Reptile Awareness Day | EYFS & KS1 Activity Ideas

**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with Reptile Awareness Day. Reptile Awareness Day is an unofficial awareness day, often celebrated on October 21st, dedicated to promoting understanding, appreciation, and conservation of reptiles. It is supported by various reptile enthusiasts, educational institutions, and conservation groups worldwide. For official information and to learn more about reptile welfare and conservation, please consult reputable wildlife trusts, zoos, or herpetological societies.

Understanding Reptile Awareness Day in EYFS & KS1

Scales, slither, and hiss! 🐍🦎🐢 Reptile Awareness Day is an unofficial awareness day, often observed on October 21st. It's dedicated to promoting understanding, appreciation, and conservation of reptiles. This day serves as an opportunity to educate the public about these fascinating creatures, dispel common misconceptions, and highlight their important roles in various ecosystems. It encourages people to learn about the diverse world of reptiles, from snakes and lizards to turtles and crocodiles.

For early years settings, nurseries, preschools, childminders, and Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms, this day provides a unique and often captivating theme for exploring biodiversity, animal adaptations, habitats, and conservation. It's about introducing children to a different group of animals, fostering curiosity about their unique characteristics, and understanding why we need to protect them. This day offers fantastic planning ideas and inspiration for engaging activities that truly resonate with young minds, making learning about zoology and environmental stewardship both intriguing and respectful.

Why Is Teaching About Reptiles & Wildlife Important for Young Children?

Integrating lessons about reptiles and wildlife into your practice with young children (aged 0-7) helps their scientific understanding of the natural world, developing empathy for all creatures, and promoting responsible attitudes towards biodiversity. Learning about a diverse range of animals, including those sometimes perceived as "unusual," broadens a child's worldview.

• Biodiversity: Introduces children to a different class of animals, highlighting the vast variety of life on Earth.

• Adaptations: Helps children understand how animals are specially adapted to their environments (e.g., scales for protection, camouflage).

• Habitats: Reinforces learning about different environments where animals live, from deserts to oceans. Our 'Habitats' page is a great resource.

• Dispelling Fear: Positive and educational encounters with reptile information can help reduce unfounded fears and promote respect.

• Conservation: Even at a basic level, understanding that reptiles are part of the ecosystem can foster early ideas about protecting them and their homes.

• Observation Skills: Looking closely at reptile patterns, colours, and features enhances observation.

Engaging Reptile-Themed Activities for Reptile Awareness Day (0-7 Year Olds)

Make Reptile Awareness Day a truly slithery and engaging experience with these planning ideas and activities perfect for EYFS and KS1 children. The focus is on discovery, respect, and learning about these incredible cold-blooded creatures! Many of these early years and year 1 activities can be supported by the extensive range of printable resources we have available, particularly those on our 'Reptiles' and 'Animals' pages.

Here's some inspiration for exploring the world of reptiles in your setting: (Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken.)

• Introduce Specific Reptiles: Focus on well-known reptiles like iguanas, snakes, and turtles. Use our 'Reptile Posters' to introduce various reptiles. Dive deeper into anatomy with 'Iguana Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets' and 'Turtle Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets'.

• Reptile Art & Craft: Encourage children to draw, paint, or create models of reptiles, paying attention to their scales, colours, and unique shapes. Our 'Animals of the World Mega Colouring Pack include a number of reptiles.

• Turtle Egg Find Game: Engage in a fun activity with our 'Turtle Egg Find Game', which can tie into learning about reptile life cycles (see 'Life Cycles' page).

• Animal Sorting by Type: Have children sort animals, specifically identifying reptiles from other groups (mammals, birds, fish). Use our 'Animal Sorting Game/Activity'.

• Reptile Movement: Encourage children to move like different reptiles – slithering like a snake, crawling like a turtle, or scuttling like a lizard.

• Habitat Exploration: Discuss where different reptiles live (e.g., deserts, rainforests, oceans). Link to our 'Habitats' page and specific environments like 'Ocean' or 'Forest School'.

• Numeracy with Animals: Integrate counting and number recognition. Our 'Animal Number Multimats - Playdough, Whiteboard & Pen or Loose Parts' can be adapted for reptile counting.

• Zoo Role-Play: Use our 'Zoo Dramatic Role Play Pack' to set up a "Reptile House" within a pretend zoo. Children can be zookeepers or visitors.

• Literacy with Animals: Explore animal names and initial sounds with 'Animal Alphabet Horizontal Flashcards/Posters'.

• Display & Data: Create a display of 'Our Favourite Animals' using our 'Our Favourite Animals' Pictogram.

• Animal Welfare: Discuss looking after animals responsibly, even pets. Our 'Veterinary Surgery Role-Play Pack', 'Our Pets' Banner', 'Pets Word Mat', 'Pet Word Cards', 'Pets Colouring', 'Pets 2-Piece Puzzles' and 'Pet Descriptions Game' can support this.

• Ocean Reptiles: Focus on sea turtles. Our 'Sea Turtle Pack' is dedicated to this.

• Planning Support: Use 'Planning - Topic Plan Ideas - Animals' for comprehensive planning.

• Explore Related Pages: Visit our dedicated pages for a wider range of resources:

  • 'Animals'

  • 'Endangered Animals'

  • 'Fish'

  • 'Habitats'

  • 'Life Cycles'

  • 'Ocean'

  • 'Pets'

  • 'Reptiles'

  • 'The Environment'

  • 'Under the Sea'

  • 'Wildlife'

  • 'Zoo'

These activities offer great inspiration for making Reptile Awareness Day a memorable and impactful experience in your early years and Key Stage One setting, fostering scientific curiosity, empathy for wildlife, and an understanding of biodiversity.

To explore ideas surrounding additional early years events, please visit our 'Special Dates Calendar' page.

Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: ‘Reptile Awareness Day’

Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or Connected themes

More Early Years Event Pages for October

Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children

Browse our ‘Special Dates Calendar’ page using the link below. You’ll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!

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Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'Reptile Awareness Day'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by any specific founder or official organisation for this informal awareness day. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For official information and to learn more about reptile welfare and conservation, please consult reputable wildlife trusts, zoos, or herpetological societies.