What is a food chain?
A food chain shows how plants, animals and humans rely on each other for food. We've been making the most of the festive season with these Christmas Food Chains.
Animals get energy and nutrients by eating other animals or plants. If one part of the food chain is affected, so is the rest. If there were no sun for the caribou moss to grow, reindeer would have less to eat, affecting humans in areas where reindeer meat is a common food.
Reindeer Food Chain
- Reindeers eat caribou moss
- Humans eat reindeers
Plants are known as producers. They get their energy from the sun. Producers are at the start of a food chain.
Consumers eat other plants and animals.
A predator is an animal that eats other animals. The animals that a predator eats are known as prey.
We're going to make a very simple Christmas food chain using stones.
What you need
Stones that can be drawn on.
Instructions
Draw each part of a food chain on a separate stone.
Can you put the stones in order or stack them in order?
Food Chain Questions to Ask
What do you think is at the start of a food chain? The predator or producer?
Producers are at the beginning of a food chain, and predators are at the end.
What is a herbivore?
A herbivore is an animal that eats plants. In a food chain, we call the herbivore the primary consumer. It is the first consumer.
What is a carnivore?
A carnivore is an animal which eats other animals. In a food chain, carnivores ( predators ) are known as secondary or tertiary consumers.
What is a predator?
A predator is an animal which kills another animal to eat.
Extension Tasks
Can you draw a food web?
Can you think of some silly Christmassy food chains? We've got some ideas to start you off.
Candy Cane - Elf
Mince pie - Santa
Carrot - Rudolph - Human?
Seeds - Turkey - Human
Festive food chain sheet
Print the food chain sheet, cut out the rectangles and arrows, mix them up and put them back together in the correct order.
More Christmas Science for Kids
Try one of our 20 awesome Christmas Science Experiments for Kids in my round-up post.
Or, how about one of these fun ELF STEM Challenges, now with a FREE printable!
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Last Updated on November 15, 2024 by Emma Vanstone
Vivabop says
This is a great creative activity to explain the food chain concept. It is always positive to make learning fun and easy to relate to.
Jayne says
Nohntig I could say would give you undue credit for this story.