Reptile Lesson Plan for Preschool

Reptiles are a fascinating topic for preschool aged students, especially when you have access to a live snake, lizard, or chameleon to share with your class. This lesson is geared for small groups, whole classes, and homeschool settings.

Paper Plate Snake

Cut a paper plate from the outside edge to the center, in a swirl pattern. Let students decorate their snakes on both sides with crayons and markers. They can finish off their snake with a piece of red ribbon for the tongue and a pair of googly eyes. Hang the snakes from the ceiling with pieces of fishing line.

Snake Skin Observation

Bring in a snake skin and let students observe it with magnifying glasses. Provide paper and crayons so they can draw the patterns that they see.

Snake Matching

Talk about how different snakes have different patterns. Color several pictures of snakes with different patterns and let your students match pairs of snakes. Next give them their own snake to color their own pattern on.

3-DTurtle

Turn a paper plate upside down and let students paint it any way they want. Cut a turtle head, legs, and a tail out of construction paper and glue to the bottom.

Turtle Shell

Make a turtle shell out of a paper box by turning it upside down and cutting out hole for the head. Let students crawl around and hide their head in their shell like a real turtle.

Crocodile Swamp Game

Set out a path of towels on the carpet on the grass with small spaces in between. Have students hop from "log" to "log" across the "swamp." If they don't land on the log, they will be the water with the crocodiles! This is a great rainy day activity to get the wiggles out.

Lizard Class Pet

Bring in a lizard and a terrarium to the class for a week. Let students observe the lizard thorough the week and teach them the basics of how to treat a lizard pet (don't knock on the glass, what to feed them, etc..)

Special Guest Speaker

Invite someone from a local reptile rescue center to bring a few reptiles to the class and teach about each animal.

Five Little Monkeys (And an Alligator) Song

Students will love this song about five mischievous monkeys and a sneaky alligator.

Five little monkeys swinging in a tree, (Hold up five fingers)
Teasing Mister Alligator, you can catch me!
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree! (Snap arms together like an alligator)

Four little monkeys swinging in a tree...

More Preschool Lesson Plans by Theme:

Dinosaur Lesson Plan

Outer Space Lesson Plan

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