Understanding Food Chains and a Fun Printable for Kids
We were discussing food chains recently with my daughter. She was fascinated by the concept and wanted me to tell her more about them. I made this fun food chain printable for her to learn more about how food chains work.
First, you might want to explain the basics of food chains to your child.
What is a food chain?
A food chain shows how energy moves from plants to animals.
Every living thing needs energy. Plants are at the bottom of the food chain. They are called primary producers because they produce their own food from the sun.
Primary consumers are animals that feed directly on plants. Secondary consumers are animals that feed on other animals. Tertiary consumers are at the top of the food chain. They are animals that eat both primary consumers and secondary consumers.
Understanding food chains is an important part of understanding how all of nature is interconnected. If your children see that birds eat insects, which in turn, eat plants, they will understand the importance of protecting the world around them.
Questions to Ask Your Child
- Every living thing needs energy. Where do you get your energy?
- Where do plants get their energy?
Food Chain Printable
The food chain printable includes two different activities. Print out the food pyramid and have your child paste the animals in the correct level.
The second printable is a set of nesting tubes that you can use to show how animals and plants are dependent on each other. My daughter enjoyed showing how the grasshopper eats the grass, then is eaten by the mouse, which in turn is eaten by the owl.
This post is part of a 10 Day Learning with Nature Series. If you enjoyed this activity, you might want to take a look at the other posts in the series.
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