Have fun creating your own explorer kit and going on a bug hunt in your garden or local park. This activity has endless variations and extensions – my children have wanted to do it every day for the last week, adding in new ideas each time.
What You Need
- Calico bag
- Fabric paint
- Leaves
- Explorer items – such as magnifying glass, empty jars, spade, note book and pen, binoculars, toy camera
- Pictures of bugs you might find (or draw your own)
- Laminating pouch and laminator
Garden Explorer Bug Hunt Challenge
- Create a bug chart by finding pictures of mini beasts you might find in the garden and collating them onto a sheet of paper. You could also draw your own.
- If you want to make the chart waterproof, try laminating using a laminating pouch and laminator.
- Create an explorer pack with items such as a magnifying glass, binoculars, empty jars, spade, toy camera, notebook and pen. You can buy these cheaply online or in discount shops or try making your own.
- Put your bug explorer items into a backpack or make your own. We decorated a blank calico drawstring bag by rolling fabric paint onto leaves and printing them on to the bag.
- Put on Wellington boots and go exploring in the garden or a nearby park. Try to find all the mini beasts on your bug chart. Dig up insects and study them in your jar. Draw pictures of the bugs you find in a notebook. Don’t forget to release your bugs back where you found them after you have had a good look.
