May Kids Corner - Spring Activities
from the Gale River Cooperative Preschool
SO Many ways to explore and learn from nature!
https://homeforaday.org/blog/white-tailed-deer-fawn.html
May is a time of new life in the natural world and many animals are having babies in the spring. Spring is the best time for these babies to be born because they get a whole summer and fall to grow and get strong before the difficult winter sets in. Deer are one of the animals that have babies in the spring. Does, or female deer, usually have two fawns. Their best survival strategy is hiding and they are well suited to it. The mother deer will lick her babies head to toe to remove anything for predators to find right after they are born. She will also spend most of her time away from the babies, finding food to help her make milk to nurse them. We may find it very strange that the mother stays away from the babies but she’s actually protecting them. The fawns have very little scent when they are first born, and they have white spots on their coat. Both of these help them stay hidden and camouflaged. If the mother spends too much time with them, it could let predators know where to find them. The babies know to lay down and keep their ears down so they are harder to spot.
Once the fawns get a bit older, they act a lot like other animal children. They will play with each other once they are two weeks old and spend time with their family as older sisters will rejoin them. They will spend the summer and fall together, eating plants and traveling through the forest. Once autumn fully arrives, they will lose their spotted coat as they are strong and quick runners now. They don’t need to rely on camouflage.
If you get lucky enough to see baby fawns this spring, the best thing you can do is leave them be. Their mother is nearby and caring for them, but she can’t do that job if you’re around. Take a moment to appreciate the magic of spotting them, then leave them to grow up with their mother.
Want tips on how to explore fawns this May? Read below for ideas then head outside!
● Unlike many of the other kids' corners, this topic is one you don’t want to go searching for. Baby fawns are best left alone. But, it could be fun to pretend to be a fawn! If you were a fawn, where would the best place to hide be? Can you make your body low? Play a game of hide and seek and see if the “predator” can find you.
● Another fun activity is to search for deer signs. Deer leave distinctive signs that we can search for such as trampled grass, munched plants, and scat. If you see an oval of depressed plants on the ground, there’s a good chance a deer lay down there to sleep. Can you figure out where the deer are near you?
Interested in fawn activities and crafts? We’ve got you covered!
● Move like a fawn! Fawns are able to walk after just an hour but they are wobbly. Deer in general are what we call perfect walkers. They place their hind foot where their front foot was. Get on your hands and practice moving a foot up to your hand then moving that hand out front, then do it again on the other side. Are you wobbly like a fawn?
● Deer head craft. For this craft you need a paper plate, some brown and pink construction paper, google eyes and and a black nose (buttons or pompoms would work.) Start by decorating the paper plate face. You could color it or paint it brown, adding little white dots for camouflage. Then, cut out two ear shapes out of brown paper and again out of pink but slightly smaller. Glue those to the upper edges of the plate leaving space in the middle. Next, trace your hands on the brown paper and cut them out. Glue these between the two ears. Last, add eyes and a nose to your fawn.
Thanks to our partner, the Gale River Cooperative Preschool in Bethlehem, for helping our area parents get kiddos outside for fun no matter the time of year.
We can't wait to share the family fun we're planning with you. Keep an eye out in the coming months for announcements.
