You are invited to download the snail pack – learning printables for preschool and kindergarten children. Use this resource with clear true-to-life images and photographs to create hands-on science activities for your students. Children will learn the stages of the snail life cycle, and parts of a snail, practice sequencing skills, and work to improve their concentration and fine motor skills. This resource will come in handy when exploring spring and summer units and learning about invertebrates and all the crawling creatures.

About snails
Snails are invertebrates that can be found in gardens, forests, and even in the sea. They have shells on their backs that protect them from harm. Snails move slowly by sliding on a trail of slimy mucus that they produce. They eat plants, leaves, and sometimes even dead animals. Snails also have an interesting feature – they can retract their bodies into their shells for protection. Some people even keep snails as pets and watch them grow and move around. Overall, snails are fascinating creatures that are fun to learn about!
During the summer months, snails tend to be more active due to the warmer temperatures and increased rainfall. This allows them to move around and feed more easily, making them more visible in gardens and other outdoor spaces. However, the dry and hot conditions of summer can also be harmful to snails, as they need moisture to survive. Snails may seek shelter during the day and come out at night when it is cooler and more humid. It is important to provide a suitable environment for snails, such as damp soil or a water source, to ensure their well-being during the summer season.
Snail life cycle
Snails are mollusks that undergo a fascinating life cycle. It starts with the hatching of eggs which results in the birth of tiny baby snails. These snails grow up to become adults and reproduce through sexual reproduction by exchanging sperm. Fertilized eggs develop either inside the adult snail’s body or in a protected nest. These eggs then hatch, and the cycle continues. Snails have both male and female reproductive organs and can often mate with any other snail they encounter, regardless of gender. The life cycle of a snail can range from a few months to several years depending on the species.
Snail hands-on learning activities
- Snail race: Set up a snail race by using a piece of cardboard or a shallow container. Place two or three snails in the container and mark a start and finish line. Let the children cheer the snails up, and the first snail to cross the finish line wins.
- Snail observation: Collect a few snails and let the children observe them closely. Point out their shell, eyes, antennae, and other features. See if they can identify the differences between snails.
- Snail shell collage: Collect a few snail shells and let the children use them to make a collage. Provide various colored paper, glue, and other embellishments to decorate the collage.
- Snail habitat construction: Build a snail habitat using a shallow container, soil, and leaves. Add in a few small rocks and sticks. Dress it with moss and ferns. Put a couple of snails in it and observe how they adapt to their new environment.
- Snail maze: Create a snail maze with wooden blocks, cardboard, and basic materials. Infuse the snail children’s creative expression to build different paths and obstacles. Watch the snails worm their way around the maze.
- Snail slime experiment: Introduce children to the slimy world of snails with this oozy experiment. Let them play around with snail slime by slowly crossing their fingers or hands in the slime to see how it feels.
- Snail shell sorting: Collect different-sized snail shells a mix in a container. Get a few cardboards and let the children sort the shells based on size or color.
- Snail counting: Use snails for a counting activity. You can do this one of two ways: Either put a specific number of snails in front of the children and ask them to count them, or blindfold children, and have them guess how many snails are in a jar.
- Snail trail tracing: Using a blackboard or a whiteboard, draw out different snail trails, from curvy to straight paths, and let the children trace the lines using a pencil that can help to develop their motor skills.
- Snail shell art: Allow kids to decorate their own snail shells using watercolors, markers, sequins, and other art materials to create colorful, personalized snail-shell art pieces.
parts of snail life cycle printable
Children aged 3-5 years old can benefit greatly from learning about snails, their parts, and their life cycle. They love learning about invertebrate creatures. This resource can be a helpful addition to your Minibeasts unit, and spring and summer hands-on activities for your preschool classroom.
Parts of a snail and snail life cycle printables are great teaching tools for preschool children as they help them understand the benefits of snails and their importance in the ecosystem. By learning about the various parts of a snail such as the shell, foot, and tentacles, children will be able to identify and recognize a snail when they see one. Understanding the snail life cycle, from eggs to adult, can help children appreciate the natural world and ecosystems. These activities can also encourage children to engage in more outdoor exploration and become curious about the creatures around them.

Here is what’s included
- Snail life cycle diagram
- Snail life cycle 3 part cards
- Snail life cycle coloring, cutting, and pasting worksheet (color and blackline)
- Snail life cycle tracing strips
- Snail life cycle information cards
- Parts of a Snail diagram
- Parts of a Snail diagram minus labels
- Parts of a Snail labels
- Parts of a Snail information cards
- Parts of a Snail tracing & independent writing worksheet
- Parts of a Snail student booklet (independent writing)
- Species of Snails 3 part cards
- Species of Snails information cards
- Snail characteristics color poster
- Snail characteristics black line poster
- Snail characteristics mat
- Snail characteristics color cards
- Snail characteristics tracing & coloring student booklet
- Snail characteristics student booklet
- Snail information poster
- My Book of Snails
- Snail Food vs Preditors sorting cards
- Snail anatomy diagram adjective activity
- Snail preposition cards

Bugs and Crawling Creatures - Children's Books and Learning Resources
Butterfly Unit Printable Hands-on Activities for the Montessori Classroom
Collection of butterfly themed printable hands-on activities. This resource would be a helpful addition to learning activities in the Montessori classroom. The pack contains cards, posters, student booklets, coloring pages and features real photos and true-to-life images. Some cards were made to match figurine toys. Pre-reading, reading, fine-motor, writing, sequencing, vocabulary.
Color Cards for Sorting with Insects Montessori Nature
Six sets of insect color cards (green, yellow, black, blue, red, and brown)
Animals Pollinators 3 Part and Information Cards Montessori Nature
Animal pollination is such a crucial part of learning about the plant life cycle and the importance of tiny creatures that inhabit the planet. You can incorporate this resource into your Insect, Pollination, or Plant Life Cycle Units.
Dragonfly hands-on activities. Montessori Nature
Dragonflies have such a unique life cycle from a nymph, molt transforming into a gorgeous dragonfly! This set of resources is a wonderful addition to the Insect and Life Cycle Units.
Dragonfly hands-on activities for preschool and lower elementary students.
Parts of a Honey Bee 3 Part Cards and B&W Student Booklet
Montessori cards with 12 parts of a honey bee and b&w student booklet for tracing and independent writing.
Spider Life Cycle 3 Part Cards and B&W Student Booklet
This resource is a very accurate presentation of the spider life cycle as it contains real-life photographs of every stage. The students can also practice handwriting and independent writing with the b&w student booklet for coloring and labeling.
Insects Minibeasts Bugs Toddler Picture Cards Matching Activities Editable
Twenty picture cards for toddlers containing animal photographs of bugs, insects and minibeasts.
These gorgeous picture cards are specially designed for little toddlers with rounded corners and clear and visually appealing photographs
Insects and Crawling Creatures - Fine Motor, Cutting, Pin Poking, Coloring
Insects and Crawling Creatures fine motor learning activities are a perfect addition to Spring and Summer Units. Children often get fascinated with little bugs and insects they can spot every day outdoors during the warm spring and summer seasons. This brings a perfect opportunity to engage their little fingers to develop fine motor and exercise finger muscles.
Types of Butterflies - Color Identification Clip Cards Montessori Printable
Clip cards with sixteen different types of butterflies.
Insects and Crawling Creatures Preschool Pack
Insects and Crawling Creatures learning activity pack for preschool children aged 3-6. The invertebrate animals-themed activity pack contains printables to create a wide range of hands-on experiences for young children.
Insects and Crawling Creatures - 3 Part Cards - Information Cards
Three-part cards and information cards with 27 different types of Insects and Crawling Creatures – invertebrate animals that young children often find fascinating.
Beetles Bingo Activity - 20 Different Bingo Cards Montessori Printable
Have your students learn to identify 19 different kinds of beetles with this fun Beetle Bingo activity. With 20 bingo cards, this game can be done with large and small groups of students.
Honey Bee Life Cycle - Nature Curriculum in Cards
Two sets of Honey Bee Life Cycle activities with student worksheets and Honey Bee 3-part Cards
Insects and Crawling Creatures Printable to go along with Safari Toob Animals
Animals included in the printable – caterpillar, dragonfly, centipede, grasshopper, housefly, ladybug, spider, honey bee, cockroach, scorpion, praying mantis, ant, and butterflies.
Insects and Arachnids Vocabulary 3 Part Cards Editable Montessori
Three-part cards are an excellent tool to help interactively learn new vocabulary and spelling. Classified cards can be used to enrich the child’s vocabulary, to develop reading, writing, and classification skills while broadening the child’s knowledge of the world. Create bilingual/multilingual cards for the students in your minority language with ease.

Big Book of Bugs
Big Book of Bugs—the up-close and personal book for young entomologists and all curious kids who are fascinated with bugs. Look right into a spider's eye and get tangled in its web! Marvel at the stunning pictures of teeny tiny creepy crawlies blown up to extraordinary sizes. Engaging annotations provide buggy facts and figures. Larger than life photographs of these bugs include locusts, caterpillars, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, ants, praying mantises, and more!

Are You A Ladybug? (Avenues) (Backyard Books)
Beginning with its title question, "Are you a ladybug?", this accessible book is perfect for reading aloud and tells young readers how they would experience life if they were a ladybug.

The Backyard Bug Book for Kids: Storybook, Insect Facts, and Activities (Let's Learn About Bugs and Animals)
Crawl into the wonderful world of bugs—a fun photographic adventure for kids ages 3 to 5
Take your child on an educational adventure bursting with the kinds of colorful photographs you need in bug books for kids.
The Backyard Bug Book for Kids has everything you’d want in bug books for kids: a story, pictures, and activities combined. Introduce your little one to the types of bugs they’re likely to see during their day, then help them remember what they’ve learned with fun, on-the-page challenges.

Everything You Need to Know About Bugs
Everything You Need to Know about Bugs is an interactive read that any child interested in insects will love! This interactive read is full of fun insect facts, an insect identification guide, and key information about recognizing bugs and creepy crawlies all around. Identify bugs you might see in the backyard or camping, and find out about bugs you've never heard about before — it's all in Everything You Need to Know about Bugs, your complete bug and insect resource.

ABC Bug Book for Kids
From ants to zebra spiders, there’s a bug for every letter of the alphabet! Meet a huge variety of our many-legged friends with this colorful book made just for toddlers. They’ll dive into awesome trivia about bugs—like what they eat and where they live—all while learning their letters.

Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Insects: Find Adventure! Go Outside! Have Fun! Be a Backyard Insect Inspector!
This fun, photo-filled, and fact-packed guide to insects will make kids stop and look for all kinds of these crawling and flying creatures right in their own backyards. From bees to beetles, walking sticks to inchworms, kids will learn how, where, and when to spot these animals all over the United States (and how to keep a safe distance when necessary).

The Bug Book
This fun rhyming story lists all the bugs you can imagine—creep bugs, climb bugs, sticky-slime bugs! Discover the vast world of insects in this photo-filled book.

The Fascinating Bug Book for Kids: 500 Startling Facts! (Fascinating Facts)
Have you ever wondered how many bugs there are on Earth? Or which ones can fly the highest? The Fascinating Bug Book for Kids is packed with 500 incredible facts about insects, arachnids, crustaceans and other creepy crawlies for hours of exploration. Find full-color pictures that uncover life as a bug, alongside trivia about termite towers, beautiful butterflies, cool cocoons, and more.

The Buzzy Bee Book for Kids: Storybook, Bee Facts, and Activities! (Let's Learn About Bugs and Animals)
Buzzy Bee, reporting for duty! With this book on bees, kids can follow along with a honeybee and explore everything that happens inside a beehive and beyond. They’ll see amazing photos, learn what makes bees so unique, and learn all about the jobs bees do to keep the hive happy and healthy.

Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)
A beautifully illustrated, informative book for children introducing them to bugs that creep, crawl, bite, fly, and more
From moths and beetles to worms and spiders, the world is crawling with fascinating bugs. The Big Book of Bugs is the first fact-filled book for children to explore the vast array of creepy-crawlies that share our Earth.

Learning About Insects (The Natural World)
This beautiful and simple label book introduces young readers to the names of different insects and their body parts.

Bugs A to Z
An essential A to Z bug book for young readers.
The perfect book for all kids who are fascinated with bugs. Simple text from A to Z provides buggy facts and figures. Larger than life full-color photographs of creepy crawlies include locusts, caterpillars, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, ants, praying mantis, and more!

The Weird and Wonderful World of Bugs: A Book About Beetles, Butterflies, and Other Fascinating Insects
Fascinating facts and up-close photos to delight bug fans ages 5 to 7
Calling all young bug enthusiasts! Come along on a journey into The Weird and Wonderful World of Bugs. Kids from ages 5 to 7 will learn all about the insects and other arthropods we call “bugs.” They’ll meet moths, bees, fireflies, spiders, and mosquitos in detailed, full-color photos that bring the bugs to life from antennae to abdomen. Entomologist Rea Manderino, PhD, offers scientific facts on every page, inspiring budding bug scientists to explore their backyards with new eyes.

National Geographic Readers: Ants
Ants are everywhere. They creep, they crawl, they climb, and they fall. But they get up and they keep on working. Ants come in all different shapes, different sizes, and different colors. And they do a lot of different jobs. These hard-working little creatures thrive wherever they go, making whatever adaptations necessary in their ever-changing world.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Little Kids First Board Book: Insects
Bursting with vivid photos, each spread in this sturdy book features a fascinating insect or spider, along with supersimple facts and lively, age-appropriate language to keep babies and toddlers―and their grown-ups―engaged.
Designed to be the stepping-stone to the best-selling National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book series, the Little Kids First Board Book series takes similar subjects and distills them down to the simplest nonfiction concepts for the youngest audience.

About Insects: A Guide for Children
This beginner's guide to insects is a must-have for bug-obsessed young learners as well as for those who are simply curious about these creatures. In this addition to the acclaimed About... series, author and educator Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what insects are, how they look, how they move, what they eat, and where they live.

Mrs. Peanuckle's Bug Alphabet (Mrs. Peanuckle's Alphabet)
Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bug Alphabet introduces babies and toddlers to all sorts of interesting bugs. Perfect to read aloud, this creepy, crawly adventure will engage children and parents alike with its vibrant illustrations and fascinating facts about bugs. Learning the ABCs has never been so bitingly fun!
Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bug Alphabet is the fourth title in a series of board books celebrating the joy of nature at home and in the backyard, from fresh fruits and vegetables to birds, flowers, and trees.