Field Year
Sign in

Sample year. Nothing is saved. Sign in to make it yours.

Week 4Week 6

Week 5 · Oct 12–Oct 16, 2026

Bugs & Tiny Worlds

N,CWinnie-the-PoohFlight of the Bumblebee + samba
MonArboretum Nature PlayscapeTueCockrell Butterfly CenterWedHouston Botanic GardenThuChildren's Museum EcoStationFriHouston Arboretum

Illustrated film

Tiny on a leaf

Bugs are small. Look closer. Count the spots if you can.

Morning outing

Cockrell Butterfly Center

Museum DistrictMostly indoorTimed / ticketed

Indoor

Opens at 10 am on Tuesdays. Plan to arrive then.

Separate ticket from the museum halls.

Regular hours, checked Nov 11. Holidays and special events differ. Confirm before you go

COMPARE

Compare

Choose two butterflies. Compare size, color and how they fly. Count the spots or stripes on one wing if it rests. Write what you counted.

  1. 1Pick two real examples.
  2. 2Compare size, color, shape, sound, or movement.
  3. 3Count or measure one thing.

Warm, humid, and magical. Stand still and let a butterfly come to you. HMNS ticket includes this.

Rain plan: HMNS halls
Maps
Parents: books & supplies →Nanny: project setup & sessions →

Outing bag

0/5

Cockrell Butterfly Center · compare kit. Use supplies already at home; follow the venue’s rules.

If useful

Afternoon · nanny guide

Set out one activity at a time. Shorten or stop when the child needs rest.

Quiet

15–20 min

Listen, then draw

Set out: Parent-approved audio story or a familiar book · Drawing board or paper · Crayons

  1. After lunch and the bathroom, settle together in a quiet spot. Play 5–8 minutes of a familiar story at a low volume, or read it aloud yourself.
  2. Pause and invite one drawing of a character, vehicle, or place from the story. Drawing while listening is fine too.
  3. Let the child tell you about the marks. Write one exact sentence, then leave the books and drawing board available for quiet rest.

Try saying: “Which part would you like to draw? You can show me without using words.”

Circle

10–15 min

Read & explore N,C

Set out: Actual Size · Winnie-the-Pooh · Paper · Crayon

  1. Read Actual Size together for about five minutes. Stop at one illustration and connect it to something seen at Cockrell Butterfly Center.
  2. Write N and C on separate cards. Model nnn as in nest; then k as in cat. Invite the child to trace one with a finger and find it on the book cover. Point to it yourself if help is needed.
  3. Read a short passage from Winnie-the-Pooh for 3–5 minutes, stopping at a natural break. If attention fades, switch back to looking at pictures. Mark the place for tomorrow.

Try saying: “What do you notice in this picture that reminds you of our outing?”

After Circle · clap three words

2–3 minutes with the nanny. Listen to each word, clap its parts together, and choose the number. Then return to the day’s Studio activity.

More play →

Studio

15–20 min

Build the morning comparison

Set out: 6–10 large blocks · Two paper mats · Crayon · An outing photo or sketch

  1. Recall two things seen at Cockrell Butterfly Center. Choose a pair with an obvious difference in size, shape, or number.
  2. Build one model on each mat. Line them up at the same starting edge and compare which is longer or taller.
  3. Touch and count up to five blocks in each model together. Add or remove one block and compare again; the adult can write the numbers beside the models.
  4. Photograph the pair and record the child’s words. If counting is hard, compare two towers of two and three blocks without asking for a number.

Try saying: “Which one is longer? How could we make them the same length?”

Late day

10 min together, then 30–45 min play

Snack, movement & free play

Set out: Usual family-approved snack · Water · One familiar song · Open-ended toys

  1. Wash hands and sit together for snack and water. Follow the family’s food and rest routines.
  2. Play a familiar song. Spend two minutes clapping its beat, then move slowly and quickly with the music. Pause it for a freeze game; let the child lead a turn.
  3. Offer two play choices, such as blocks or pretend play. Stay available while the child directs the play, without adding another lesson.
  4. Give a five-minute transition warning. Tidy one small area together and tell the parents one specific discovery from today.

Try saying: “Would you like to build or pretend? You can choose how the story goes.”

Books today

After lunch, offer two books and let the child choose. During Circle, revisit one favorite illustration and ask what happened first and next.

  • Actual Size — Steve Jenkins
  • A Sick Day for Amos McGee — Philip C. Stead
  • Dear Zoo — Rod Campbell
  • What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? — Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

Chapter read-aloud: Winnie-the-Pooh. Read for 3–5 minutes and bookmark the stopping point.

Full basket

Music

Flight of the Bumblebee + samba. Play in the car 2-3 times; one 5-minute listening session; one instrument/movement session.

  1. Choose one familiar song from this week’s music. Listen once at a comfortable volume.
  2. Replay it and clap the beat together. Invite the child to choose a movement for the chorus.
  3. Pause for a freeze game, then let the child lead. Finish after 5–10 minutes while it is still fun.

Nanny note

Write the day the way it happened. Parents read it in the journal.

Moments
  • 1.

Parents · Week 5

Procure books & supplies

Bugs & Tiny Worlds

  1. 1–2 weeks ahead: choose 2–4 books to borrow or order. Check home for project supplies, procure missing items, and arrange any tickets or reservations.
  2. Before the week starts: mark books and materials as ready when they are available. Tell the nanny where to find them and what is still missing.
  3. During the week: respond to the nanny’s requests for missing supplies or replacements.

Parents · procure for the project

clay bug habitat

Buy, borrow, or find the materials below before the week starts. Make them available to the nanny; the nanny prepares the pieces and leads the project.

Gather for one child

0/7 ready

Check home first. Quantities cover this project; substitutes are fine.

Gather at home
  • Find
  • Find
  • Find
  • Find
  • Find
  • Find
Buy or borrow if missing
  • Find

Books to borrow or order

Start with 2–4 picture books from this basket. Borrow from your library, reuse favorites, or order ahead. You do not need to buy all 15.

Amazon links search by title and author. Check the edition, format, seller and delivery date there before ordering.

  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon
  • Amazon

Chapter read-aloud: Winnie-the-Pooh

Find chapter book on Amazon

Nanny · Week 5

Prepare & lead the week

  1. Before the first session: check the materials, do the cutting, folding or assembly below, and set up the project bin during your workday.
  2. Each day: check weather and venue plans, pack the outing bag, set out books and music, and follow the daily nanny guide.
  3. After the activity: clean up, save unfinished work, and share one observation or supply request with the parents.

Nanny · prepare and lead

clay bug habitat

Use the books and materials the parents have provided. During your workday, prepare the pieces, set up the space, lead the sessions, and put the work away. Tell the parents if anything is missing.

Nanny setup · before the first session

  • Flatten a dough base on the tray. Cut large paper leaves and folded paper shelters; avoid small loose decorations.
  • Nanny: allow 15–20 minutes during your workday for setup before the first project session. Set aside three 15–20 minute making sessions; stop earlier if the child is ready.

Monday · 15–20 min

Start the project

  1. Roll a large dough bug body and press lines into it with a crayon end.
  2. Show one small step, then let the child try. Offer help with joining or holding pieces; accept the child's version.
  3. Put the work and remaining materials together on the project tray for the next session.

Thursday · 15–20 min

Build on it

  1. Arrange paper leaves and a folded shelter around the bug.
  2. Show one small step, then let the child try. Offer help with joining or holding pieces; accept the child's version.
  3. Put the work and remaining materials together on the project tray for the next session.

Friday · 15–20 min

Finish & share

  1. Tell where the bug rests and eats; move it through its habitat.
  2. Show one small step, then let the child try. Offer help with joining or holding pieces; accept the child's version.
  3. Write one exact sentence the child says about the work and share it with the family.

Keep for next time: Keep the project on a named tray, out of reach between sessions. Leave wet work flat to dry. Return reusable tools to the shelf after Friday.

Friday nanny note

A few lines for the parents. Nothing fancy.