difference in temperature between the finger coated in the blubber and the finger that did not have a blubber layer.

5. Arctic animal identification

The kids were so excited when they saw the figures and immediately wanted to hold them. I went through each of the animals and had the kids look at them and name them. Then I pulled out some Arctic animal cards I had made from pictures I found online, and I had the kids match the animals on the cards to the animals in our set.

As they worked to match the pictures with the animals, we named all of the animals to reinforce the lesson.

6. Where Arctic animals live

Next, I wanted the kids to identify which animals were land animals, which were sea animals, and which spent their time on both land and in the water. I created a Where Arctic Animals Live activity for them to sort the animals by their habitat.

After we sorted the animals, we looked at their feet and fins. In this way, we were able to compare and contrast the feet/fins of the animals that live on land with those that live in the water and those that live on both land and water.

7. Learning about camouflage

Did you know that Arctic animals are not white year round? I didn’t until I started doing some research to plan these activities. 🙂

In the winter there is snow so the animals turn white to make it harder for predators to spot them, but in the summer when the snow melts they turn brown in order to better blend in with their surroundings.

The kids and I looked at pictures of several Arctic animals in the summer and fall, and we talked about how they change colors. Then we did an Arctic Animals Camouflage activity to help the kids see the benefits of changing color to match the surroundings.

The kids noted how it was much easier to spot the brown animals on the snow than the white animals.

At this point my daughter was not in a mood to continue the activity, but my son was game to keep learning about camouflage. Since our carpet is red, he changed in to red clothing so he would be camouflaged.

And then he went to the kitchen to see how his red clothes made him very visible against the white tile.

But he decided he wanted to wear something that would camouflage him in the kitchen too. Since our tile is white and black, he put on a white shirt and black pants.

This was such a fun and silly way to reinforce the concept of camouflage and hopefully make it stick in his brain!

8. Polar bear song and dance

Another activity we did was a cute polar bear song and dance I found at Twiggle Magazine (broken link removed).

9. Arctic ice sensory play

Inspired by a post at No Time for Flashcards , I prepared an Arctic ice sensory activity for the kids.

I filled both a small tub and a plastic cup with a few inches of water. I placed the water-filled cup in the tub, and then put the whole thing in the freezer overnight. I put something under one end of the tub to tilt it up so that when the water froze one side would represent the land covered in ice and the other side – once I added water – would represent the ocean.

( In hindsight, tilting it did create the ice vs. ocean habitat I was looking for, but since the ice was at an angle it made it difficult to place the animals on the land since they kept sliding off. Oops! )

After the tub came out of the freezer, I removed the small cup that I had placed inside. This created a “fishing hole” where the polar bears could dive under the ice to go hunt for food.

I took the ice from inside the cup out and placed it in the ocean side of the box to represent an ice floe like the ones that polar bears will swim to for a rest.

The kids spent time feeling how cold the water was.

And they enjoyed moving the animals around the habitat. (Especially to “drown” them in the ice hole – eek! :-))

Update: See what happened when we tried this Arctic ice sensory play activity again a year later!

More Arctic learning resources

More Arctic animals posts from Gift of Curiosity:

• Books about Arctic animals
• Arctic animal videos
• Arctic Animals Printables Pack
• Arctic animals camouflage activity
• Where Arctic animals live activity and printable
• Arctic ice sensory play
• Build an igloo
• Blubber experiment to show how animals stay warm
• Arctic animals do-a-dot printables
• Arctic animals Bingo

You May Also Enjoy These Posts

Reader interactions, 28 comments.

January 23, 2013 at 12:11 pm

Thanks for sharing your ideas and activities here! I especially love the blubber experiment and the activity about being visible vs. camouflage. Fun and meaningful! 🙂

January 23, 2013 at 7:19 pm

I am so impressed with all the different ways you thought of to teach them about the arctic animals. And your blubber experiment was brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing on We Made That!

January 25, 2013 at 6:08 am

Thanks for all the great ideas! We are talking about Winter this month & I have already picked up a tube of the Arctic Animals so that worked out great. We will definitely be doing some of these activities!

January 25, 2013 at 9:16 am

This is a really thorough study, well done you!!

January 25, 2013 at 8:30 pm

I love how they experimented with the idea being camouflage. You have such great ideas!

January 26, 2013 at 1:44 am

Some great ideas, we tried some artic animals in our sensory box with shaving foam as snow, they boys wern’t too keen on teh shaving foam so i will try your ice idea.

January 26, 2013 at 11:40 pm

I made a blubber mitt as part of our penguin learning with my kindergarten kids last week. It is amazing what a layer of fat can do!

January 27, 2013 at 10:08 am

I love the hands on blubber science experiment. How fun! Thank you for linking up to the brand new Hearts for Home Blog Hop!

January 27, 2013 at 4:29 pm

Your children are so blessed!! They are learning and having fun at the same time, you definitely know how to do this whole homeschooling thing! 🙂

Thanks for linking up to the Hearts for Home blog hop! Blessings!!

January 27, 2013 at 5:27 pm

Aww, what a kind comment. Thanks so much!

January 27, 2013 at 9:15 pm

Love the way you taught about the arctic. My boys would love to do some of these things. If you have time I’d love it if you could share this on Family Fun Friday this Friday at Happy and Blessed Home. I post on some MOPS FB pages and this would be great!

Thanks, Monica http://HappyandBlessedHome.com

January 27, 2013 at 9:35 pm

I’d love to stop on by this Friday. Thanks for the invitation!

January 28, 2013 at 6:47 am

You have some great ideas, and thanks for the printables. Thanks for sharing at Delicate Construction!

January 28, 2013 at 8:58 am

And thanks to you for hosting the party!

January 28, 2013 at 11:15 am

Great ideas, I’m working on an Artic Animals unit right now for my preschool curriculum love this! I’ve pinned it! Thanks for sharing, here from Living Montessori Now!

January 28, 2013 at 1:24 pm

I’m glad you can use some of these ideas. We had a lot of fun with this unit. 🙂

February 1, 2013 at 9:35 am

What a great lesson! We just had a book out of the library on caribou. We found it interesting to read. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!

February 2, 2013 at 8:07 am

I love how you did the camouflage experiment.

Thanks for linking to Science Sunday!

February 4, 2013 at 11:20 am

Such wonderful and practical ideas, you’ve gone into such detail and depth.

Popping over from the Fun Sparks linky.

February 4, 2013 at 9:32 pm

I love the blubber experiment and the camouflage activity ! Such a great ideas. Thanks for sharing all of these at Mom’s Library!

February 5, 2013 at 7:39 am

Great activities! I am pinning this! Thanks for sharing with us at Eco-Kids! I hope you will come link up with us again this week!! http://likemamalikedaughter.blogspot.com/2013/02/an-enchanted-childhood-playschool.html

January 4, 2014 at 6:18 am

What a wonderful unit!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!

January 10, 2014 at 6:34 pm

Love this! We’re featuring your post tomorrow on Share It Saturday over at Sugar Aunts. Thanks for linking up!

January 29, 2014 at 5:02 am

Great resources and ideas for teaching about arctic animals! I love the very simple sensory bin. Thanks so much for sharing in the Discover and Explore linky. I’m featuring this post today.

January 5, 2015 at 1:38 pm

Your kids are adorable! 🙂 We have the same toob. I got it when we read Gannon & Wyatt – Greenland.

January 5, 2015 at 3:32 pm

I had to look up Gannon & Wyatt, and it looks like a great story! My kids are still too young for it, however. I’ll have to keep it in mind for when they are older!

April 2, 2019 at 10:21 pm

I recently found your website and am loving so many of the thoughtful and amazing ideas you are sharing! This arctic program by far was the most impressive and want to thank you for the inspiration it brings to me for providing more fun STEAM and sensory education to my children! You are amazing Katie, wish I can meet you!!!

April 3, 2019 at 12:30 pm

Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m thrilled to know you’ve found useful resources on my site and that you’ve enjoyed the Arctic activities I’ve shared. Wishing you the best!

Arctic Animal Science Experiment for Preschoolers

Activities » Science » Arctic Animal Science Experiment for Preschoolers

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Do you have a preschooler at home who loves all things related to science experiments ? Then this Arctic animal-themed experiment is the perfect way to keep your little one entertained with an educational and fun activity!

In this simple experiment, your child will learn about six of the animals that inhabit the icy tundra of the Arctic while creating their own mini-habitat.

Through exploring how these animals survive in such extreme conditions, children can gain valuable insight into how certain species thrive in adverse environments and increase their appreciation for our beautiful natural world.

Like many four- and five-year-olds, my sons can’t get enough of animals and animal science.  Lately, their minds are all over winter and cold climate animals. Arctic animals are some of the coolest (ha!) out there and are super fun for learning with kids.

You name the animal. They are curious and want to learn more…

…and more…

So when my oldest son began asking questions about animals that live in the Arctic and why these animals don’t get cold, I immediately thought about Steve Spangler’s Blubber Gloves. So, I had to try this animal science experiment.

Easy & Fun Animal Science Experiment

Cold Climate Animals

The animals that live in the polar regions are fascinating to me. The birds and mammals that find a way to adapt are extraordinary. Below is a short list of a few well-known arctic animals.

• Arctic Hare
• Spotted Seal
• Arctic Wolf
• Beluga Whale
• Snowshoe Hare

Animals of the Polar Region Set of 3-Part-Cards

I love Steve Spangler, and I love all his work. He is a fantastic resource, but I wasn’t about to fill quart-sized plastic bags with shortening. I could see the shortening smeared on the bathroom mirror, on my sensory-seeking son’s legs, arms, and face.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for messes but not on this particular day. I knew there had to be another way to get to an animal science experiment that would satisfy my sons’ tactile desires and my hope to keep the shortening off our furniture.

Then I recalled a science experiment book we’d recently taken from the library called Janice VanCleave’s Play and Find Out about Nature: Easy Experiments for Young Children. This book had a similar experiment (and many other fantastic and EASY science experiments for young children. I highly recommend it for animal science and all science learning.)

Animal Science Experiment

Materials for Animal of the Arctic Science Activity

• Shortening (the animal fat)
• Two plastic bags (the animal skin)
• Two ice cubes (the cold)

Approach to Animal Science Experiment

• Scoop out a tablespoon of shortening
• Put the shortening in the palm of your child’s hand
• Place hands – on with shortening and one without shortening – in the sandwich bags
• Now comes the ice cubes or crushed ice. Place on the outside of the bags on each hand.
• Have the child hug the ice cube with his hand.
• What do you observe?
• Why does the shortening or fat keep the cold out?

Science Behind the Activity

Shortening is a fat that insulates the cold. It is a thermoregulator, which keeps the warmth in and the cold out. Think about the fat substance. It is dense, right? It has low thermal conductivity relative to water.

So, even when in super cold water, the fat maintains its temperature. Fat doesn’t require a lot of blood supply, so blood stays closer to the skin’s surface, the surface closest to the coldness.

Extensions to this Activity

• Use different substances like butter, cheese, yogurt, fabric, foil, cotton, etc. Make a chart or graph of the observations.
• Use the hands-on sensory experience as a starting point to write and illustrate a story.
• Use ice in other ways to experiment with melting, chipping, and painting.
• Arctic animal sorting activity
• Play and feel the shortening. Spread it on your hands. Run your hands underwater. What do you observe?

I hope you enjoyed this post today!

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Polar Bear Blubber Experiment

How do polar bears stay warm with those freezing temperatures, icy water, and relentless wind in the Arctic? What keeps a polar bear warm when its natural habitat is so harsh? This simple but classic polar bear blubber experiment will help kids feel and see what keeps those big guys (and gals) warm! Simple winter science experiments help to shape kids’ minds!

HOW DO POLAR BEARS STAY WARM?

POLAR BEAR BLUBBER EXPERIMENT

To start this experiment, you need to ask your kids a few questions and get them thinking Ask your kids how they think polar bears stay warm when swimming around in the icy arctic water. What about them keeps them warm if they don’t wear clothes like us. Why don’t polar bears start to freeze in the water? Hint: there’s a thick layer of fat included! Brrr…

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:

• Large container or bowl
• Lots of ice cubes
• Vegetable shortening
• Two plastic baggies (Ziplock Bags)
• Food Coloring (optional)

HOW TO SET UP YOUR BLUBBER EXPERIMENT

Before you begin, you may want to pair this lesson with the scientific method . You can use this with younger and older students with simple alterations that you can read about here .

Check below for another option to extend the learning or to lessen the mess!

STEP 1. First, you need to fill a large bowl with a good amount of ice and water. Add blue food coloring if desired.

STEP 2. Next, have your kid place his/her hand briefly in the water. It’s cold! There’s no need to linger in the water for safety.

STEP 3. Now, for the messy part, fill one plastic bag with shortening.

STEP 4. Have your kids place one hand in another bag and the other hand inside the blubber/fat-filled bag. Seal the tops with duct tape so water can’t get into the bags. Make sure to move the fat around, so it covers your hand completely.

NOTE: For a less messy version, see below!

Fun Fact: Polar Bears have 4″ thick layers of blubber to keep them toasty and store nutrients when there isn’t much food available.

STEP 5. Put the bag-covered hands in the freezing water. What do they notice? Does the water feel less cold or not?

ALTERNATE BLUBBER GLOVE

You can use two gloves with vegetable shortening for a less messy way. For a less messy version, go ahead and cover the outside of one bag with shortening, place that bag inside another bag, and seal everything tightly! This way, your hand stays clean inside the bag, and the shortening is sandwiched between two bags.

This also allows older students to test different kinds of insulators because of the sandwich method. What else can be used between the two layers of bags? This turns it into a true science experiment for kids in older grades. Make sure to write out a hypothesis before getting started. Read up on the scientific method here.

• Cotton Balls
• Packing Peanuts

If your kids haven’t already guessed what keeps polar bears warm, they will have a better idea once they make their own polar bear blubber glove! Blubber or a thick layer of fat keeps them warm. Polar bears are warm-blooded mammals like us! What the heck are they doing in the Arctic?

The blubber also stores nutrients needed for survival in this harsh climate. Learn more about the Arctic with Biomes of the World !

Of course, polar bears aren’t covered in cooking lard like Crisco, but they have their own kind of lard called blubber that helps out. The fat molecules in shortening work in a similar way to that of blubber! However, several special adaptations work together for maximum heat retention.

POLAR BEAR ADAPTATIONS

Polar bears use a combination of fur and blubber to keep warm. Thick fur and thick fat keep these warm-blooded mammals warm in temperatures up to -50 degrees! That’s pretty cold.

They have two types of fur. These bears have long, oily, hollow hairs that help keep water away but also help trap heat. The second type of fur consists of short insulating hairs. These hairs keep heat close to the skin.

Oh, and did you know these magnificent creatures with whitish fur, actually have black skin? This also helps to keep polar bears warm by absorbing the sun’s rays.

Some adaptations include small ears, so the ears don’t get too cold, “sticky” pads for gripping ice, and 42 very sharp teeth for catching their dinner!

POLAR BEAR By Candace Fleming ad Eric Rohman is an excellent addition to your winter theme library. It’s a fantastic mix of non-fiction storytelling filled with engaging text and plenty of good information! (Amazon Affiliate Link) You can also pair this with the research sheet I added at the end of the article.

ARE POLAR BEARS BUOYANT?

What’s under the black skin? The blubber, of course! The blubber is a thick layer below the skin that can be up to 4.5 inches thick! WOW! It now only helps them stay warm, but it also helps to keep them afloat. You can check out this simple buoyancy science experiment to learn more about that!

Blubber is stored up fat. It creates a cozy blanket for the polar bear when combined with different types of fur. It also has another useful property in that it can help provide life-sustaining energy when food sources are scarce. Blubber is important to the life of a polar bear!

ALSO CHECK OUT: How Do Whales Stay Warm?

WINTER SCIENCE ACTIVITY

The winter season is a terrific time to explore different science concepts and keep the excitement of science alive! Learning about animals and animal habitats is always a favorite of young kids. Use this science experiment with small groups in the classroom or with several kids at home!

So next time you want to share something fun with the kids or if you are exploring an arctic unit, break out this polar bear blubber experiment . We will share a few more fun facts with you about how polar bears keep warm, and this winter science activity is a great hands-on way for kids to feel it as well.

You may also want to make a polar bear puppet or a paper plate polar bear craft !

Read below the activity for a bit of science behind the chilly fun, and see how polar bears brave the elements in style. Oh, and make sure your kids know that polar bears and penguins don’t hang out together!

Learn what role polar bears have in the food chain .

FREE Printable Winter STEM Guide

More fun and easy winter science activities can be found here.

MORE FUN ICY ACTIVITIES

• Pingback: Winter Snow Storm In a Jar Science Activity for Kids
• Pingback: International Polar Bear Day – TeachersFirst Blog

Is there something we can use as a substitute for shortening? Because our schools is remote learning parents have to have any supplies we need available in their homes. I worry this may not be a pantry staple for all our families.

Hmm, butter is not going to be as good and may be more wasteful than picking up a tub of sshortening. Other than that maybe someone else has a good idea and can reply to you!

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Last updated by Linda Kamp on December 10, 2022 • 3 Comments

Arctic Animal Adaptations: Blubber Science Experiment for Kids

In this post, I’ll show you a simple and fun blubber science experiment for kids as they learn about arctic animal adaptations. It’s easy to do in the classroom and demonstrates how arctic animals adapt to their environment.

Arctic Animal Adaptations

When teaching second graders about habitats and ecosystems, we spend a bit of time learning about adaptations; ways plants and animals adapt to their habitats to survive. This simple blubber experiment demonstrates how arctic animals stay warm in their icy water habitats.

Blubber is a thick layer of fat just under the skin of all marine mammals. It covers the entire bodies of animals like polar bears and penguins, whales, seals, and walruses. These mammals have adapted to live in cold waters. They survive because their blubber acts like insulation, trapping their body heat in.

The science behind it is pretty simple: The further the blood is from the skin’s surface, the less body heat is lost. Blubber creates a thick, protective layer, much like a blanket,  that provides a barrier between the animals’ blood and the surface of its skin.

Blubber Science Experiment for Kids

This activity is really a demonstration. It recreates the layer of fat that keeps an animal warm. During the demonstration, students compare the cold they can feel with and without wearing a “blubber glove”.

To get started, you will need a few inexpensive items that are readily available at any grocery store.

Blubber science experiment & lab sheet source: Habitat s Science Unit

Materials per small group of students:

• 3 gallon size Ziploc bags
• 1 can of shortening
• large cup of ice
• large bowl or bin
• metal spoon for scooping shortening
• student lab sheet

Prepping the glove:

I recommend preparing the blubber glove ahead of time using the following steps.

1. Fill a gallon zipper bag about 2/3 full of shortening.

2. Place your had inside a second, empty zipper bag and carefully push it into the bag with the shortening.

3. Holding the top edges of both bags, roll the top edges of both bags over about an inch.

4. Tape down the fold with duct tape to seal the shortening inside between the two bags forming a “glove”.

5. With your hand inside the glove, press and smooth the shortening to distribute it as evenly as possible around the center bag. The inner bag should be surrounded by shortening.

Demonstrating the Adaptation

Conduct the test by first having students describe on their lab sheet how the materials are used to replicate blubber. Once students finish, they start by placing their hand inside the bowl of ice water.

Next, students place their hand inside the blubber glove and into the ice water again.

Students compare what they feel and document it on their lab sheet. Lastly, students explain in writing on their lab sheets how the shortening insulated their hand from the cold temperature of the water comparing it to the way blubber keeps an arctic animal warm.

This blubber science experiment video by Steve Spangler science gives a visual on how to prep your glove.

CLICK HERE   for an in-depth, ready to use unit on Habitats and Ecosystems for second grade.

This comprehensive, 3-week unit includes a 7-lesson teaching PowerPoint, experiments, science journal, and much more.

Click here to see the entire 2nd grade series.

I hope you’ll try this simple blubber science experiment for kids as your students learn about habitats and arctic animal adaptations. Be sure to pin this post for later so you have it when you plan!

Find more high engagement science activities for kids in these posts:

Hands-On Properties of Matter Activities & Experiments

Habitats Activities for Second Grade Scientists

Milk & Cookies and the Scientific Method

Happy teaching!

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May 22 at 10:25 pm

Great ideas! Keep it coming please! Thank you!

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I’m Linda Kamp, a 20 year primary grade teacher with a passion for creating educational materials that excite students and make learning fun! I'm so glad you're here!

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Polar Habitats for Kids

February 16, 2020 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

What is a Habitat?

A habitat is an area with a specific climate and ecosystem where animals and plants have what they need to survive. Each habitat has unique features that support the wildlife that live there.

Creating a habitat inside a shoebox is a great way to illustrate the concept of a habitat to children.

Coloured card

Small toy animals

Cotton balls

Other decorations

First research the habitat that the shoebox will display. Try to include several different plants and animals for each type. Today we’re going to make a Polar Habitat .

What is a Polar Habitat?

Polar habitats are found a the top and bottom of the Earth, they are cold, very windy and have a lot of snow and ice. It’s too cold for trees to grow, but there are some plants such as moss and lichen in tundra areas. Animals in polar regions have a thick layer of fat and lots of fur or feathers to help them stay warm in the cold temperatures. Most are carnivores due to the lack of plants and they tend to live in snow caves or holes for shelter.

What is Tundra?

Tundra is frozen ground. It thaws enough in the warmer months for moss and grasses to grow, but as roots cannot push through the frozen soil trees and larger plants are not found in these areas. The part of the soil that remains frozen are called permafrost .

Which Animals live in the Arctic?

The North Pole lies in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic is much closer to land than Antarctica ( at the south pole ) and has a wider variety of animals as it’s easier for them to reach.

Beluga Whale

Arctic hare

Artcic Tern

Which animals live in Antarctica

Animals in Antarctic a are mostly warm blooded and quite large which helps them survive in the extreme cold.

Leopard seal

How to make a Polar Habitat

All you need to do to make a model of a polar habitat is decorate a small box with white paper or card and add the correct animals depending on whether you’re modelling the Arctic or Antarctic.

Snow caves would be a great addition to our habitat.

Global Warming and Polar Habitats

Global warming has led to a change in the climate of polar habitats which is making it harder and harder for polar animals to survive. Rising temperatures have led to a huge loss of areas of ice. I’ve got a very simple activity to demonstrate the effect of melting ice on polar animals you can try too.

More Polar Animal Activities

Pocket of Preschool has some lovely polar animal activities for younger children.

Try one of our other easy science experiments for winter .

Make an Arctic habitat sensory bin like Fun Learning for Kids .

Discover just how amazing fat is for insulating from the cold with our activity using lard and icy water.

Last Updated on February 17, 2020 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

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Make blubber gloves

Learn about polar animals' adaptations with this experiment!

Extremely cold climates are full of life. What kind of adaptations do polar animals have to allow them to thrive in these environments? Learn about one survival tool with this experiment from the Nat Geo Kids book  Try This! Extreme . 

Assemble a blubber glove by filling a plastic bag three-quarters full with shortening.

Put on your nitrile gloves and insert your hands in two plastic bags: one filled with the shortening and the other empty. Zip the bags as closed as possible and then get someone to help you tape the bags closed around your wrists.

Place your covered hands in the icy water for as long as you can stand. Which hand stays warmer?

Repeat the experiment with different insulating materials, like the packing peanuts, cotton balls, and feathers. Which material keeps your hand the warmest?

WHAT TO EXPECT

Some of the materials placed in the bag around the subject’s hand will prevent cold from reaching her hand better than others.

WHAT'S GOING ON

Fat—even a vegetable-based fat like shortening—insulates animals from cold. So the shortening provides a decent substitute for blubber, the layer of fat that seals , whales , walrus , polar bears , and other marine animals in polar climates have under their skin.

Other materials, such as foam, keep drinks warm because they don’t conduct heat, so the heat doesn’t escape through the sides and bottom of the cup.

By the way, the bucket full of icy water is similar to the temperature and texture of the water around ice floes—where animals like seals and whales tend to live.

Try This! Extreme Text Copyright © 2017 Karen Romano Young

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6 Polar Animals Science Activities for Toddlers to Discover Arctic Animal Secrets

Join us on an exciting adventure into the icy world of Arctic animals with these polar animal science activities . Through hands-on experiments and engaging activities, we’ll explore how Arctic animals adapt and survive. From blubber experiments to penguin feather mysteries and ice-melting observations to camouflage fun, let’s dive into the wonders of polar animals and ignite your little ones’ curiosity!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you by linking to Amazon.com. See the full  disclosure  here.

Polar Animals Lesson Plans

• Polar Animals Science Activities

Arctic Animal Photographs

I know I use adorable clipart to create all of my activities, but I also know photographs are a powerful bridge to connect preschoolers with real-life Arctic animals.  

Photographs provide a window into the captivating world of these Arctic animals. Trust me, I used to have a poster of Orlando Bloom from Pirates of the Caribbean taped on my ceiling, and I definitely felt like I could see into the depths of his soul.

Photographs also evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity, sparking conversations and inspiring further exploration. 

So get out your clothesline or tacks or tape or whatever you use, and set up these photographs of polar animals to begin the wonderings in your classroom.

• Polar Animals Photographs

Polar Animals

Feet vs. flipper sort.

“Flippin’ your fins, you don’t get too far. Legs are required for jumping, dancing.”

I’m not so sure Ariel was right on this one. 

I just keep picturing walruses plopped on an iceberg versus them swimming in the water. But then again, I also pictured walruses jumping and dancing, which is very funny indeed. 

Anyway, let’s help our preschoolers focus on the adaptations of polar animals (and not a walrus dancing) by sorting the animals based on whether they have feet or flippers. 

This feet and flipper sort can spark discussions on whether these animals spend most of their time on land or in the icy water.

• Optional: Velcro dots

Penguin Feather Experiment

Polar animals preschool activities.

When it comes to water, I’m the Wicked Witch of the West . I will literally melt (especially if it’s on a day when I did my hair and makeup). What a world, what a world!

I frankly wish I had water-repellant feathers like penguins. Sigh. I guess that’s why I live in 300+ days of Colorado sunshine.

To show toddlers (who might love rain now but will wish for hair-saving miracles later) how penguins stay dry , we did a quick and easy demonstration. 

First, we colored our little hand muscles out to give the penguins a waxy finish. Then, we used pipettes to slowly drip blue water onto the penguin, demonstrating how the wax in the crayons is like the wax in penguin feathers that keeps them dry.

• Penguin Science Experiment Cards

Ice Experiment

Polar science activities for preschoolers.

You know I love you. I did this ice experiment six times (about a half hour each time) to figure this out for you. 

We tried it with hot and cold water, all substances dissolved in water, and then finally, the way you can see here. But let me tell you a little secret: every time we did this experiment, the results were different. Ah, I know all of you scientists-at-heart are cringing at this. I was, too.

But for the sake of our preschoolers (and some icy fun), we just made it into a race to see which substance melted the ice first. 

Will it be air, sand, water, sugar, salt, or baking soda? Gather your predictions onto the graph, measure out the different substances, and then let the race begin! 

Note: This is not a fast race. It’s a thirty-minute race, so have a read-aloud or a game prepared while you observe the melting ice.

• Ice Experiment Printables
• muffin tin (Dollar Tree)
• 6 ice cubes
• sand, water, sugar, salt, and baking soda
• tablespoon (to measure substances)

Blubber Experiment

Arctic animals science experiments.

I’m always cold. In the winter, you’ll see me wrapped in a robe and tromping around in slippers. In the summer: sweatshirts in July.

And just like I wrap myself in layers to warm up, so do these polar animals – with blubber.

To demonstrate how important fat is to Arctic animals, we did a little blubber experiment. 

First, we stuck a finger in a bowl of ice water to see how long we could hold it there. Then, we stuck the same finger in surrounded by shortening (as a layer of fat). We could sit there all day and not get cold thanks to our “blubber”!

Tip: Add a spoonful of shortening into the corner of a plastic bag. Then, add another bag on the inside to keep all those little fingers clean and grease-free. Tape the rims of the bags together.

• Polar Animals Science Pack
• bowl of ice water
• 2 small plastic bags
• packing tape

Polar Animals Camouflage

Arctic adaptations.

I am well past the stage where I care what I look like. I rarely notice if anyone even glances my way anymore. 

But when I traveled to Paris, I instantly felt that jolt of “they know I’m a tourist.”

And you want to know what my dead giveaway was: a white winter coat.  

Yup! There was no chance to pretend I was a Parisian in a sea of black coats. (At least I was easy to spot in a crowd.)

But, good news for these Arctic animals: their fur changes from season to season to help them easily blend in and order that cappuccino past noon (another tourist giveaway).

Your preschoolers will love sliding the transparent Arctic fox, hare, and weasel from winter to summer to see how their fur camouflages them from predators. 

And maybe they’ll figure out how to blend in when traveling, too!

• transparency or lamination pouch sealed up
• permanent marker

You might also like...

More polar animal activities for preschoolers.

After working your way through each of these polar animals science activities, your toddlers will have a new love for all things Arctic. I can picture their wide eyes and inquisitive minds soaking up new information about polar animals and their adaptations. Dive right in and experience the fun alongside your toddlers!

Discover More themed Activities

Meet Bethany

I am a former elementary school teacher and reading specialist, now stay-at-home-mom to my two beautiful, charismatic girls, Addison and Aria.

I’ve created engaging preschool learning activities grouped into themes to make it easy for you to implement teaching with play with your little learners, too!

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A FUN POLAR SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

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Questions!  Oh, the questions!  If you’ve ever sat in a kindergarten or first-grade class, you know that you have a full day of questions.  Especially if you introduce a topic they are unfamiliar about.  My little learners ask so many great questions during our polar animal unit.  This polar science experiment is a great way to answer a lot of questions!

And it’s perfectly normal for their little minds to be so curious.  It would worry me a little if a day went by without multiple questions being asked.  In fact, the number of questions increases greatly when we are learning about things the students have never seen or experienced.

Curious Minds Want to Know

The best way to help those curious minds is to experience something first hand.  Sounds easy, right?  Field trips are excellent activities, but what if you can’t…let’s say….go to the Arctic?  That’s just a little too far for a day trip!

So if you can’t take your kids to experience the Arctic, what’s the next best thing?  Bring the Arctic to them!

My winter units are a perfect way to engage my learners after a long holiday break.  They’re tired.  They want to be home doing anything other than school.  It’s my job to bring in my best activities to get them back into learning mode.  And who doesn’t love arctic animals?

First, I begin with a huge collection of polar animal books in my library.  I make a point to read one book a day from my stash – a mixture of fiction and nonfiction just to keep it interesting!

Next, we go into lots of discussion about what types of animals live in the Arctic and Antarctic.  (Did you know there was a difference?  I didn’t until I started teaching! First-year teachers, BEWARE!  There is a difference!) This is even a great time to pull out our  Habitat lapbook !

Now, here is where the fun begins!  Just a few simple supplies are all you need to create an engaging experiment that your students will love!

• Ziplock bags
• observation sheet (download below!)

What’s the BIG Deal About Blubber?

As humans, we’ll never know what it’s like to have a layer of blubber to keep us warm in harsh weather conditions.  But we can create fun experiments that might give them an idea!

Before the start of the experiment, fill two bowls with ice water.

Next, put about a cup of crisco in one quart size ziplock bag.

Then, place another ziplock bag inside the crisco filled bag (this will create a pocket for your students’ hands)

After that, add a piece of duct tape along the top of the bag on both sides and fold the tape over to secure both bags in place.

Next, put another ziplock bag on the other hand.

Here is where the excitement begins! At the same time, place both hands into each bowl.  Let your students take some time to see and feel the difference in each hand. Give your students the opportunity to explain their findings while both hands are in the ice water.

To grab this  FREE   science observation sheet, click on the link below!

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The Preschool Toolbox Blog

Educational Learning and Play for Children 2-7

Jan 6, 2016 Ocean Theme Activities · PreK · Science · Winter Theme Activities

Arctic Animals Preschool Science: Blubber and Ice Explorations!

Thanks for sharing!

For those of you who are new to the #TeachECE Wednesday activities, WELCOME!  Each Wednesday throughout the year, we partner with the Early Childhood Educational Team  to offer you, our valued readers, playful learning suggestions for use at home or in the classroom.  This week’s activities are centered around an ARCTIC TUNDRA theme.  Come explore a simple science experiment with “blubber” and ice that will help preschoolers visualize how polar animals survive in the extreme temperatures of the Arctic!

Background Information for Parents and Teachers:   Animals that live in the Arctic region (Arctic Ocean, parts of Canada, Russia, Alaska, and some Nordic Countries) are known as Arctic animals.   Arctic animals have special adaptations that allow them to survive on the frozen tundra in this unique region of the world.  One of the special adaptations is BLUBBER.  Blubber is a thick fatty tissue just under the skin of many arctic animals such as seals, whales, and polar bears.  The fatty tissue not only keeps the animals warm in the extreme cold, but it serves as a fuel source when food is scarce.  To help preschoolers visualize the insulating properties of blubber, try the following simple science experiment!

BLUBBER and ICE ARCTIC SCIENCE for PRESCHOOLERS!

Disclosure:  this post and others within this blog contain affiliate and/or distributor links.  please see the about page for more information..

Show the children on a world map where the Arctic region is located in relationship to where they live.  There are also some wonderful maps online if the children have access to technology.  Ask the children if they know what blubber is?  Some of the children may already know, but many will not.  Discuss what blubber does and show the children some of the Arctic animals that have blubber.  We have several of the  Safari Ltd Arctic Toobs that are great for playful learning and Arctic explorations.

Inquiry for the investigation:   Given the same room temperature, which ice cube will melt faster – the one coated in shortening OR the uncoated ice?

Materials needed:

• Two Bowls (per student or small group)
• Timer or Digital Stopwatch
• Paper and Pencils or Markers

Invite the kids to place 2-3 ice cubes in each of the two bowls.  In one bowl, have the children surround the ice cube in a thick coating of shortening (fair warning – it is messy, but our kids did great)!  Set the bowls out on a table and start the stopwatch.  Have the kids record the starting time on a sheet of paper.   Invite the kids to periodically observe when the ice melts in each of the two bowls.  Record the time that the non-coated ice melts on the recording sheet (indoors it took our non-coated ice cubes an hour and 3 minutes to fully melt).  Come together as a group to discuss why the ice coated in shortening took longer to melt.  The shortening acts as blubber (protection/insulation) for the ice in this simple experiment.

As the children are waiting for the ice to melt, teach them a simple song about Blubber and Polar Bears:

Bear is Sleeping (sung to Frere Jacques)

Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping,

Nice and warm, nice and warm.

Blubber keeps bears cozy, blubber keeps bears cozy,

When it’s COLD, when it’s COLD!

MORE Arctic Tundra Learning Activities from The Early Childhood Education Team:

Arctic Animal Sensory Writing Tray by Fun-A-Day

Home-made Books: Tundra by Powerful Mothering

Arctic Animals Writing Prompts by The Educators’ Spin On It

Why Are Polar Bears White? | Animal Adaptations on the Arctic Tundra by Raising Lifelong Learners

Tundra Animal Sharing and Halving by Rainy Day Mum Arctic Edition, M other May I Gross Mo tor Game by Tiny Tots Adventures

Arctic Animal Matching Games by Life Over C’s

Science Fun-Learning About the Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Capri + 3

Arctic Preschool Letter Hunt by Learning 2 Walk

Polar Bear Sound Activity by Growing Book by Book

For more WINTER activities, please see the WINTER category here on the blog!

Some items we also use in our classroom that your children might enjoy.

Join our newsletter & receive the FREE DOWNLOAD: Explorations with ALL 5 SENSES! Enjoy in the classroom or at home!

Reader Interactions

January 6, 2016 at 8:37 am

Now this is a nice experiment. I like that the kids get to observe in case I don’t want them to touch it and get shortening everywhere.

January 6, 2016 at 11:35 am

I love the use of the toys in this.

January 6, 2016 at 9:34 pm

What a fantastic experiment! We will be trying this at home. Pinning!

January 7, 2016 at 7:56 pm

awesome science idea!

January 8, 2016 at 6:55 am

My kids will be so excited to do this science activity.

January 8, 2016 at 2:48 pm

This looks like a lot of fun! We need another science activity for next week. Thanks for helping with last minute planning.

[…] Arctic Animals Preschool Science:  Blubber and Ice Explorations! By The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

[…] Animal Matching Games by Life Over C’sArctic Animals Preschool Science:  Blubber and Ice Explorations! By The Preschool Toolbox BlogScience Fun-Learning About the Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Capri + […]

[…] Blubber and Ice  Animals that live in the Arctic region (Arctic Ocean, parts of Canada, Russia, Alaska, and some Nordic Countries) are known as Arctic animals.   Arctic animals have special adaptations that allow them to survive on the frozen tundra in this unique region of the world.  One of the special adaptations is BLUBBER.  Blubber is a thick fatty tissue just under the skin of many arctic animals such as seals, whales, and polar bears.  The fatty tissue not only keeps the animals warm in the extreme cold, but it serves as a fuel source when food is scarce.  To help preschoolers visualize the insulating properties of blubber, try the following simple science experiment! […]

[…] can experience how blubber keeps animals warm in the winter with these Blubber and Ice Explorations from The Preschool […]

[…] toddler gave up on the notion of freeing his arctic animal with the warm water and pipette, so he opted to pick up the iceberg and put it in his mouth. This […]

[…] how animals stay warm in the arctic with a blubber and ice experiment or play Polar Bear […]

[…] Arctic Animals Preschool Science:  Blubber and Ice Explorations! By The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

[…] Arctic Animals Preschool Science:  Blubber and Ice Explorations! by The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

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• Science and STEM

7 Arctic Ice Activities and Experiments

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When it’s SUPER cold outside, it’s the perfect time to explore ice! There are so many ice activities and experiments you can do with it, too. Ice changes as you investigate it, which captivates their attention and gets them excited about science. Ice can melt, break, change color, and so much more. 

If you need winter centers for the whole classroom, click HERE to read a post about my favorite  Winter Centers and Activities (math, literacy, fine motor, sensory, and more).  

>>Grab my All About Ice and Snow Science Unit HERE <<

Ice Activities and Experiments

During our ice activities and experiment lesson, I set up daily blocks of ice, cups of blue water, small droppers, and tweezers in the sensory table.  Each morning, students came in, asking to explore the ice!  They LOVED it!

Using the droppers, students squirted the ice both up close and from far away.  Two friends discovered that if they squirted the ice up close, it would make a hole.  They were running around the classroom, telling everyone what they had discovered.  It was so exciting!  They LOVED hitting, tapping, and squeezing the ice with the tweezers to make the holes bigger and bigger!

The week before, I set up an Ice Rescue in the sensory table.  I froze arctic animals in bowls of water.  Students had to try to set the animals free using tweezers, water, and pipettes.

Painted Ice Activities and Experiments

Painted Ice Experiment! I mixed pastel paints for students to paint ice cubes with.  Luckily, we have a big ice maker, so I didn’t have to make all this ice by hand.  Here is how the ice looked when we began.  By painting the ice, they could easily see the ice melting, dripping, and mixing.

Two students took the experiment further by painting the same ice cubes.  One student questioned, “I wonder what would happen if we both painted the ice cubes?”

Then the ice really started to melt!  It was a fun activity for students to observe change.  They noticed how the paint got lighter as the ice melted, commented on how the colors mixed together to make new colors, and how the paint made the ice melt faster.

This is the ice about an hour after we started.  You may be wondering:  did her preschool students spend an hour painting ice?  Well, no.  Students took turns painting the ice.  Students could paint the ice for as little or as long as they wanted to.  It was an engaging ice activities and experiments for the kids (and the teachers)!

We also had a tray of ice that we painted with warm colors.  Students compared the two trays of ice throughout the experiment.

Ice Activities and Experiments for the Science Table

Ice and Snow Science Center!  Set up a fabulous science center so students can explore and investigate ice and snow independently during center time. Put up real photos, snowflake posters, magnifying glasses, and measuring cubes! Students can examine real photos of snowflakes up close, measure them, match them, and sort them by size.

Watch Me Melt Snowman Experiment! Make a snowman by freezing water balloons overnight. Then, peel off the balloon so you can create an ice snowman. Put it on a tray to observe it melt and change as the day goes on. Measure it and record students’ observations just like real scientists do. Take and print photos so students can visually see how it changed. 

Making Snowflakes! Set up a fun symmetry and shape activity where students make their own snowflakes with paper or real pattern blocks. Students will develop their spatial awareness as they create the snowflakes. 

Ice Activities and Experiments for Blocks, STEM, & Dramatic Play

Building Arctic Habitats!  I wanted to set up a place in my block center that invited students to build arctic habitats.  On the shelf are a variety of arctic animals, snow (white felt), water (blue textured foam paper), ice (jewels), and non-fiction books for students to use as a reference.  You can also cover blocks with foil to make them look like ice.  Look at all of the object substitutions that students are able to do with these materials!

Don’t you LOVE this arctic habitat a group of girls made?  They worked together with persistence for over 50 minutes on it!  I was so impressed.

Dramatic Play Skating Rink!  This month, we have changed our dramatic play center into an Ice Rink.  Students measure the skates for the skaters and count the money when skaters pay for food and skates.  Students are building fine motor when they scoop the popcorn into bags and use tweezers to put the ice cubes into the cups.  Students have to wait, take turns, use social conventions, and communicate with each other during their play.  The amount of social skills and language that occurs during pretend play is HUGE!  Pretend play is so IMPORTANT!  The ice skating rink is great for building gross motor muscles, too!  Students have to “skate” on laminated paper ice skates.  It is harder than you think.  I have also used paper plates for ice skates.  You can read more about our Ice Rink HERE .

Ice Activities and Experiments for Art

Painting with Frozen Paint!  I put paint into ice cube trays, added popsicle sticks, and put it in the freezer overnight.

I set the frozen paint out to thaw for about 10 minutes, and then we were ready to paint.  The only directions I gave were to pretend to skate the frozen paint around on the paper like when they were ice skating.  The paint melted as they moved it around on their paper!

I hope you love these ice activities and experiments as much as I did! Take the ice theme all about the classroom and learn about Polar Animals! Check out THIS POST for tons of ideas!

Need more snow and ice activities and experiments? Check out this video .

Love these ice activities and experiments?  Pin it!

Need more winter-themed activities?  Check out my Winter Theme Pinterest board for more inspiration.

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I’m Jackie, your go-to girl for early childhood inspiration and research-based curriculum. 

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10 Extremely Cool Arctic Animal Activities for Preschool Kids

Though cold and desolate, the Arctic Region is known to be a sanctuary for many animals despite its extreme weather conditions. Most of these animals are built to adapt to these ice-cold situations.

1. Reading Books About Arctic Animals

A great way to introduce this topic to children is to build their background knowledge. What better way than to use books that present scientific facts on the different types of animals and their lives in the Arctic? 

Twenty books showcase the different animals, including endangered ones on the list. Some of these are land animals, while others live in icy waters. 

Next, it asks readers to guess who its mother is. As the reader flips to the next page, the mother of the baby animal is revealed with a description showing similarity or contrasting features. 

2. Arctic Animal Songs

These songs teach children the names and characteristics of the animals. This is a great idea to go with a Science lesson that focuses on a specific animal. 

This step will help children improve their gross motor skills as they copy movements. 

3. Arctic Slime

The use of snowflake confetti in different will allow children to compare their sizes and designs or even count them. This slime is also a great addition to centers. It is perfect for schools in warm regions where it does not snow. 

Add a quarter cup of liquid starch to incorporate it into the mixture. Stir this well until no liquid is visible. Now, knead the mixture until it is stretchy and no longer stringy. 

4. Making Arctic Animal Crafts

Glue together the seven craft sticks. Attach the two mini craft sticks on the back as support. Once the glue dries, paint it white and let it dry. Decide what animal to make-a fox, an owl, or a polar bear. 

5. Arctic Ice Sensory Play

Integrate sensory play with the topic of Arctic animals for children to have a deeper understanding of how these animals live in the colder regions of the world. This activity uses readily available materials but requires some preparation. 

Place a heavy object on one side of the container that can be easily removed once the water turns into ice. This step will create a depression in the icy land for the water animals, such as the orca and beluga whales, to swim in. 

Place the land animals, such as the polar bear, caribous, and wolves, on the ice. Put the water animals in the depressed part of the ice. Water may be added to keep the animals submerged. 

6. Blubber Experiment

Make the blubber in advance by placing a good amount of shortening in a Ziploc bag. Place this in a second Ziploc bag. Ask the child to place one hand inside the second Ziploc bag without directly touching the shortening.

7. Who Lives in the Arctic Coloring Book

This free coloring book shows different animals that live in the Arctic. This printable teaches about Arctic animals and helps children improve their fine motor skills through coloring. 

Download and print this free coloring book from the site. Cut the pages on the dashed lines. This will result in fourteen half pages. Staple them together on the sides to create a book. 

8. Arctic Animals Cut & Paste Book

This coloring book features seven different Arctic animals: a puffin, a snowy owl, an Arctic fox, a polar bear, a narwhal, a seal, and an Arctic hare.  

Each page has the name of the animals in dotted letters. Once the pictures are pasted, have the children color them. Finally, provide a pencil or a marker for children to trace the animal names. 

9. Arctic Animal Bingo

The Arctic Animal Bingo is a fun game that will help children be familiar with the different animals living in the Arctic region. Aside from fun, this activity will help children improve their scanning ability, focus, concentration, and vocabulary. 

The free printable comprises a title page, four pages of call-out cards, and four pages of bingo cards. The call cards are presented in two ways. Each page has six pictures of the animals-a total of twelve Arctic animals. 

Have children use a place marker to indicate that the picture was called out. The first one to make a straight line wins the game. The site recommends providing small prizes to winners, such as bookmarks, treats, pennies, or extra screen time. 

10. Arctic Animal Yoga

There are fourteen animal poses for this yoga session. Demonstrate how each of these poses is made. Help children correct their poses during this step. Provide room for errors, especially for those children who have just started with this type of activity. 

Conclusion 

Arctic animals are a group of wonderful creatures leaving in extreme cold. They can survive by a natural manner of altering their physical attributes. Let children explore how unique and amazing these animals are 

Let these activities help children be informed of the daily conditions and threats these animals face. Doing these with young learners will hopefully create awareness of the animals’ plight. 

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Arctic Sensory Bin for Winter

This Arctic sensory bin was a huge hit with the kids! It’s a winter activity lets kids explore the Arctic habitat in a hands-on way. I love when we combine science and sensory play all at once!

Make some fake snow and freeze some ice and you’ll be ready to make this fun winter sensory bin too!

We had so much fun with this  sand and water ocean sensory bin last summer and my kids have been asking me to make another one like it. But since it is winter, I thought an Arctic version would be perfect!

My kids love a good sensory bin and this one did not disappoint. They absolutely loved it. Even better, it led to lots of discussion about the animals and people who live in the Arctic. It was a fantastic way to touch on science and social studies while engaging in hands-on sensory play .

Make the Arctic Sensory Bin

This Arctic sensory bin is very simple to put together. You only need a few supplies and some time to let the ice freeze.

Supplies Needed:

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• Arctic animals toob
• Baking soda
• Hair conditioner – Hypoallergenic (avoid strong scents and pick one that is white)
• 12 cavity muffin tin
• Clear or blue craft gems
• Blue liquid food coloring (optional)

To start, make the snow and icebergs.

• Put varying amounts of water in each cavity the muffin tin and put it in the freezer until the water is frozen.
• Make fake snow by combining 6 cups of baking soda and 1 cup of conditioner. Mix them together until they are fully incorporated. *You can buy a 3.5 lb bag of baking soda for a couple of dollars and I used Suave Daily Clarifying conditioner which was also really affordable.
• Mix a few drops of blue food coloring with a couple of cups of water, if you would like.

Once everything is ready you can assemble the bin.

• Put the “snow” on one side of the bin.
• Then put the craft gems at the edge of the snow.
• Slowly pour the water into the other side of the bin. Some will seep into the snow. If you don’t want it to mix into the snow too much, use less water.
• Remove the ice from the muffin tins and place in the water.
• Then add the Arctic animals to the bin.

Now the bin is ready for the kids to enjoy!

Learning about the Arctic Habitat

My kids really enjoyed playing with all of the animals in the sensory bin. They knew that some of them lived in the Arctic, but others were a complete surprise to them.

This opened the door to lots of discussion about the types of animals that live in the Arctic and what their habitat is like.

They were also surprised to know that people live in the Arctic as well. We have plans to read books about the Arctic habitat and the people who live their so that we can get to know more about it.

Pair this activity with these books to add even more learning opportunities!

More Arctic Activities for Kids

Looking for a few more activities you can add to this Arctic sensory bin? Check these out:

8 Arctic Themed Preschool Activities

9 Arctic Animals Learning Activities

Eight Arctic Themed Preschool Activities

This month we got our first snow and it paired perfectly with our new theme in preschool: The Arctic.  We read a variety of picture books on the topic.  Students learned about snow and icebergs.  Arctic animals were introduced, along with the characteristics of these animals that allow them to survive harsh Arctic conditions. We also relished in these 8 fun, interactive, and educational activities.  Enjoy exploring the Arctic with us!

Eight Arctic Animal Activities for Preschoolers

If this is your first time, please join me regularly via  E-mail in the right sidebar, Facebook, Twitter @StayAtHomeEdu , and Pinterest .

Favorite Arctic Books

#1 arctic animals sensory bin.

I honestly couldn’t say who was more excited, myself or the students! This sensory bin was full of faux snow and Arctic animals figurines that I was so eager to introduce to the students.  

• Arctic Books (see above)
• Arctic Animal Figurines
• Water Dropper

Before introducing this fun Arctic Sensory Bin, the students and I read a few picture books about the Arctic.   The stories became an inspiration for the students’ play in the sensory bin.  Seeing the books come to life ended up being the most fun aspect of the entire sensory bin activity.

Once our reading was finished, and we moved towards the sensory bin, the activity came to life. The faux snow was a big hit! Students observed the dried snow granules as they grew after adding spoonfuls of water.  We explored the faux snow, which feels just like real snow, and found that it can also be packed similar to real snow.

This arctic animal activity also brought on an excellent discussion about the color of the animals and how their color can protect them from predators, again drawing from the books we read.  Learning about these animals from another part of the world was fascinating for the preschoolers.  They were proud of their newfound knowledge.

#2 “Snowball” Transfer Counting Game

This counting game exercises fine motor skills and practice numbers.  It might even serve as a snack when completed!

• Mini Marshmallows

In this case, “snowballs” are actually mini marshmallows.  Students sat down to the table and were presented with a plate full of mini marshmallows. I then invited them to use the mini tongs on their tray to transfer “snowballs” from the plate to their bowl.

But how many marshmallows to transfer? In the picture below, you can see that each student has a red dice with numerals 5-10.  Students rolled the dice and counted the same number of marshmallows to transfer, individually, from plate to bowl.

Once the bowl is full the game is completed. Students enjoy their hard work by eating the tasty “snowballs”.

#3 Arctic Animal Pictures With Labels

This art project encourages children to practice writing and vocabulary.

• Photos of the Arctic, for display
• Blank Paper
• Crayons or Markers

For writing practice one morning, I displayed several pictures of the Arctic and invited the students to draw their own picture.  Once completed, I pulled each student aside and asked that they share with me what they drew. I labeled their drawings as they shared.  It was impressive to see how well some students remembered the newly introduced Arctic vocabulary.

#4 Matching Animal Tracks In Playdough

Like the sensory bin before, the real fun of this activity came from bringing stories from the Arctic books to life.  

• “Arctic” Play Dough (playdough recipe with added glitter. click here for playdough recipe)

Students press the figurines into the “Arctic” play dough to form an animal track.  They had fun with this experiment and were able to match the tracks with the animal and then start all over again.  The activity evolved into playing out and retelling the stories with the animals in the snow. Matching animal tracks in play dough was simple (based around imaginative play and fine motor skills) and highly enjoyed by the students.

Here, William and his classmate are retelling the story from the book  Whale Is Stuck .

#5 Blubber Experiment

A well-known science activity that will teach students, first-hand, all about the way blubber keeps animals warm in the Arctic.

• Plastic Ziploc Bags
• Bin full of Ice Water

After a discussion about blubber, what it is, and its purpose, I placed a bin full of ice water on the table.   I also passed a bag of “blubber” to each student. The blubber was made in advance by putting shortening inside a ziploc bag (to save on clean up, add another bag after the shortening).  Each student put one hand inside their blubber bag.  I invited the students to first place their bare hand into the ice water and describe how it feels.  After the bare hand felt the water, the blubber hand can go in, and again the students describe what they feel.  Which hand was colder in the ice water?

#6 Video Clip: Arctic Fox Hunting Mice in Snow

More for kicks and giggles, I decided to share this with my preschoolers after my children watched and thoroughly enjoyed the PBS Documentary.  

Preparation

• Prepare a way to display and watch “Fox Dives Headfirst Into Snow” in your circle time area
• Gather students in circle

We watched the video twice.  The first time through I asked questions and explained why the fox was diving head first into the snow.  The second time was strictly for laughs.  It really is a funny clip that gets the preschool giggles going!

#7 Melting Icebergs Counting Game

This is a great activity that incorporates counting and fine motor skills.  Our group was very inspired by the results and a valuable conversation opened up about how ice melts.

• Bowl of Warm Water
• “Icebergs” -frozen blue water in plastic cups

Each student received an “Iceberg” in their bowl (freed from the plastic cup) with a bowl of warm water, a water dropper, and dice.  The game is to roll the dice and then drop the same number of warm droplets on the iceberg.  Watch how the ice melts!

#8 Arctic Animal Sort

During our theme the students spent some time learning about where different Arctic animals live.  We came to the conclusion that the animals could be found in the water, the land, or in the air.

• Homemade Nomenclature Cards from a book of Dover Stickers
• 3 different trays, labeled “Land”, “Water”, “Air”

Students sorted the cards by placing them individually in the three categories according to where they thought the animal would be found.  When the categories were filled, and the display was observed, we were able to examine the characteristics that allow each animal to fit into each category.  For example, Arctic animals that are found mostly on land have fur, animals found mostly in the water have blubber, and animals that fly (Arctic birds) have down to keep them warm.  We found that some animals, like seals and walruses, fit into more than one category.

Again, if this is your first time, please join me regularly via  E-mail in the right sidebar, Facebook, Twitter @StayAtHomeEdu , and Pinterest .

More like this from Stay at Home Educator

Arctic animal matching, sparkly mixed media winter paintings, winter theme preschool lesson plans, winter cookie cutter art, topographic melting snowman craft, fluffy paper plate snowman craft, snowflake themed invitation to play.

I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.

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Thank you so much for sharing! I loved the blue ice and cannot wait to do this with my preschool class!

This post was so helpful in planning lessons around Arctic Animals with 3.5-4 yr olds! Thanks!

We are working on the Arctic as well. Love some of the ideas you’ve got here! The matching animal tracks activity is so cute!

Great activities! Thanks for sharing!

I LOVE all the different ways your kids explored the Arctic! So many great ideas.

Thanks for linking up to TGIF! I featured this today here: http://www.123homeschool4me.com/2014/01/8-fun-hands-on-kids-activities-for.html – Hope to see you linked up again later today. Have a GREAT weekend, Beth =)

Wow, I love all of these activities! Thanks for some wonderful Winter Ideas — I can’t wait to try them with my son 🙂

Comments are closed.

How Do Arctic Animals Stay Warm?

In this activity, you will

head to the kitchen and pretend to be a walrus or a polar bear to answer the question: how do Arctic animals stay warm in the most frigid, freezing conditions on Earth?

Supplies Required

• Bowl full of ice water
• Rubber glove

The Challenge

Shortening is made of fat. In this experiment, it simulates the layer of blubber that Arctic animals, like seals, whales, walruses, and polar bears, have on their bodies to insulate them from the cold. It makes a huge difference, doesn’t it?

Let’s Experiment and Build!

Instructions.

• Place a bare finger in the bowl of ice water. Count how many seconds you can stand to leave it there before it gets too cold.
• Pull your finger out and warm it up.
• Get some help to coat one finger with a thick layer of shortening. Be sure that no skin is visible.
• Place the shortening-covered finger in the ice water and measure how long you can leave it there now.
• Make some observations: Could you feel the cold water through the layer of shortening? How long did you leave your finger in the ice water?

Think about it and Additional Resources

Now Try This! Try coating a finger with other substances to see if it insulates like shortening does. Be sure to measure how long you can leave your finger in the ice water each time and keep track of the results. Some ideas to try include peanut butter, butter, a piece of bread, and whipped cream.

Share on social media: Record a video or take a picture of your activity and post the results online using the hashtags:

#ArcticAnimals #ProjectExploration #StemAtHome

Tag a friend and challenge them to do it, too!

For more activities like this one, go to www.projectexploration.org/stemhome. If you’re interested in learning more about Project Exploration and our free events, programs, and activities, please find us on social media and be sure to follow!

Call or text us for help: 312-772-6634

In these videos, you’ll learn:

• about animal adaptations
• about the big freeze

Connect with us

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• DIY lists /

10 Arctic Animal Crafts & Activities for Kids

Arctic animals are nothing short of remarkable. They have developed all kinds of marvelous adaptations to survive the frigid temperatures and harsh winds that the Arctic tundra is well known for. Some of these unique creatures have small extremities for heat efficiency, while others might have layers of body fat for insulation. Other adaptations include things like specialized winter coats to keep warm or an exceptional sense of smell to detect prey from far away. To help your kiddo learn more about this amazing group of wildlife, we’ve put together this DIY list of Arctic animal themed crafts, activities, and science experiments. We’ve got an Arctic sensory snow bin to dig through, an adorable Arctic fox made from a paper plate, a STEM experiment all about blubber, an easily upcycled egg carton penguin, and much more.

Arctic Animal Crafts and Activities

(Ages 3-5 )

Who knew an egg carton could be turned into something so adorable? These Egg Carton penguins are a great indoor project for a chilly winter’s day. In addition to the egg cartoon, for this simple craft you’ll need some paint (white and black), paintbrushes, glue, wiggle eyes, and orange felt. Most eggcelent!

(Ages 3-4 )

This Shaving Cream Polar Bear is a sensory activity and an animal-inspired craft, so needless to say it’s totally awesome. Your kid will absolutely love making their fluffy new polar bear friend.

(Ages 3-8 )

These Pinecone Snow Owls are a real hoot . This adorable nature-themed DIY celebrates our snow owl friends and the great outdoors. What a great opportunity to bring a touch of the outdoors inside! They also make for a darling addition to your winter decor; they’re just perfect nestled up on your mantle or perched on the windowsill.

(Ages 5-8 )

This homemade craft has different textures and an awesome dimensional effect. If your kiddo is interested in origami or learning how to make 3D art this is a great one to get curious with. We just love its yarn whiskers, popsicle stick tusks, and wiggle eyes!

(Ages 4-14 )

If you’re looking to get your kid off the couch and moving this one is for you. Introducing… Arctic Animal Yoga! There are many yoga poses already inspired by animals, so our friends at Pink Oatmeal got creative and put an arctic animal twist on some favorite yoga poses. Cobra Pose is now Walrus Pose, Downward Dog is Husky Pose, Lion Pose is now Lemming Pose, etc! 

(Ages 4-10 )

Another easy winter time art activity for the win! This puffin card craft is a fantastic indoor project to do with your child on a cold winter’s day or as a playdate activity when your little one has a friend over. When they’ve finished their masterpiece they can use it as a card or hang up this amazing seabird on the fridge!

Sensory play is an awesome way to encourage your kiddo’s natural inclination to engage with their senses as they explore, create, and investigate. It’s not only a fun way to play, but also a great opportunity to  develop language skills, grow fine motor skills, and start to learn how to regulate their emotions. This arctic snow exploration bin also inspires imaginative play as well, which is incredibly important as well!

(Ages 4-8 )

If you have some white paper plates tucked away somewhere in this kitchen, get ready to pull them out! This is going to be a white Arctic fox for wintertime, but arctic foxes actually change color throughout the year.

Don’t put those paper plates away just yet- we’ve got another paper plate craft for you! Rocking paper plate crafts are such a joyful way to set your art in motion. All you’ll need to make this creation is a paper plate, wiggle eyes, crayons, a black marker, and a pair of scissors. Cute and quick!

(Ages 5-10 )

Here’s an ocean science experiment about blubber to wrap up this playful list of art crafts and activities about Arctic animals! Who knew fat molecules can be so much fun?!

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Get inspired.

Forgetful Momma

Secular Homeschooling

Mini Unit Study on Arctic Animal

My kids love animals, I love animals so focusing on homeschool lessons around animals is easy and welcoming, and something I know we’re all going to enjoy doing. This one is focusing on Antarctic and Arctic animal . I think we have such an interest in the colder climate animals after living through cold Saskatchewan winters ourselves.

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

This is designed more for younger learners, say grades k-2. But the beauty of homeschooling is that you can use a resource for your kids that are older than the recommended ages just by changing simple things. Like the books you read.

This mini unit study includes a slideshow presentation in PowerPoint and Google Slides too.

I have included two different reading lists from Amazon: one for early readers and one for more advanced readers, or older kids needing more information.

All About Arctic Animals – 11 Different Animals – Google Slide Presentation

We did this fun Arctic Animals science experiment a few years ago for the first time and loved learning from it. There is a lot of build up with you are about to stick your hand into a bowl of icy water, even when you know you aren’t going to feel the cold.

There are a lot ways you can take this mini study in your homeschool as a way to start learning about animals.

Learn about:

• Arctic Hare
• Beluga Whale
• Arctic Wolf

Arctic Animal Reading List

Arctic animal documentaries to watch.

• Night on Earth – Shot in the Dark
• Hold the Dark

Amazon Prime

• Antarctica: A Year on Ice
• Wildest Antarctica
• Explore the Arctic
• Under an Arctic Sky
• White Wolves
• Wonders of the Arctic
• Living with Polar Bears

Curiosity Stream

• Polar Bears
• Survival in the Ice Kingdom: Polar Bears
• Penguin Central

More Movies & TV Shows for You to Check Out

• Happy Feet (Cartoon)

Arctic Animals Flashcards

Arctic Animal TV Series to Watch

• 72 of the Cutest Animals – Episodes 10 & 11
• Doctor Oakley – Yukon Vet

Sign Up Here to get Access to Freebies and Special Offers

Arctic Animals – Science Experiment

Science YouTube Channels for Kids

Shark Buoyancy Science Experiment

30+ Easy Winter Science Experiments for Preschoolers

Categories Winter STEM Activities

Looking for  winter science experiments for preschoolers?  These science projects are perfect for preschool kids! One of my favorite things to do with my kids are STEM activities and science experiments. We love giving our science experiments a seasonal twist, which is why we have so many winter STEM activities for preschoolers here on STEAMsational.

Aside from writing, science is my second-favorite subject to teach. We didn’t do many science experiments growing up, so I love the chance to do more hands-on science with my kids.

Easy Winter Science Experiments for Preschoolers

 Here are easy winter science activities for preschool that will be the talk of your classroom.

If you love working with preschool science, try these preschool science experiments with a winter theme!

Supplies for Winter Science Experiments for Preschoolers

Make sure to have these supplies on hand before getting started with your preschool science experiments for winter!

Winter STEM Classroom Sets

If you don’t have time to gather the supplies yourself, you’ll love these winter science experiment kits for the classroom!

Most of these fun experiment boxes are designed for elementary school, but many of them touch on middle school science topics as well.

Weather STEM Kit

Snow Scoop STEM Challenge

Igloo STEM Challenge

Winter STEM Kit

Hands-On Winter Science Experiments for Preschoolers

Try these fun winter science experiments for preschoolers! It’s a fun way to bring science activities into the preschool classroom.

Learn to  how to make frost in a can!

Try your hand at  winter slime!

Your preschoolers will love learning how to do the snowstorm in a jar science fair project. Don’t be surprised if your kids ask to do this project over and over!

Check out these fun hibernation science activities for preschoolers to learn how some animals survive the winter.

Winter Teacher Shirts

Here are some fun shirts that teachers will love wearing during the winter months.

Winter Things Teacher Shirt

Spread Kindness Like Snowflakes Teacher Shirt

Proud Supporter of Snow Days Teacher Shirt

Reading is Snow Much Fun Teacher Shirt

I Need a Snow Day Teacher Shirt

Up to Snow Good Teacher Shirt

Supporter of Snow Days Teacher Sweatshirt

Winter Themes Teacher Shirt

More Winter Activities for Preschoolers

Here are more fun winter activities for preschoolers!

Penguin Winter Sensory Bin

P is for Penguin Alphabet Craft

Winter Fine Motor Activities for Kids

Preschool Winter Crafts

Animals in Winter Books

Here are some of our favorite books about animals in the winter and arctic animals!

Polar Animals

All about Animals in Winter

Over and Under the Snow

Hibernation

Polar Bears

Walruses of the Arctic

Snowy Owl Family

What do Critters do in the Winter?

Explore My World: Penguins

Amazing Arctic Animals

Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers

Birds in Winter

In these winter animal science experiments preschoolers will learn all about animals in the winter.

And preschoolers can learn about what animals do to adapt to the winter season with these animals in winter preschool activities.

Watch the video below to learn how to do the fizzing snowflakes science experiment.

Preschoolers will love this magical way to create ice from super-cold water. How does it work? Read the full tutorial on how to make instant ice in 5 seconds.

If you live in an area where it doesn’t freeze much, your preschoolers may like learning about rain and cold weather during the winter. Here is a fun experiment on what makes rain fall that preschoolers will love. Check out how to make a cloud in a jar .

Try making borax crystal snowflakes with your kiddos. They will have a blast doing this activity!

How amazing is this snow volcano experiment ? Preschoolers and toddlers will love watching snow erupt into colorful goo. 

preschoolers can learn about hibernation in these hibernation science activities for preschool.

What do animals do in the winter? Teach preschoolers in these winter animal science experiments .

Winter Weather Books for Kids

These STEM books for winter will teach kids about winter weather in a fun, colorful way!

STEM Through the Months: Winter

National Geographic Winter Wonderland

Watching the Seasons Winter

All about Winter Weather Book

Snow: My Incredible World

Curious about Snow

The Story of Snow Science Book

The Winter Solstice

Hello Winter Science Book

Her is an entire preschool unit study based around  the scientific study of animals’ winter habits. Even my 8-year-old would love learning about how different animals do different things during the winter! 

If you don’t live in a snowy area (we rarely get snow), your preschoolers will love helping you may this  faux-snow dough from Huckleberry Love.

Here is a fun experiment that preschoolers will love from Mom to 2 Posh Little Divas.  What makes ice melt the fastest? 

What preschooler doesn’t like hot cocoa? Fantastic Fun and Learning has a  fun twist on baking soda and vinegar using hot chocolate.  You’ll probably want to also have some actual cocoa on hand to prevent a riot. 🙂

If it’s below freezing where you live, your tots and preschoolers will love blowing frozen bubbles. What Do We Do All Day offers  tips for making it work better.   

Here is the list of fun winter science experiments in jars!

Preschool Inspirations offers some helpful tips on how to  make a winter nature walk science-oriented.  Preschoolers will love searching for all kids of things outdoors! 

These colorful icicles from Housing a Forest would make an amazing and memorable science experiment for preschoolers about how ice forms!  Visit Housing a Forest for instructions. 

These study ideas from Inspiration Laboratories shows preschoolers  how to examine pine trees using the scientific method.

Try out some of these winter science experiments next time you have a few minutes to explore! You may all learn something new!

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Preschool Science Experiments for Arctic Animals

What educators are saying

Also included in.

Description

Are you a preschool teacher looking for an exciting and educational way to teach your students about Arctic animals? Look no further than these Arctic animals science experiments! These engaging preschool science experiments help bring these amazing polar animals to life in your classroom.

• Introduce your students to a close-up view of polar animals with real photographs and facts about the Arctic tundra.
• Sort polar animals by whether they have feet or flippers.
• Discover polar bears and learn how blubber helps keep them warm in the cold Arctic climate.
• Make predictions and test which material melts ice the fastest with an ice science experiment.
• Discover how a penguin stays dry.
• Play a game of memory to learn about the life cycle of a puffin.
• Watch Arctic animals camouflage in the winter and summer.

These Arctic animal science experiments offer an imaginative way for your students to explore all these creatures have to offer!

These polar animal science activities include (in color only):

• photograph of Arctic tundra/Antarctic tundra
• photographs of polar animals (polar bear, penguin, snowy owl, Arctic fox, puffin, narwhal, walrus, Arctic hare, seal, lemming, wolf, moose)
• Arctic animals feet versus flippers sort
• blubber experiment
• penguin experiment
• ice melting experiment predictions page, experiment page, and results chart
• life cycle of a puffin poster and game
• Arctic animal camouflage activity

Materials needed for these Arctic science experiments:

• Optional: Velcro dots
• bowl of ice water
• 2 plastic bags
• substances to test (sand, water, sugar, salt, and baking soda)
• transparency or sealed lamination pouch

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ BUNDLE & SAVE ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Polar Animal Activities for Preschoolers

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❤️ More THEMED PRESCHOOL ACTIVITIES!

• Nocturnal Animals

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