It’s a ZOO out there! Seals (and their sea lion cousins) are wonderful to watch. If you live near the coast, you can observe these animals in their natural habitat. Call national and state seashore officials about good viewing sites and seasons, and be sure to follow posted rules for your safety and the safety of the animals. Seals and sea lions can also be seen at many zoos and wildlife parks. Check in advance to find out when behavioral demonstrations or feeding times are scheduled, and

make sure to read Seals before you go. As you watch the animals, observe the following:• Does the animal have ear flaps?• Does the animal move on land using two flippers

or four?• Is it easier for the animal to move on land or

in water?• What kind of sounds does the animal make?

Reading Resource

Every title in the Ranger Rick Zootles series is designed to be used for fun and learning, and as a reading resource as well. The pages are written simply and address various stages of emerging literacy, and they encourage new readers to

exercise their new skills at just the right level. Reading Ranger

Rick Zootles together will provide “together time” for you and your child—and reinforce

vocabulary, comprehension, and early reading skills, too.

S is a relatively easy letter to learn to recognize. The letter pops up frequently at the beginning and the end of words, its uppercase and lowercase forms look exactly the same, and no other letter (except maybe z) looks much like it. Its main drawback is that some children have problems making the s sound. They have a hard time keeping their tongues behind their teeth, and their s sounds can come out more like th sounds well into elementary school.

The contrast between wet and drydry seems fundamental to childhood. It appears at bath time, through the spills of mealtime, and needless to say, during frequent diaper checks. Since seals inhabit the worlds of wet and drydry, examining their environment provides an excellent occasion for toddlers and preschoolers to explore these opposites.

• SealsWhere in the WORLD?Seals are also found on the coastline and surrounding waters of Hawaii, in the Mediterranean and Caspian Seas, and in Russia’s Lake Baikal.

Resource CornerSeals May/June 2020

In each pair of animals, one is wet and one is drydry. Can you tell which is which? Place an X underneath the animals that are wet. Place an O underneath the animals that are drydry.

Can You Spy...Can You Spy...WetWet or or DryDry??

Animals that live in the water get wet all the time. Other animals only get wet when they’re caught in

the rain, go swimming, or take a bath!

Seen at the SeashoreSeen at the SeashoreFun Pages

Copyright © 2020 by The National Wildlife Federation®

Seal starts with the letter “s”—and so do many other words, such as “sea” and “sun.” How many things can you find in this picture that start with the letter “s”? (Hint: Did you spot the seal?)

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Seen at the SeashoreSeen at the SeashoreSeals love to play in the sea.

Lots of other animals (including people) love to play in the sea, too!

Fun Pages

Copyright © 2020 by The National Wildlife Federation®

What ELSE can we DO?• A Sleek and Slippery Seal (p. 1) While swim-ming and sunning, the seals on these pages introduce the “s” sound. For a preschooler, writing an “s” is very satisfying—first curving to the left and then to the right.

• ZOOTLES TO-DO: There are many ways to practice writing an “s” besides using a pencil and paper. Spread shaving cream on the kitchen table, and your child can practice writing letters with her finger in the foam (it’s easily cleaned up). You can also finger write in a pie plate half filled with corn meal. Or draw giant invisible letters in the air in front of you. Stand face-to-face. You draw backwards while your child mirrors you.

• Suited for the Sea (p. 2-3) not only describes characteristics that make seals uniquely suited for their watery environment—it also simplifies the tricky distinction between seals and sea lions.

• ZOOTLES TO-DO: Ask your child to first pretend to be a seal and then pretend to be a sea lion. Who scuttles along faster? As a seal, your child can lie on the ground, push up with his arms, and try scooting along without using his feet. Then he can be a sea lion and let his legs help him move. The sea lion should be barking, but the seal only grunting.

• Seals in the Sun (p. 4-5) Perhaps because we’re basically land mammals, water holds a curious fascination for humans. Preschoolers in particular seem to crave water play. As marine mammals, seals enjoy the best of both wet and dry worlds—splashing through the sea, then lounging about in the sun. Have your child explore the concepts of wet and dry with the following activity.

• ZOOTLES TO-DO: On a warm day, take a pail of water, some sponges, and a couple of paintbrushes out to a picnic table, stoop, or the sidewalk. Your child can “paint” designs with the brushes or blob patterns with the sponges. Then she can watch the “wet” evaporate into “dry.”

• Spectacular Seals (p. 6-7) makes us take a fresh look at seals, with some eye-opening photos of some of the more amazing species.

• ZOOTLES TO-DO: Before you read the text, ask your child to make up names for the seals in the pictures. Can she guess which one is the elephant seal? Which seal would she like to be when she is angry, or when she might like to show off?

• Snow Baby! (p. 10-11) Harp seal pups are on anyone’s list of the world’s ten cutest animals. Perhaps the best response to the pictures is just to sigh, but if you’d like some more fun, try the following art project.

• ZOOTLES TO-DO: Color an arctic scene on blue construction paper using crayons (not markers). Far from your child’s reach, mix a half-cup of Epsom salts (available at the drug store) with a quarter-cup of boiling water. Using this mixture, lightly paint over any area of the picture you want to appear snowy. The next day the picture will be covered in frost. (For quicker results, dry your picture with a hair dryer.) Glue on some cotton balls to make harp seal pups, nestled in the snow.

• Pup Grows Up (p. 12-15) tells the tale of a young harbor seal. It gently allows your child to notice the differences and similarities between seal and human babies.

• ZOOTLES TO-DO: Seals rely on their sense of smell, just like our pet dogs and cats do. Play a smelling game by hiding things with sweet and stinky smells in paper bags and letting your child take a whiff to guess what they are. Try things like scented soap, a lemon, or even a dirty sock!

• Real Seal Scientists (p. 16-17) Lucky Samantha Simmons gets to spend her days studying seals. Although she says her work is not as glamorous as it sounds, she enjoys working with her scientific team, as well as spending time with wild seals.

• ZOOTLES TO-DO: Just like Samantha’s seals, your child can measure temperature—and without wearing a sensor on her head! Arm your child with a thermometer and first have her place it on a hot sidewalk and then later in the fridge. Try measuring the temperature of the air coming out of the air vent, then the air on the far side of the room. Help your child make a simple graph of her findings.

Otto:An adventure-

loving otter Allie:An intrepid hedgehog

If I swam as much as a

seal, I’d be in super shape!

Resource Corner