Animal Tracks Snacks!
To celebrate my upcoming book Step by Step, I’ve been brainstorming ideas for using it in the classroom, such as in this previous post. Recently, while browsing through Instagram, some creative posts under hashtags such as #funfoodforkids and #healthykidsfood inspired me into a flurry of scribbling. Wouldn’t it be fun to munch on some pepperoni paw prints or deer footprints in cream cheese “snow”...
To celebrate my new book Step by Step, I’ve been brainstorming ideas for using it in the classroom, such as in this previous post. Recently, while browsing through Instagram, some creative posts under hashtags such as #funfoodforkids and #healthykidsfood inspired me into a flurry of scribbling. Wouldn’t it be fun to munch on some pepperoni paw prints or deer footprints in cream cheese “snow”?
Scribbling down some #funfood ideas for snacks that look like animal tracks.
To briefly summarize the book, each right hand page has tracks made by a variety of baby animals including mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates. Each adorable (or at least intriguing) baby is revealed to young readers on the next page. The simple repetitive text and realistic illustrations make it an ideal informational book for PreK, Kindergarten, and First grade classrooms.
Cover and pages from Step by Step, a book of baby animal tracks. Click image to get freebie pages in my TPT shop.
The appetizing snack examples shown in the photos are duckling, fawn, puppy, and penguin tracks, which are easy to make. The paw prints are cut up pepperoni slices, the fawn track is an almond cut in half, and the penguin’s are pretzel sticks carefully “sawn” with a serrated knife.
Just a few of the yummy snacks you can make to tie in with animal tracks, baby animals, nature, wildlife, and similar themes.
The duckling tracks started as a square slice of cheese. Cut as seen below: gently slice horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Trim corners off as shown. I also cut off the pointy back part of the duckling footprint.
Duck track cheese cutting diagram (have you ever seen one of these before, lol?!?)
Here are some useful ingredients for making animal track snacks:
BASE LAYER Rice cakes • Crackers • Bread slices • Pancakes • Sliced vegetables such as cucumbers
STICKY LAYER Cream cheese for “snow” • Peanut butter for “soil” or “mud” • Butter “sand”
TRACKS Pretzels • Deli meats • Cheese slices • Salami • Nuts • Pieces of fruits and vegetables
Pretzel sticks, pepperoni slices, and, cheddar cheese make penguin chick, puppy, and duckling tracks.
You’ve probably noticed by now that these examples use non-sugary ingredients. But cookies, frosting, and candies could provide similar results. If you make any animal track snacks, please let me know because I would love to see what you come up with!
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Happy reading!
Loreen Leedy
Children's author-illustrator
Instagram: @loreenleedybooks
Pinterest: @LoreenLeedy
Facebook: @authorLoreenLeedy
Making Animal Tracks Step by Step
If you're planning baby animal, nature, or habitat themes for primary kids in your classroom or library, my new nonfiction picture book Step by Step will come in handy. The book starts with pages full of muddy paw prints and the question, "Who walks in the mud?” When young readers turn the page they'll find the answer...
If you're planning baby animal, nature, or habitat themes for primary kids in your classroom or library, my new nonfiction picture book Step by Step will come in handy. The book starts with pages full of muddy paw prints and the question, "Who walks in the mud?” When young readers turn the page they'll find the answer (a puppy.)
A puppy walks in the mud, that’s who!
The next page asks, “Who waddles to the pond?” It turns out to be a mallard duckling. The simple pattern of the text combined with realistic illustrations make it an ideal informational text for Preschool to Grade 1 readers (or readers-in-training.) It works well as a read aloud and for individual perusal. The back matter includes additional facts for kids to discover.
The book's first review has already come in and is very positive (whew!):
“...The simple, patterned presentation neatly imparts multifaceted information, and a handy, succinct addendum will encourage second and third views. Effortlessly enlightening.” Kirkus Reviews
I'm super excited that a board book edition of Step by Step for babies and toddlers will also be available. Though I've been in the children's book biz since 1984, this is my very FIRST board book. The official publication date is in May.
Let's brainstorm a few ways to use this book, shall we?
THEMES
• baby animals and their names
• animal tracks
• nature
• habitats
• doing things “step by step”
CONTENT
• tracks • footprint • paw print • toes • claw • walk • waddle • crawl • run • hop • dig • mud • sand • snow • mammal • bird • reptile • invertebrate • insect • crab • birth • hatch • egg • baby • grow
ACTIVITY IDEAS
• Whose Tracks are These? Cut sponges into animal footprint shapes, glue to corregated cardboard, then print tracks with paint. Draw a picture of the animal that corresponds to the tracks.
• Who’s Making Tracks? Trace around feet on construction paper, cut out and make tracks leading to each child’s picture on a bulletin board.
• We Learn Step by Step: bulletin board promoting perseverance, grit, staying on task.
For FREE printable activity pages that tie in directly, please click on the image below to pick them up in my TPT shop:
Thanks so much for reading and I hope you'll come back for more posts about children's books, classroom activities, educational resources, and freebies! >> Please subscribe on the blog sidebar if you get a chance>>>
Happy reading!
Loreen Leedy
Children's author-illustrator
Instagram: @loreenleedybooks
Pinterest: @LoreenLeedy
Facebook: @authorLoreenLeedy
Click the kitty to follow my TPT shop!
A hatching sea turtle. Click image for more info on Tracks in the Sand.