Learning Goals:
To encourage your child to observe plants and animals in her area, and to create a simple riddle about one of her nature discoveries.
Age Range:
3-6
What You Need:
- Nature Treasure Hunt printable page
- pencil or pen
- permanent marker
- crayons or markers (optional)
- magnifying glass (optional) NOTE: Adults should carefully supervise to avoid a possibility of a fire started by magnifying sunlight
- camera (optional)
- field guide (optional) to help identify local plants and animals
- bag or bucket to collect nature finds, such as stones, leaves, and shells
What to Do:
- Have your child watch the video clip (above) in which Mr. Pteranodon explains what a scavenger hunt is. Clarify that a scavenger hunt is like a treasure hunt, in which you have to find all the items on a list.
- Go with your child to a natural area nearby, such as a park. Hand out the Nature Treasure Hunt page. Explain that he is going to go on a hunt to find some different items. He is also going to make pictures of some of the plants and animals they find – just like a real scientist. You may need to help your child write answers to the questions on this page. Have them collect one rock to help them remember their journey. (You might wish to put the child’s initials on the rock in permanent marker to remember which rock belonged to which child.)
- Later, at home, help your child write a simple riddle about one of his favorite plants or animals from their scavenger hunt. All the riddles can start off with the question, "Can you guess what kind of __ I Am?" (animal or plant). Encourage your child to be as specific as possible (in other words, say "beetle" "ant" or "spider" rather than just "bug"). He can look back on their pictures to help them identify the details. As clues for their riddle, he can focus on features such as an animal’s size, how many petals the flower has, and so on.
- Help your child say their nature riddle to others, and see if they can figure out what plant or animal each child found.
Extensions:
- As you explore the park with the your child, ask him to think about how the place might be different at night. What other animals might they see? You might introduce the term "nocturnal" to describe the behavior of animals that are more active at night.
- Contact your state's Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as the environment department in your state government to find out more information about wildlife in your area. What plant and animal species are endangered?
