Family Activity
Go insect hunting!
Insects are the most successful animals on the planet. They are amazing! They are the first organisms to fly! They can buzz! They can jump! They can sting! They have beautiful colors! Some even light up!
Learn about these creatures in your own backyard. To attract them, put something like banana out in an area outside. Spread the banana on a rock or bark of a tree for a short period of time. Check it regularly and see who has visited. With an adult, go out at night with a flashlight to see if there are different insects at nighttime.
Carefully catch an insect and look at it with a magnifying glass. (ask an adult first – some insects and spiders do bite or sting.) How many legs do you count? If you count six legs, three body regions, and two antennae – it is an insect. If you count eight legs, two body regions, and no antennae, it is likely a spider, which is not an insect! If there are too many legs to count, it could be a millipede or centipede!
If you want to watch an insect for a short period of time, place it in a jar with some sticks, leaves, and a little cap of water. Cover with a net or waxed paper with holes poked through. Return the insect back home within 24 hours or less!
Learn that insects are not here to harm you and you should not harm them. Teach others not to use pesticides in their lawns, not to use bug zappers, and also to turn off unnecessary lights at night. All of these kill, hurt, or confuse insects. Insects are important for the ecosystem and without them, we would also be harmed.
Explore the Colors of Nature
First, take pieces of strong paper or index cards and color them with different crayons, markers, or colored pencils. Take these cards outside and match them with what you can find in nature. How many different shades of green can you find? How many different shades of brown can you find? Can you find the colors of the rainbow?
Remember to look high and low! At this time of year, many flowers are blooming with different shades of color but don’t forget to look at what could be on or in the flower. The diversity of insects that visit the flowers is endless!
Observe the diversity of birds. Many birds appear one color, but at different angles, show a variety of other colors. For example, the Common Grackle may at first appear all black, but when the light strikes just right, you can see an iridescent rainbow. The male Ruby-throated hummingbird has a red throat at some angles, but it appears black at other angles. Other birds show their colors when their wings open – just wait and be patient and you might be able to see them show off their hidden colors!
For younger children, take a large piece of cardboard and make multiple circles, each with a different color outline. Ask your child to find loose items in nature and place them in the correct circle. This will incorporate early sorting skills, counting, and improve dexterity.
These activities are a great way for kids (and adults) to look closely and pay attention to what they are seeing.
Make your own Stained-Glass Planet Earth
Look up a picture of planet earth and notice that it is made up of more water than it is land. Sometimes we even call it planet ocean instead of planet earth!
On a sheet of paper, use crayons (and not markers or colored pencils) to color a picture of earth and all of the oceans. When done, turn your paper over. Then use a cotton ball dipped in a very small amount of vegetable oil and rub over the back side of your paper. The paper will turn transparent and the colors will come through. Allow the paper to dry. Then hang up your “Planet Ocean” in front of a window so light can shine through.
Another idea is to use clear contact paper and tissue paper. Cut out your earth and ocean pieces from different colors of tissue paper and place them on one sticky side of the contact paper. Cover with another piece of contact paper. Now you have a stained-glass earth to hang in front of a window.
Idea modified from dltk-kids.com