Creatures

Creatures

Living creatures are perhaps the most exciting aspect of the natural world and are always a source of fascination to children. Even if you live in a town or city there are plenty to be spotted and studied, especially birds and small invertebrates (insects, molluscs, crustaceans, worms, spiders etc.).

If you can equip yourself with one of those plastic bug pots with a magnifying lid it will be useful for several of the activities in this section.

Start a Nature Journal - a place for children to draw and write about their encounters with Nature.
Look for life underneath logs and stones - young children will have fun just seeing what they can spot, older ones can approach it as an experiment.
A Minipond will attract all sorts of interesting creatures - living in the water, on the water or just visiting.
Birds are amongst the liveliest and most colourful of creatures - here are some ideas for involving children with them.
A magnifying glass will reveal the details of small creatures, as well as sharpening children's powers of observation.
Beachcombing will introduce children to a whole new range of creatures.
Adopt a tree - get to know a special tree and study it, and the creatures that visit it, through the year.
Visiting a local wood provides an opportunity to study the creatures which live there.
Many small creatures can be found in the surface layers of soil - especially under trees where there are dead leaves and twigs lying.
One way of celebrating the seasons is to watch the way that birds, insects and other creatures make an appearance and behave.