I hope you can manage to squeeze these 3 fun outdoor activities into the final days of your week!
1. Hungry Ants:
The ants are back! And they are busy, busy, busy! Watching their busy work is fascinating and quite interesting. Each little creature seems to know exactly where and what it is supposed to be doing - and nothing seems to be able to stop them! They climb, tumble, flip and flop to get to wherever they may be going. In this activity see if you can attract them to have a sweet treat.
Grab 4 old containers or container lids from your recycling bin.
Place a little bit of the following substances in each container: salt, flour, sugar, maple syrup.
Place the containers out in your yard or near a known ant hill and watch the fun!
Watch closely to see which bowl will attract the ants. Why? How? Observe other insects too.
2. Be an Insect Inspector:
Use magnifying glasses to search for insects. You may also use nets or small exploration containers. Small plastic containers in which you punched a few holes are great too. Explore bushes, grass, and soil. Encourage your child to capture insects (gently) and observe them. Don't forget to release them before the end of the day!
3. Have a 'Bug Hunt'
What You Need:
A magnifying glass
A hunting ground: A backyard, garden, or local park
A notebook and pens for keeping track of what you find and where
Optional: A field guide to bugs and/or a smartphone
How to Play:
Start by finding a place to look for bugs. Backyard gardens or nearby green spaces are obvious places to start. Once you’re in the ‘field,’ explain the mission and offer some ground rules. Make it clear that they should be finding bugs, not touching them (this will help avoid any potential bites/stings). And let them know that the goal is to find and observe as many bugs as possible.
When you’re bug hunting, search as a team and in the same place. This way, you’re the one flipping over logs, stones, and objects, and you can ensure everybody is safe. Start with flowering plants ⏤ they’re essentially insect hotels when in bloom ⏤ before moving to areas of exposed soil, moist dirt, or plant beds covered with wood chips or straw. Don’t forget the grass too! Butterflies, bees, wasps and the like are among the most common finds, but when you look closer, you’ll likely to see an incredible variety of other insects that thrive by blending in ⏤ leafhoppers, aphids and more. A magnifying glass can be especially useful here, as some insects are just flat-out tiny.
For each bug that you find, have the kids scribble down some details about it, including what it looked like, how many legs/wings it had, where they found it, what it was doing, and what they think it eats. Have them sketch out a quick picture, too. (These are often hilarious.) If you’re having trouble identifying a bug, don’t worry — just snap a photo with a smartphone (or do a quick search), narrow the bug down to a more general group (beetles, ants, bees, etc.), and move on. The object remember is to find many bugs. Don’t get bogged down trying to identify each one on the spot — you can do that later around the computer.
Wrap Up: Taking kids on a bug hunt is a fun way to practice science: It gets kids observing nature, taking notes, and trying to understand a tiny piece of the world. And once kids get into hunting for bugs, they’ll likely make a habit of it. Or at least, hopefully, not scream: “Ewwwww, groooossss” every time the see a beetle.