— September 30, 2024

Owls eat their prey whole. Bones, fur and all. Yet they cannot digest these parts. So what happens to them? They regurgitate them in the form of an owl pellet. A decent sized ball of fur that has little bone surprises hidden inside. From spinal cords to skulls and hip bones, entire rodent skeletons can be discovered. 

This activity is only one of a week of themed lessons for preschoolers in homeschool. Oo is for Owl is full of book suggestions, coloring pages, printables, and more. It’s all available free, click the button below to learn more. 

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Before beginning the owl activity.

Gather supplies.

I have ordered these owl pellets several times and have yet to be disappointed. There are usually 2-3 rodents in one pellet, skull intact and all. Additionally, I like to provide my boys with kids size gloves, safety glasses, and tweezers.

The safety materials are unnecessary because the owl pellets are heat treated to make them safe. But when we do science in our homeschool I like to set up a lab environment to encourage my children to follow safety precautions. No matter what you decide, knowing the nature of the product, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after. Whether you wear gloves or not.

Read living books themed about owls. 

The Barn Owls by Tony Johnston is an excellent book to kick start this activity. The book subtly suggests an owl’s habits, habitat, and diet without being like a textbook. More book suggestions are at Oo is for Owl and include whimsical selections as well.

Next, prepare the space and equip your child. 

Prepare the space

This can get messy because of the fur that has to be pulled away. I suggest having your child work over plates and providing a separate plate for the bones that are discovered. That way fur all accumulates on a larger plate underneath and bones can be placed together to be identified on a smaller plate. Keep the pamphlet that came with the pellets handy because you and your child can compare skulls to see which type of rodent or bird was eaten. 

Discover the hidden surprises inside the pellets.

Gloves on? Safety glasses on? Now your child is ready to go. Dive into the pellets gently. It will take some firm prying apart but once opened, slowly picking away the fur and bones is easy for your child. 

Some bones are easier to identify than others. The skulls and spinal cords were of particular interest to my kiddos. As well as the hip bones. The other bones were so small the boys placed them with the other bones but did not take much interest until we reassembled a skeleton.

Using the pamphlet you and your child can make an educated guess on which type of rodent was eaten. A shrew, a mouse, etc. We have yet to find a bird’s skeleton which is also included in the pamphlet. 

Continuing the learning opportunities.

Once a pellet has been dissected, attempting to reassemble the skeleton can be intriguing for the older child. The pictures in the pamphlet can help guide you. Additionally, this is an excellent website for more details, with pictures, that your older preschooler may enjoy: The Barn Owl Trust.

Preschool owl activities for homeschool.

Dissecting pellets with your 3-5 year old is extremely beneficial for introducing the idea of the food chain in a play based way. I hope you enjoyed this activity, if so leave a comment on how your child reacted when they found a skull. 

Also, if you’re seeking more activities to continue the learning fun check out Oo is for Owl. Included are free printables for games involving nocturnal and diurnal animals, coloring pages for the letter Oo, book suggestions, and you’ll find a schedule too.

Letter of the Week reimagined for homeschool.

Oo is for Owl is a part of a 26 week free preschool curriculum for homeschooling your child. Each letter is themed such as Aa is for Apple, Mm is for Moon, and so on. Included with each letter are play based learning activities, printables, coloring pages, book suggestions, and more for each. And it’s all free! Click the button below to explore. 

Dissect Owl Pellets

Activity Instructions

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