As part of our Journeys topic, we have been exploring why animals migrate. We talked about how animals, just like people, need food, safe places to live, and the right kind of weather. When these things change during the year, some animals travel to new (and sometimes very distant) places, where it is easier to find what they need. We looked at a few different animals over the course of the week.

Butterflies

Butterflies need warm weather and lots of flowers for nectar. So, when the seasons change and flowers disappear, butterflies move to places where food is easier to find. The children were amazed to learn that such small insects can travel so far using their wings and the sun to guide them.

Zebras

Zebras migrate across the plains of Africa to find fresh grass and water. When the grass in one area is eaten or dries up, the zebras travel on together in herds to new places, where the grass is fresh and tasty.

Geese

Geese fly long distances in a V-shape formation to warmer places during winter. Flying together like this helps the geese save energy and stay together as a group. The children loved honking just like the geese, encouraging their friends to keep going. When the weather becomes warmer again, the geese travel back to the places where they build nests and raise their chicks.

Humpback whales

These huge ocean animals travel thousands of miles each year between cold and warm waters. In colder waters, humpback whales can find plenty of food like tiny sea creatures. When it is time to have their babies, they swim to warmer oceans, where their calves can be born and grow safely.

Through learning about butterflies, zebras, geese, and humpback whales, the children have started to understand that migration happens in many different environments: in the sky, on land and in the ocean. Even though these animals are very different from one another, they migrate for similar reasons: to find food, to stay safe, and to care for their young.

Migration shows us just how clever and adaptable animals can be as they travel across our amazing planet.