Go on a Critter Collection Adventure

Jul 23, 2018

Explore a natural setting to find the perfect critter to collect. Then, keep it safe in a temporary home your child creates.

Before You Play

Ask your child what small bugs and animals he might see if she visited a nearby forest or park. Then, ask him what might happen to these insects or animals if their natural environment were changed? For example, what might happen to a bird if the tree in which it lived was knocked down in a storm or cut down for lumber? Talk about the basic things all animals (and humans) need to survive.

Tell him that you two are going to go on an expedition, an adventurous trip, to collect a small insect or animal from his backyard or nearby park. He will need to do everything he can to learn about the animal’s natural habitat (where it normally lives), so that he can create similar living conditions to keep the animal safe.

Before you and your child go outside, make sure to discuss what kinds of animals are okay to collect for a few hours:

Insects such as ants, beetles, butterflies, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and ladybugs
Earthworms
Small frogs or toads
Small fish (as long as they are put in water immediately)
Snails
Slugs
Crawfish

Materials

Natural setting (backyard, park, pond, or seashore)
Clothing that protects arms and legs (long sleeves and long pants tucked in socks to prevent scratches from plants and insect bites; a hat and sunscreen, if walking in sunny weather)
Permanent marker
Thick plastic bags or plastic containers, a rubber band, and a small net with fine mesh (such as the kind used with an aquarium)
Pad and pencil
Clear plastic jar with breathing holes poked in on the top

Directions

Remind your child what his goal is. It’s important that your child understand that once he takes any animal out of its natural habitat, he is responsible for taking care of it and safely returning it later. Explain to your child that animals that normally live in water, for example, won’t live long if they are removed from it. Also point out that animals that live in salt water will die if transferred to fresh water (and vice versa).

Dress appropriately for a nature hike. (See guidelines above.) Go to a local natural area and look for a possible animal to collect. When your child finds an animal he might want to collect for the day, have him use a pad to sketch a picture of the animal’s nature home. Ask, “Do plants live there?” and “Can you tell what the animal likes to eat?”

Help your child collect a small animal, using a plastic bag or small plastic containers to hold it.

Activity Type

Craft

Topics