Kindergarten Daily Reading Activities: Natural Wonders

Welcome to Natural Wonders. In honor of Earth Week, we'll provide five days of reading lessons designed to engage your child in an exploration of Earth’s ecosystems.

Day 1 Activity

Let’s Watch: The Polar Bears Watch the video The Polar Bears to learn more about polar bear habitats in the Arctic.

Let’s Read: The Desert What can you see in a desert? Let's check what's all there! Download The Desert

Take It Further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Project: Draw New Cover Art 

• Think about a new cover for the book The Desert. Plan the plants and animals to use.
• Draw your picture for the book cover.
• Share your book cover.

Research Connection: Make an Information Card 

• Write your own informational trading card for a desert animal. Work with a partner to find information online.
• Gather facts about where it lives, what it eats, and how it gets water.
• Write facts for your animal on an index card. Draw a picture of it.
• Share your informational card.

Family Support Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional Review & Extend activities together.

Day 2 Activity

Let’s Reread: The Desert What can you see in a desert? Let's check what's all there! Download The Desert

Take It Further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Hands-On Activity: Design a Cactus 

• Look for cactus pictures in books or online. Choose a
• cactus to make.
• Find different shapes of flat rocks. Turn the rocks into a cactus. Paint the rocks green. Use white paint to make a cactus design.
• Place your rock cactus in a pot.
• Make a label for your rock cactus. Write the name of the cactus. Share your rock cactus with the group. 

Response Writing: Write About the Desert 

• Take an imaginary walk through the desert.
• Write what you see on your walk. Write about the sounds you hear.
• Complete these sentences: I see_______. I hear ______.
• Share your work.

Family Support Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional Review & Extend activities together.

Day 3 Activity

Let’s Read: On a Reef Do you know what a reef is? Read this book to find out what animals and plants live on it! Download On a Reef

Take It Further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Project: Hide an Octopus 

• Draw and color a coral reef scene. 
• Draw a secret octopus somewhere in the scene.
• Challenge a family member to find it.

Response Writing: Write About a Coral 

• Use the book to help you draw a coral reef.
• Write or dictate about the animals that live there.
• Share with the group.

Family Support Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional Review & Extend activities together.

Day 4 Activity

Let’s Reread: On a Reef Do you know what a reef is? Read this book to find out what animals and plants live on it! Download On a Reef

Take It Further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Research Connection: Use Text Evidence 

• Reread pages 2–16 to find facts about reef animals.
• Use what you know from the book to draw one animal.
• Write or dictate one fact you learned from the text.
• Share your research with the group.

Hands-On Activity: Make “Coral” 

• Look at coral on pages 2–16, or search online or in nonfiction books.
• Paint coral with watercolors or colored glue. Before the paint dries, sprinkle salt on it.
• Share your paintings and explain how the salt represents coral.

Family Support Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional Review & Extend activities together.

Day 5 Activity

Let’s Review

This week you've learned about life in a desert and on a reef. Today, learn about life in a tree.

Let’s Read: How Does a Tree Help? All kinds of animals make their homes in trees. Children do, too! Download How Does a Tree Help?

Take it Further

Extend the fun with an activity.

Write a Response: Poem 

• Write a poem about the desert, a reef, or a tree. Use your words to bring this place to life.

Family Support Play 20 questions. Ask children to think about a natural place that they read about this week, such as the desert, the reef, or trees. Ask yes or no questions about the natural place. Try to guess the ecosystem your child is thinking of in fewer than 20 questions. Then switch roles.