Frog & Toad Nature Study

I have such sweet memories of my mom when she was in this same stage of life as me. She had a knack for making things special, and even after all these years, those little efforts shape the type of mother I want to be. One of my earliest memories is of her taking us to a local pond to see tadpoles in there natural habitat. And for whatever reason, I have loved tadpoles ever since. As a kid, we spent summer evenings catching frogs in my grandma’s Southern Utah neighborhood, and just like with the tadpoles, those frogs in their natural habitat piqued my interest. We get toads in our backyard now, and I get more excited about them than either of the girls! Our zoo has a lily pond that was teeming with tiny froglets last spring, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them!

So, though I’m no homeschooler, the topic of frogs was one of the first I turned to when we were looking for a nature study to do last year. We invested in a few new resources, utilized what nature had to offer around us, and found every frog book the local libraries had to offer. The girls loved it and learned a ton. And with any luck, they too will hold onto the childhood excitement of frogs, toads, and tadpoles that continues to bring me so much joy!

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Resources

Clearly, I am not the only one interested in teaching my kids about frogs- there are a TON of great resources out there! Here are our recommendations​:​
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Books

Audio/Visual

Fanatical about Frogs by Owen Davey
Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman
Frogs: A First Discovery Book by Daniel Moignot
Frog and Toad collection by Arnold Lobel
Fabulous Frogs by Martin Jenkins
The Frog Book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Ribbit by Jorey Hurley
​Frogs by Gail Gibbons
The Frog Prince by Edith H. Tarcov
The Frog Prince Continued by Jon Scieszka

Frog and Toad Audible Collection
​Disney’s The Princess and the Frog Book, Movie, Soundtrack, and Story
​Brave Wilderness: ​Giant Screaming Frog
​Brave Wilderness: Deadly Poison Dart Frog
Brave Wilderness: World’s most Famous Frog
​​World’s Cutest Frog
Five Green and Speckled Frogs Song

Printables

Other Materials

Stephanie Hathaway Designs: Life Cycle of a Frog
Simply a Love: Frog Anatomy
Raising Up Wild Things: The Pond Homeschool Nature Study
​Habitat Schoolhouse: Ponds Education Workbook​
Princess and the Frog 2d Printable
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Frog Life Cycle set (or this one!)
Set of Frogs

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Curriculum

My girls are young, and these activities reflect that. When they get a little older, maybe we'll look into dissection (or at least this cute felt version!)... though maybe that's best left to their biology teachers. I'd also love to raise a tadpole with them, but I'm not ready to commit! Maybe someday, when they've been properly introduce to Harry Potter, perhaps we'll make our own chocolate frogs? And though the girls are a bit young to pick up knitting and crocheting, I am in love with this Frog and Toad knitting pattern (also available in crochet)! So I may just whip that up myself in the meantime :)

Lessons

Frog Life Cycle | Identify the stages of a frog’s life cycle. Learn how different types of frogs lay and protect their eggs.
​Frog Anatomy | Identify the anatomy of a frog
What is an Amphibian? | Define Amphibian and identify different types.
Frogs and Toads​ Venn Diagram​ | Compare and contrast frogs and toads
​Types of Frogs | Identify the different characteristics of various frogs. Our favorites are the Red-eyed Tree Frog, Poison Dart Frogs, Bullfrogs, the Desert Rain Frog, the Purple frog, and the Goliath frog
​Frog Habitats | From ponds to the rainforest, learn about the places that frogs call home
Camouflage | Define what camouflage is and learn how different types of frogs utilize camouflage to survive
Hibernation | Define what Hibernation is and learn how different types of frogs hibernate.
Fiction | Compare and Contrast the different accounts of the Frog Prince​
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Activities

Crafts

• ​Frog and Toad coloring pages
• ​Jumping Frog origami

Field Trips

• ​Visit local ponds to listen for frogs croaking and to look for tadpoles
• Visit local zoo to see exotic frogs and their habitats
• Utilize nature backpacks and nature journals to observe and note observations

​Recipes and treats

• ​Frog gummies and mini jaw breaker frog “eggs​“
• Tiana’s beignets

​Pond Sensory Bin