20+ Ideal Reptile Activities For Kids That Educate and Entertain!

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The last time my son was in awe of a reptile was when we watched ‘Jurassic World 🦖 and enjoyed the thrilling movie together.

The group of reptiles is huge, and several members of this group are quite popular ✅ with little ones.

When I was a kid, I deeply wished I could speak parseltongue like Harry Potter so that I could interact with snakes.

When we last visited the pet shop, my daughter wanted to keep a turtle as her pet. In fact, my son is very fascinated by chameleons and their wonderful ability to change colors.

Amazing Reptile Activities For Kids

Dinosaurs 🦕 are another group of creatures that are very popular amongst kids. My son’s favorite one is an Archeopteryx because it can fly.

My children become extremely enthusiastic 🤩 whenever I ask them to take part in a reptile-themed activity because they love reptiles. 

Meet The Reptiles

The reptiles receive a lot of attention in zoological gardens. There are several programs and initiatives being put into action all around the globe for the conservation ✅️ of these unique miracles of nature.

My children are equally excited and fascinated with observing reptiles like alligators, crocodiles, komodo dragons, iguanas, numerous types of lizards 🦎, and beautiful snakes in the zoological gardens. 

Does your little one know what the differences are between the two similar-looking creatures – a crocodile and an alligator?

If you get a lucky opportunity to enroll your kid in an educational workshop about reptiles at the zoo, then you should never miss that opportunity, in my opinion. 

The experience of learning about the peculiar lives of these amazing 🤩 creatures will be a fruitful one for your young ones. Moreover, my kids and I love observing the fossils of dinosaurs 🦕 preserved in the museums. 

Sometimes, we are fortunate to be able to visualize unbelievably beautiful dinosaur 🦖 fossils. My son also loves 🤩 visiting parks where the models of dinosaurs like Archeopteryx are displayed.

Chameleon Mosaic Art

Chameleons are famous for their skilled abilities of being able to camouflage with their surroundings by changing the color of their bodies. 

Why not make a colorful chameleon out of bits of colorful paper of various kinds of textures?

This reptile activity is colorful as well as a good sensory exercise ✅️ for young ones.

What you need- 

Several kinds of colorful papers ( crushed glitter papers, handmade papers, kite papers, chart papers, translucent butter papers, tissue papers, glossy paper, printed paper, and any other kind of paper you may like), a pair of scissors ✂️, glue, colorful marker pens, and water.

Steps: 

  • I ask my little artists to cut out all the different kinds of colorful 🎨 papers into tiny bits of irregular shapes and put all of them in a bowl.
  • In another bowl, I prepare a mixture of glue and water 💧 in the ratio of 3:1 for my little ones.
  • I take a huge chart paper and draw the diagram or outline of a chameleon on it using colorful marker pens or watercolor pens. 
  • I help my little ones put the mixture of glue and water on the backside of each piece of textured colored paper they had previously prepared with the help of a 🖌 paintbrush.
  • My little ones randomly stick these pieces of paper on the chameleon’s diagram or outline to prepare a stunning mosaic craft of a colorful chameleon.
  • I prepare four strips of paper to make the frame (or border) and stick them around the borders of the chart paper carrying the colorful chameleon.

Important Note: 

Always keep your little artists under your strict supervision while training them about how to use a pair of scissors.

Read Books About Reptiles

I have always been enthusiastic about marine biology, and any information about reptiles always grabs my attention.

I love teaching my children about certain reptiles’ peculiar behavior in the animal kingdom through picture books and encyclopedias. 

Moreover, there are numerous books available for young ones to learn about reptiles 🦖 and their characteristics.  

Here are a few reptile-themed books 📚 I would recommend for little ones:

Important Note:

I will advise all parents to strictly go through the contents of any book 📖 before allowing their little ones to read it just to be sure that the contents of the books are suitable ✅️ according to the age group of your little ones.

Watch Movies About Reptiles

The most famous group of reptiles are dinosaurs 🦕, and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly while watching ‘Jurassic Park’ with our family members.

Several animated movies, too, feature unforgettable cartoon characters of 🦖 reptiles. 

I always encourage my kids to watch documentaries and shows that tell us a lot about the life of reptiles in different corners of the globe. 

Here are a few shows and movies 🎬 my kids and I love to enjoy watching frequently:

Important Note:

I will advise all parents to strictly go through the contents of any movie 🎬 about reptiles before allowing their little ones to watch it just to be sure that the contents of the movies 🎞 are suitable ✅️ according to the age group of your young ones.

My Favorite Reptile Mask 

My son is a big fan of the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ and his favorite mask is a turtle mask. 

On the other hand, my daughter finds dinosaurs 🦕 really cool and has always asked me to make an Archeopteryx mask for her. 

We also made alligator masks last month. A mask is a funky craft item that gives us the opportunity to have enjoyable interactions 🤩 with our young ones.

What you need-  

Papers in bright shades of green (or any other color you like), wax crayons, styrofoam, acrylic paint 🎨, marker pen, glue, ribbons, embellishments, thread 🧵, and scissors.

Steps:

  • Firstly, I draw the diagram or outline of a turtle’s face on a rectangular sheet of white chart paper by marking the diagram or outline with dotted lines.
  • Following this step, I instruct my son and daughter to create a cut-out of it by cutting along the dotted lines with the help of a pair of scissors ( this fine motor activity should be a part of the regular activity routine of your little artists ). 
  • They proceed to color and decorate the turtle in any way they like, using ribbon, embellishments, and accessories. 
  • I cut two rectangular holes or slits in the cut-out of the turtle’s face ( where the eyes 👀 of our turtle mask are located) so that my little ones can see through these rectangular slits when they try on the mask.
  • I tie this turtle mask around my kids’ heads using a strong piece of yarn.
  • To make the turtle’s shell, I prefer to prepare a semi-circular (dome-shaped) piece of styrofoam using a cutter from blocks of styrofoam. You can also dismantle a cardboard box 📦 and create a dome-shaped shell out of it.
  • I create four slits along the edges of this styrofoam dome (two slits on each side). 
  • I pass a long thread through each of the two slits on each side and tie a knot in order to make a support by means of which my little one can hang this turtle’s shell on his shoulder.
  • My little turtles and I cover this dome with different kinds of colorful papers ( or only green shades of paper), glitters, stickers, ribbons 🎀 , and embellishments.
  • My little ones look like the most adorable running around the house wearing this cute turtle mask and shell. Moreover, my little turtles are too energetic 🤭 in comparison to slow ones.
  • You can also make a turtle’s face by joining two green paper fans to create a circular paper fan and then decorating it using cut-outs of eyes.
  • In a similar way, you can make dinosaur 🦕 or alligator-themed masks for your little ones too. My little ones find snakes a bit creepy, so snake masks are not popular in my household.

Pro Tip 

You can attach this adorable turtle mask to one end of a tissue paper or cardboard roll, place it on the tea table vertically, and use this whole turtle-themed set-up as a pencil ✏️ holder.

Important Note:

Kindly make sure your little ones do not hurt themselves while playing with a pair of scissors.

How Did The Tortoise Win The Race?

All of us have definitely read 📚 the story of how the swift rabbit 🐇 lost the race with a slow tortoise just because it was lazy and overconfident. 

After hearing this story, many kids were astonished at how the reptile famous for being slow won the race 🏁 with the help of its consistency.

This activity is based on this popular story and is preferred by all the young ones at home and at school events.

This reptile activity is a good choice for strengthening the counting abilities 🔢 as well as brushing up the motor skills💪 of your little tortoise fans. Moreover, this is a group activity, so don’t forget to invite your little ones’ buddies to join this game.

What you need- 

Cut-outs of rabbits 🐇 and tortoises 🐢( preferably animated characters like Bugs Bunny or Ninja Turtles), dice 🎲, loudspeakers or a good music 🎶 system, watercolor marker pens, and a bowl. 

Steps:

  • I teach my little racers to cut out diagrams or outlines of their favorite tortoise or rabbit 🐇 from printed sheets of various colors. 
  • I take measures to ensure these tortoise or rabbit cut-outs have dimensions big enough perimeters for my young racers to stand on them comfortably.
  • I position these cut-outs of tortoises and rabbits 🐇 in a very random pattern on the floor or the carpet. 
  • I cut out small rectangular pieces of paper 📃 and wrote ✍️ ‘Tortoise’ or ‘Rabbit’ on them randomly before folding them. 
  • I jumble up these pieces carrying the words ‘Tortoise’ or ‘Rabbit’ together in a bowl 🥣 and ask my little ones to pick up one piece at a time.  
  • If my little one picks up a piece with the word ‘Tortoise’ written on it, then they are playing the role of a tortoise and need to finish the race by jumping only on the cutouts of tortoises arranged on the floor.
  • Similarly, if they choose a piece carrying the word ‘Rabbit’ on it, then they are playing the role of a rabbit 🐇 in this race and need to finish the race by jumping only on the cutouts of the rabbits.
  • I play my little racer’s preferred nursery rhyme on the sound system or loudspeaker 🎶 at a suitable volume, and the iconic race begins.
  • The little racers must first touch the finish line by jumping from one cut-out (of their chosen animal) to another.
  • I control the nursery rhyme playing on the sound system and fulfill the responsibility to pause this rhyme ⏸️ at intervals of a few seconds.
  • The rabbits 🐇 or tortoises will be totally disqualified if they do not freeze when the nursery rhyme 🎵 is paused by me.
  • Ultimately, we count the number of tortoises or rabbits crossing the finish line 🏁 before the nursery rhyme ends. If the number of rabbits is more than the number of tortoises, then rabbits win 🏆 this race and vice versa.
  • We repeat the same process of choosing pieces carrying the words ‘Tortoise’ or ‘Rabbit’ from a bowl for the next round and proceed to another race.
  • Sometimes, when we are engaging in this classic race, we use a die 🎲 for this popular game and write ✍️ numbers from 1 to 20 ( or according to convenience) in ascending order on the cut-outs of the rabbits or tortoises.
  • Each player playing the role of a rabbit or tortoise will get three chances to roll a die 🎲 at the beginning of the race. They will proceed to calculate the sum of the three numbers appearing at each of those three instances on the top side of the rolled die.
  • Following this step, they move forward by jumping on the exact number of tortoise or rabbit 🐇 cut-outs identical to the sum of numbers they got after calculation. 
  • If the total number of tortoises who reach the finish line turns out to be more than the number of rabbits, then the tortoises will be the winners of the race 🏁, and vice versa. 

Turtle Sandwiches

My little ones are big fans of these turtle sandwiches 🥪, and we often make them at home. 

It’s a quick recipe promising amazing lip-smacking sandwiches 🥪 for your little ones.

What you need- 

Bread, Minced chicken, cucumbers, carrots, salad dressing, mayonnaise, lemon, biscuits, sesame seeds, salt, oil, tomatoes, and cheese.

Steps:

  • I boil a required amount of boneless chicken and mince it into a paste. I add a little bit of salt 🧂 or spices to it for the taste if required. 
  • Now, I cut the edges of slices of bread 🍞 with a knife 🔪 and flatten them using a rolling pin. I cut the edges further to prepare circular slices of flattened bread. 
  • I chop down cucumbers 🥒 , carrots 🥕, and tomatoes 🍅 into tiny pieces and mix them with the mixture of boiled chicken we had prepared earlier. I add a bit of lemon 🍋 juice, cheese 🧀, and salad dressing to it because my son likes it a lot.
  • I place a sufficient amount of this mixture on a flattened piece of bread 🍞 and cover it with another piece of flattened circular bread slice. I seal the edges using a mixture of flour and water. This piece will resemble a turtle’s shell.
  • I prepare the rest of the sandwiches in a similar way and coat all the pieces with butter 🧈 before placing them on a tray. 
  • I sprinkle sesame seeds on them and bake them in the oven until the turtle’s shells turn a little golden brown (like a toast of 🍞 bread). 
  • Our turtle sandwiches are ready to be served after we create the turtle’s head using an olive chopped down into two halves positioned right in front of the sandwich.
  • If your little one dislikes sandwiches, just cut a pear 🍐 or an avocado 🥑 into half and place it on the plates with the spherical side facing the ceiling. This piece will serve the turtle’s shells. 
  • Now, you can use olives to create the turtle’s head by placing it in front of this piece of pear or avocado. Sometimes, we also use two tiny candies 🍬 to form the turtle’s eyes. 
  • This reptile activity is also an amazing way of encouraging your little one to eat a lot of vegetables and protein.

Snake Crafts

As children, all of us were scared for a moment after watching the animated snake 🐍, Kaa, in the movie ‘The Jungle Book.’ 

Snakes have a lot of stories 📚 woven with them, serving as the main characters. These creepy creatures have been popular for several reasons throughout the centuries.

In fact, children are often fascinated 🤩 by the amazing flexibility of a snake’s body. Therefore, several kinds of snake-themed reptile activities are popular in schools and suitable ✅️ to engage in at home.

Here are a few snake activities I love to enjoy with my kids:

  • Paper Plate Snake: 

It’s the easiest way of creating colorful, three-dimensional snakes for my little ones. Using dotted lines, I take a circular paper plate and mark a spiral from the circumference to the center. 

My little ones cut ✂️ a spiral using scissors along the dotted lines and turning the paper plate accordingly to create the snake’s body. You can also cut one end of this spiral piece in a way such that it resembles a snake’s head. 

We add eyes and tongue to this spiral piece to create a paper plate snake and hang it from the ceiling. You can use the same procedure to create snakes using paper towels. Paint the paper towel snakes and wrap it around your little one’s arm when it has dried up.

  • Upcycle Old Spools:

I don’t throw away the old spools at home that have become empty. We pass a thread through these spools down the center of each one to create a long snake made up of spools. My little ones paint 🎨 it and add glitters ✨️ to make a shiny snake.

  • Pattern Snakes:

The peculiar patterns of slithery snakes’ skin are beautiful, aren’t they? I love to make paper snakes with patterns. I wrap a long strip of paper on a tire using tape. 

Now, my little one’s job is to rub both ends of the whole piece of paper on the tread patterns on the tire using crayons 🖍 of different shades. 

After my little ones have colored their snake to their heart’s content, I cut ✂️ the tapes, creating a rounded head and tail-like cutting on both ends of the strip. Our slithery friend is ready after adding a forked tongue and using two beads as eyes.

  • Necktie Snakes:

The reptile activity is an amazing way of reusing old neckties 👔 to create terrific snakes for my little ones. I just take a necktie and sew (you can also stick it using glue) the smaller end to close it. 

Usually, my daughter loves to tie a few jingling bells 🔔 to this end ( the tail end) to create a rattlesnake. We stuff the necktie with cotton or tissue paper and sew the large end of the tie 👔 close. 

I cut out a printed piece of a snake’s 🐍head and tied it to this end by means of a thread. We glue the eyes 👀 and the forked tongue to it to create the complete craft piece.

  • Long Straw Snake:

Do you throw away all the straws 🥤 after drinking your favorite milkshakes? This reptile activity will teach you how to make a flexible snake using those straws. I cut off a string (approximately 24-26 yards long) and tape each end. 

I guide my little ones to cut ✂️ straws into tiny pieces and thread them on the string one by one through the taped ends. We attach the cutout of the snake’s head decorated with glitter and colors on one end. 

We add a cutout of a tail on the other end with a few jingling bells 🔔 on it. My little ones move around the whole house with this adorable straw 🥤 snake following them around. 

Cotton Ball Reptiles

All of us love using spherical and colorful cotton balls (or pom poms) for peculiar and unique craft ✂️ activities. The group of reptiles has a bunch of diverse members who possess different types of bodies. 

Therefore, creating any form of craft using the various types of diagrams or outlines of these creatures is a very engaging reptile activity for young ones.

What you need- 

Different types of cotton balls (or pom poms), watercolors 🎨 , glitters, tiny ribbons, different kinds of accessories, embellishments, white sheets of paper, craft glue, and black marker pens.

Steps: 

  • For this reptile activity, my little ones usually dip the different kinds of cotton balls or pom poms in their favorite shades of 🎨 watercolors. 
  • Now, my little artists have two creative alternatives. 
  • Firstly, we can glue these colorful and different kinds of balls of cotton along the borders of the diagrams of the reptiles we had drawn on the white sheets of paper using craft glue.
  • Secondly, we can just imprint the impression of these cotton balls on the diagrams after soaking them in watercolors 🎨 to create terrific impressions of different kinds of cotton balls.
  • Following this step, my little ones utilize black marker pens to make diagrams or outlines of the reptiles bolder and more prominent over the impressions. 
  • We proceed to add glitters on the diagram or outline of the snake’s body, tiny pieces of ribbons 🎀 on a crocodile 🐊, tiny cutouts of crowns 👑 on the alligator’s head, along with accessories or embellishments ✨️ to decorate and provide a more vibrant impression of the reptiles.

This creative reptile activity will definitely be loved by your little artists.

Reptile’s Eggs In A Nest 

Making the eggs 🥚 of a reptile in a nest 🪺 is a viral activity in school as well as at home. Therefore, my little ones are always busy with various kinds of colorful eggs 🥚 they make with their artistic 🖌 skills to decorate our living room. 

This reptile craft activity is a handy way of recycling paper or plastic cups 🥤, glasses, and egg cartons that we usually throw away after our required usage.

What you need- 

Paper/plastic cups 🥤, egg cartons, glue, sand, discarded coffee grinds, salt, flour, water, a tub, bowls, paint (watercolors and acrylic colors), a microwave, accessories, twigs, leaves, dried branches, newspapers, and scissors.

Steps:

  • Firstly, we will make the reptiles that will guard our nest. My little ones just over-turn a paper/plastic cup 🥤 or glass, create two slits along the horizontal on the base using scissors, and insert a cutout of a tiny crown 👑 in it. 
  • My little ones and I decorate the whole body of this cup with watercolors or paint 🎨 and beaded eyes 👀 to create the face of an alligator. 
  • In the end, our cute little paper cup-crowned alligators are ready to decorate our living room. We proceeded to create Komodo dragons and crocodiles using the same process.
  • To create snakes, we crush newspapers 📰 into the shape of a twisted pipe and mold it into a spiral shape. We paint 🎨 its body with acrylic colors, adding eyes and a tongue so that it resembles a snake.
  • Now, we are going to utilize the egg 🥚 cartons that we usually throw away for this reptile activity by placing the reptile’s eggs in it.
  • To create the reptile’s eggs, we mix together a bowl 🥣 of flour, one cup of discarded coffee ☕️ grinds, half of a cup of salt, and one-fourth cup of sand in a tub. 
  • Slowly, we add water 💧 to this mixture and knead it to get a consistency similar to a dough of bread. My little ones and I create balls out of this dough using our hands. 
  • We usually dig up a hole in the center of this dough and put tiny accessories ✨️ inside it as a surprise before sealing it back with some amount of extra dough.
  • I always make sure that the size of these eggs 🥚 is suitable enough to place them in the egg carton.
  • We leave these eggs in the sun 🌞 to dry for a period of 2 to 3 days (you can also bake them for approximately minutes if you like). 
  • We paint the egg carton in shades of brown and yellow alongside decorating it with twigs and leaves 🍃 so that it resembles the nest 🪹 of a reptile.
  • We place the eggs 🪺 inside the nest along with the paper cup-crowned alligators, crocodiles 🐊, and paper snakes guarding the nest.

Important Note: 

Please make sure your little artists do not put any craft material into their mouths or injure themselves with a pair of scissors during this activity.

Origami and Hand-Painted Reptiles

Origami has been a favorite in our household, and we love to make unique reptile craft pieces using paper. One of the easiest methods to create terrific reptile paintings 🖼 with my adorable little artists is the art of origami.

There are extremely creative and engaging ways of making stunning reptiles crawl around by combining the spells of paper origami and simple hand ✋️ painting. 

I cut out the diagram or outlines of the palms ✋️ of my little artists on sheets of colorful glitter paper, along with the impressions of the palms dipped in 🎨 watercolors. 

We put details like eyes, tongues, and tails into it using colorful marker pens or paper cut-outs (like ribbons 🎀 or crowns 👑) to make a bunch of funky reptiles for my little ones.

Grain Sensory Reptile Activity

My little ones will never let me skip out on using rice grains, cereals, pasta, or wheat grains for reptile craft activities.

What you need- 

About 100 gms of rice, different kinds of grains, a box of cereals, different kinds of pasta, paint, glue, and paper.

Steps:

  • For this reptile-themed sensory activity, I place 100 gms of rice, different kinds of grains, cereals, or various pieces of pasta inside a transparent ziplock pouch and add vibrant, colorful, and bright shades 🎨 of watercolors to it. 
  • I guide my little reptile fans to press the pouch with their fingers to force the grains to mix well with the watercolors 🎨 and keep it aside in the sun 🌞for the mixture to dry up. After a few minutes, we have the required pieces of grains, cereal, pasta, or rice in our vibrant shades of bright colors. 
  • I use a colorful marker pen 🖊 and draw the diagram or outline of various types of snakes, Komodo dragons, alligators 🐊, and other reptiles on a piece of white paper.
  • I instruct my little artists to stick these vibrant pieces of grains of rice, wheat, dried cereals, or different pieces of pasta on it using craft glue (a straightforward yet beneficial ✅️ activity that promises to boost the focus and concentration of our little enthusiastic artists). 

Life Cycle of A Turtle

Does your little one know the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?

My little ones are taught about the lifecycle of a turtle in schools as well as in events organized to spread awareness about the conservation of these cute little creatures.

My little ones and I often engage in this simple reptile activity to learn about how a turtle grows into an adult. 

What you need- 

Colorful sheets of paper, scissors, marker pens, glue, crayons 🖍, and watercolors.

Steps: 

  • My little ones and I draw the diagrams of the various stages of a turtle’s life cycle ( egg 🥚, hatching stage, juvenile stage, adult stage) in the form of a flowchart on a piece of white art paper. 
  • We color these diagrams using crayons 🖍 and watercolors 🎨 before proceeding to label them accordingly. 
  • We prepare the cutouts of these stages, and I jumble them up in a bowl.
  • Now, my little one’s job is to arrange the pieces representing the different stages of a turtle’s life cycle in the correct order.
  • Moreover, you can also teach them about the different conservation measures we can take to preserve the population ✅️ of turtles. 

Important Note: 

Please make sure your little artists do not put any craft material into their mouths or injure themselves with a pair of scissors during this activity.

Fossils of Dinosaurs 

Dinosaurs 🦖 are an ancient group of reptiles that have been extremely popular with kids. 

My son told me he would like to discover a fossil 🦴 when growing up. We create dinosaur 🦕 fossils at home using dried pasta, clay, and sand. 

Sometimes, we use empty tissue paper 🧻 rolls or cardboard rolls for the same purpose. We paint 🎨 the empty rolls with watercolors so that these pieces resemble bones. 

We arrange them on the ground in a fashion such that they resemble the skeleton of a dinosaur 🦕 that lived years ago.

Pro Tip

You can also use clay to create snakes 🐍, lizards 🦎, alligators 🐊, or other reptiles.

Triceratops Hoops 

Triceratops are quite popular dinosaurs 🦕 with three visible horn-like structures on their skull. 

We often create a model of triceratops and play a game of hoops ⭕️ with it in the following way.

What you need- 

Colorful sheets of paper, scissors, a printed cutout of Triceratops (a big one), hoops, and glue. 

Steps: 

  • We prepare three big cones 🔺️ using chart papers of different colors by folding a semicircular cut-out along the diameter and stapling the two opposite ends of the semicircle together. These cones will serve as the horns of the Triceratops.
  • We glue these cones along the base to the cutout of a Triceratops using craft glue or tape.
  • I place this setup on the table and ask my little one to aim and throw hoops ⭕️ at those three horns from a distance of one meter. 
  • The one who manages to put the maximum number of hoops on the triceratops will win ✅️ the game.

Thread, Fork, And Spoon Reptiles

I decided to use the threads 🧵 and cutlery in my kitchen to create terrific paintings of peculiar reptiles.

I instruct my adorable little artists through the whole process of skillfully dipping a thread🧵 or a spoon/fork’s backside in vibrant shades of bright and eye-catching 🎨 watercolors. 

We proceed to press the jumbled impression of the thread 🧵 on paper to create an impression resembling a snake.

The impressions of the other items on a piece of paper in various patterns provide the impressions resembling the diagram or outlines of chameleons, dinosaurs 🦕 , lizards 🦎, Komodo dragons, or alligators.

My little artists and I add the final artistic touches by drawing the eyes 👀, tails, and other parts of each reptile utilizing suitable paint brushes 🖌, glitter marker pens ( to create bold borders), or by sticking tiny pieces of accessories like ribbons 🎀 or crowns.

Look For The Reptiles

Whenever we are on a jungle safari 🌳, we are always looking for peculiar reptiles.

You can also do the same at home, using a sensory tub creatively 💡 in this sensory reptile activity that is popular in every household. 

This reptile-themed 🦌 sensory activity is engaging just like a jungle safari 🌳 and ideal for all the young ones. All kinds of sensory activities have an assured important role ✅️ to play in the overall development of all young minds. 

Therefore, I will recommend this ideal reptile activity for all the kids out there.

What you need- 

A packet of flour, a bottle of vegetable oil, reptile-themed accessories and toys (including mini plastic models or crocodiles 🐊, Komodo dragons, lizards, dinosaurs 🦕, and turtles 🐢), a moderately sized tub, and a few twigs, leaves, and branches.

Steps: 

  • I ask my little safari kids to sit down, think 🤔 for some time, and tell me the names of any 10 reptiles that they know. If your little one is unable to name the reptiles properly, you can use a picture book or printed pictures of reptiles to teach them the names of different reptiles and their respective appearance.
  • I put all the plastic models or toys resembling those reptiles, such as models of Komodo dragons, snakes 🐍, crocodiles 🐊, lizards 🦎, turtles, and dinosaurs 🦕, in a transparent plastic tub. 
  • This tub of reptiles must definitely contain a well-mixed mixture of vegetable oil and a packet of flour. Moreover, I will recommend putting twigs, leaves, and dry branches inside the mixture while filling the tub until the middle. 
  • I instruct and teach my little reptile kids through the method of looking for as many reptiles as they can in the tub by using their hands and feeling the toys only, thereby giving a helping hand to their sensory skills in a proper way.
  • I also encourage my little ones to name the reptiles 🦖 one by one. 

Bubble Wrap Reptiles

We all have a pleasant time popping the bubbles on bubble 🫧 wraps, but do you know that these can be used as amazing supplies in craft activities? 

After popping all the bubbles on the bubble wrap, we often use them while engaging in reptile-themed painting and craft activities. 

I just guide my little wildlife artists to mix up pieces of bubble wrap cut in different shapes and sizes in vibrant shades of bright and captivating 🎨 watercolors. 

We proceed forward to press its imprint with a little bit of force on the diagram or outline of Komodo dragons, snakes 🐍, crocodiles 🐊, lizards 🦎, turtles, and dinosaurs 🦕drawn on a white sheet of paper to make a peculiar painting of a bunch of reptiles.

Let’s Make Lizard Skin

My son loves making a lizard’s skin; we often use this simple recipe.

What you need-

Peanut 🥜 butter, marshmallows, green food coloring, cornflakes, oil, raisins, frying pans, and spoons.

Steps:

  • I heat a frying pan by the flame and add half a cup of peanut 🥜 butter and a few pieces of marshmallows to it. 
  • I heat it until the mixture melts and proceed to add 3-4 drops of green food coloring to it.
  • I cover another pan with oil, transfer this mixture to it, and place it in the fridge.
  • After it has cooled down, I cut the mixture into slender and long strips. I add raisins or candies 🍬 to one end of the strip to create the lizard’s eyes.

Reptile Counting Activity

All of us have learned how to count by counting the number of animals in a group during our school days. Here is an engaging as well as beneficial reptile counting 🔢 activity for my little counting experts.

What you need- 

Cutouts of different reptiles like Komodo dragons, snakes 🐍, crocodiles 🐊, lizards 🦎, turtles, and dinosaurs 🦕 from vibrant sheets of textured papers, styrofoam, cutter, glue a few bowls, and colorful marker pens.

Steps: 

  • I prepare cut-outs of several Komodo dragons, snakes, crocodiles, lizards, turtles, and dinosaurs from textured papers using scissors. We write the numbers from 1 to 100 on these cutouts of different reptiles.
  • I jumble up all these reptiles 🦖 in a bowl 🥣 and ask my little experts to segregate the Komodo dragons in one bowl, the snakes in the next, the dinosaurs 🦕 in another bowl, followed by the turtles in the next bowl, and the crocodiles or lizards in the last bowl. 
  • I guide my little counting experts to count 🔢 the number of reptile cutouts in every bowl and then proceed to find the sum of all the numbers present on each cut-out of a reptile to discover the total sum of the numbers.
  • Sometimes, I also prefer to pen down ✍️ random alphabets (small letters and capital letters) on these reptile cut-outs 🔡 and ask my young thinkers to arrange the Komodo dragon, snakes 🐍, crocodiles 🐊, lizards 🦎, turtles, and dinosaurs 🦕 together to spell out a complete word.

Sometimes, after completing my daily activities, I am too low on energy to invest myself in preparing numerous reptile cut-outs. Therefore, I modified this reptile activity in the following way.

  • I just prepare one cutout each of a Komodo dragon, a snake 🐍, a crocodile 🐊, a chameleon 🦎, a turtle, and a dinosaur 🦕 for my little ones. 
  • I glue each of these cutouts to small blocks of styrofoam cut in the exact corresponding shape of each reptile cutout and tie them around the palms of my little counting experts using a piece of yarn or string. 
  • I prepare a chart 📝 with a blank column designated to reach the reptile.
  • Now, my little experts roll a die 🎲 once and try to recognize the number of the top because they have to fill up the column of the reptile designated in the first column with an identical number of impressions of the styrofoam cutout of that particular reptile dipped in watercolors. 
  • This reptile activity will brush up their counting skills ✅️ as well as the ability to recognize 🧐 different reptiles.

Reptile Scavenger Hunt

My kids and I love to make reptile pictures using all the vibrant flowers 💐, twigs, leaves 🍃, branches, and stones that we come across in our backyard after Spring opens its arms.

We use a leaf 🍃 to create the faces of Komodo dragons, crocodiles 🐊, lizards 🦎, turtles, and dinosaurs 🦕 and proceed to glue two colorful flowers 🌼 or stones to create the eyes of these reptiles. 

To create the tails of these reptiles, we use tiny pieces of branches or twigs. We place leaves 🍃 in the form of an ‘S’ to create a snake’s body and use stones to make its eyes. 

Make A Snake 

Remember how we made a snake with our friends in childhood by walking in a single file along curved paths like a snake?

We do it every time there is a get-together or occasion at home, and all of my son’s friends 👭🧑‍🤝‍🧑 are there to help us make a long line.

I use markers or colorful tape to mark the diagram or outline of the alphabet 🔠 on the floor and play a reptile-themed rhyme on the loudspeakers. The little ones move in a single file together like a flexible snake while tracing the alphabet’s diagram or outline on the floor.

Here are a few reptile-themed rhymes we love to play:

  • Hello, I’m a Snake
  • Sleepy Snake
  • The Dinosaur Song For Children 
  • 10 Little Dinosaurs
  • I Had A Little Turtle
  • Tim Tim, the turtle
  • Five Little Crocodiles
  • The Hungry Crocodile 
  • The Lady With The Alligator Purse

If you’re thinking about making a snake-themed cake for the little ones, then just place a few cupcakes 🧁 in the shape of an ‘S’ and cover it with whipping cream. You can place two candies 🍬 on one end of it to create a snake’s eyes.

Important Note:

I will advise all parents to strictly go through the contents of any song 🎶 about reptiles before allowing their little ones to hear it just to be sure that the contents of the songs 🎶 are suitable ✅️ according to the age group of your young ones.

Komodo Dragon Activity

Komodo dragons are peculiar and unique lizards known around the globe 🌎 for their large size as well as declining 📉 population. 

The overall number of these creatures is decreasing ⬇️ day by day, making it necessary to spread awareness about their conservation. 

Komodo dragon-themed craft activities are popular in schools, but I also like to teach my little reptile kids about them at home. 

We love coloring the printed diagrams of Komodo dragons with crayons 🖍 or watercolors and making paper Komodo dragons using origami.

Moreover, we also love to explore the astonishing facts 🤯 and characteristics of Komodo dragons that leave us wondering how diverse the fauna of this planet can be.

Pro Tip

You can conduct similar activities to explore the information about Iguanas, too.

The Color Game

My little ones transform into color-changing chameleons for this reptile activity. 

It is a simple activity where we play a reptile rhyme like ‘The Reptile Song’, and my little ones have to look for objects 🪑 that are identical in color to the color of the clothes👕 they are 

wearing at that time before I pause ⏸️ the rhyme.

Sometimes, we make a color-changing greeting card 💌 too. 

We cut out a chameleon’s diagram or outline from the center of the front page of the greeting card and place vibrant sheets of different colors 🌈 on the inner face of the greeting card’s front page. 

As we move the sheets, the color of the chameleon’s cutout also keeps changing.

Conclusion 

The group of reptiles is unbelievably huge and diverse. Hence, the number of activities we can engage in under this theme is also unending. 

I have just mentioned a few of those activities my little ones and I engage in to explore 🧐 the peculiar world of reptiles. 

Don’t forget to tell me in the comments 😇 how you like to explore the world of reptiles 🦕 with your little ones.

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