Let’s Look for Tracks!

Animal footprints or tracks are one way to learn about an animal without actually seeing it. In addition to helping identify the animal, tracks can reveal a complex story about the animal. Tracks let us know that wildlife is alive and well. They also tell us about how an animal is built and how it moves.

Identifying and following a set of animal tracks is a great treasure hunt. Any season is a good time to look for tracks, but winter and spring are prime. Snow and soft ground create easy-to-find, distinctive imprints. Tips for identifying common wildlife tracks are available on the DNR website.

Try these simple ideas to help introduce animal tracks to your students.

Create a Track Mat
Materials: cloth of desired size (such as muslin or canvas), fabric paint, animal track stamps, paint brush

Instructions: Create an animal track scene. Stamp animal tracks on cloth as though animals walked across the fabric. Paint in trees, water etc. and stamp the animals tracks as you may find them in nature, i.e. duck tracks by the water, squirrel tracks by the trees. Share with your class. Have the kids tell stories about what they think the animals are doing, where they are going and what they might eat or where they might live.

Track Stories

Provide paper, animal track stencils, animal stamps, crayons and markers, etc. for your kids to create a visual story about animal tracks.

Sand Prints

Fill one tray with wet sand and other with dry sand. Provide children with a variety of objects for making imprints in the sand. Possibilities include different shoes (flip flop, tennis shoe, high-heeled shoe, etc.); plastic animals and other toys; or spoons, cookie cutters, and other kitchen utensils. Which works better: wet or dry sand? What else do children notice?

Track Art

Invite children to use their hands, feet or various objects to make impressions on paper using finger paints. See how many shapes and patterns they can make.