Blend Like a Chameleon Game
You and your child can experience the effects of camouflage firsthand with this simple experiment.
Before You Play
Explain to your child that chameleons have an amazing ability to blend into their environment by changing their color. This ability comes from special cells in their skin called chromatophores that are filled with different kinds of pigment. These cells work together to help the chameleon blend in with its environment so perfectly it is easily hidden! Learn more from this video clip, Chameleons on Target.
Materials
Directions
Use a ruler to create a grid of 2 inch by 2 inch squares on sheets of two different colored paper and the black and white patterned paper. Be sure to leave one of the duplicated color sheets intact.
Have your child cut out the squares according to the pattern and then mix up the squares.
Ask your child to close her eyes while you place the squares in a mixed pattern on the large colored sheet. There will be one set of squares that matches the background, and 2 sets of squares that do not match.
Once the squares are placed, instruct your child to open her eyes and try to pick up as many of the colored squares as you can in 5 seconds.
Record how many squares were picked up in the 5 seconds and their colors. Repeat the experiment (switching your child’s role between observer and picker) and at the end calculate which squares were picked the most.
Discuss why your child thinks the experiment yielded this result. Our eyes quickly notice sharp contrasts in color, so the your child will usually pick out squares that are not the same color as the sheet they are lying on. When animals like the chameleon use camouflage, they are taking advantage of the fact that when their colors match those around them, predators don’t see a contrast and they remain hidden.
Science