Build a Squirrel Habitat STEM Challenge Pre-k and Kindergarten Spring Activity

Make spring STEM time meaningful with this Pre-K squirrel habitat lesson inspired by Nuts to You!

This hands-on preschool animal homes STEM activity invites little learners to design and build a safe, cozy home for a squirrel while exploring habitats, problem-solving, and early engineering.

Perfect for Pre-K, preschool, and kindergarten science or STEM lessons, this low-prep activity helps students connect books, animals, and building in an engaging way.

What Students Do

• Learn about where squirrels live and why animals need homes to stay safe, warm, and protected.
• Build a squirrel home using simple classroom materials like craft sticks, cardboard, tubes, leaves, and cotton balls.
• Create a design that is big enough for the squirrel, stays standing, and keeps the squirrel safe.
• Draw and share what they discovered after building.
• Complete a simple maze extension activity to help the squirrel find a nut.

What’s Included

• Teacher instructions with materials, setup ideas, and lesson tips
• Student challenge letter
• Ask, Imagine, and Plan page
• “Draw what you discovered” recording page
• Squirrel maze extension activity
• Visual direction cards
• Engineering Design Process posters
• Materials lists and Canva lesson slides link

Perfect For

• Pre-K and kindergarten animal habitat lessons
• Read-aloud extensions for Nuts to You!
• Spring science or STEM centers
• Lessons on animals and their environments

This squirrel habitat lesson is an easy, hands-on way to help young learners explore animal homes, habitats, and early engineering through play and creativity.

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