This week’s theme:

The Mysteries of Animal Habitats

Fact of the day:

Some animals make their homes in trees. Wasps and birds live up high in nests, and squirrels live up high in dreys.

Resources list:

Paper strips; cardboard, string or wool, leaves and twigs; paper bag, printed squirrel image; blankets and cushions; brown paper, scissors, Sellotape.

Activity 1:

Squirrels live in holes in trees – they weave strips of bark, twigs and leaves into tight bundles to make a nest called a drey, and line it with moss and grass. Try some paper weaving or some nature weaving.  Or, make a paper bag drey for your own squirrel (you could download and print a squirrel here). If you make a drey you can share it on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter or send it to melanie@purplepatcharts.org and we’ll put it online for you!

Activity 2:

To make the drey, squirrels carry material to the site with their mouth and front paws; they bend stiffer twigs with their head and face; push other material into place with their legs; shred lining materials by holding them with their front paws and chewing; and shape the inner cavity by lying in it and turning around. Act like a squirrel to build a pillow drey – carry blankets, cushions, pillows, quilts and other soft things using your mouth and paws; move and bend it all into position onto a sofa using your head and cheeks, and shape it into a comfortable habitat by lying and rolling in it. Fingers crossed there’s no moss, twigs, bark or grass in your drey!

Activity 3:

Squirrels curl up tight in their dreys when they’re sleeping, like this. Try curling up tight – curl your chin down to touch your chest; curl your chin to touch your knees; screw your eyes up small; curl your fingers one by one to make a fist with both hands; curl your back to touch your toes with your finger tips; curl your toes; lift your right hand up into the air and curl it over your head to touch your left ear; do the same with your left hand to touch your right ear. Can you curl up into a ball?

Activity 4:

Wasp nests are very beautiful, see here. The Queen wasp chews up wood to make paper and then makes that into the beautiful layered nest. You could layer some paper and create a wasp nest inspired bowl, such as the brown paper ones here.

Add-on Activity:

Try an online squirrel jigsaw.