Outdoor bug hunt
Head outside in the sunshine and do a spot of bug hunting and identifying with this great #WhatsInMyTray activity.
You will need…
- One Shallow (F1) Gratnells tray
- One Jumbo (F3) Gratnells tray
- One 4×4 Gratnells tray insert
- Shovel
- An outdoor area with access to mud/compost
- Lots of creatures!
- Gloves
- Brushes and small pots (optional)
What to do…
- Head outside with your trays and find an area of your outside space where there is some exposed mud or compost
- Without disturbing the area too much, scoop some of the compost into a Jumbo (F3) Gratnells tray
- Gently search through the mud/compost to see critters that might be moving around. You might also find that some bugs are living in the trees/bushes/plants surrounding the mud
- Place the different bugs into different sections of the Gratnells tray insert and group them by characteristics. Ask different questions about the bugs, for example, How many legs do they have? Do they have a shell? What do you think they would eat? You can also record your findings by taking photos.
- Once you’ve looked at the different bugs and their characteristics, be sure to safely put them back into the mud and back to where you took them from.
Health and Safety
As with all Gratnells What’s In My Tray Activities, you should carry out your own risk assessment and health & safety measurements prior to undertaking any of the activities with children.