Look With Your Eyes ... and Your Hands

Summer vacation is in full swing for most families, and as the temperatures rise unfortunately so do boredom levels. The good news? You don't have to give in to the temptations of air-conditioned couchdom. The following activity is simple but one my kids and students have thoroughly enjoyed over the years. Even better...it costs next to nothing, provides hours of entertainment and will continue to expand your family's eco-friendly education.

As a former journalist I like to refer to this activity as "Observe & Report." Materials needed are some sort of notebook (or recycled-paper book), pencil, crayons or colored pencils, hand lens and some sort of clear plastic container with a lid. If you have a bug-box, great but almost any clear container with a lid will work. Kids make sure you have permission to poke holes in the lid before you do it!

Once you have your materials, it is time to take a walk. No matter where you live you can find some of the most basic creatures. Underneath rocks, steps and your front porch; Invertebrates, lichens and plants are everywhere. While not exotic, they will seem all the more exciting when placed under a hand lens. Younger kids will marvel at the quickness of ants marching, grasshoppers flexing their wings, a butterfly or moth's fuzzy antennae or even the diversity of blades of grass.

Older kids can go so far as to capture different kinds of insects and then using paper and crayons or colored pencils, draw them on their paper for further observation. Find your local library and volunteer to check out field guides on insects, plants and other small creepy-crawlies. You can compare the drawings to the guides and then label them. Older kids can speculate the purpose behind an insect's six legs, what a pair of pincers will do or why some are only active at night.

When done right, observing various insects, arthropods and plants can provide hours of entertainment for all ages. Most invertebrates can be kept for several days without harm. When finished, make sure to return them to wherever you found them.

Safety Tips to Remember:

Some bugs are better left alone or viewed from a distance. Remember that anything with a mouth can bite but some are more likely to take offense than others. Make sure you can identify venomous pests such as black widows and understand the difference between poison ivy and other similar-looking plants.

Got a great drawing of a caterpillar, dragonfly or beetle? Send me your pics and drawings, and I will post them!

(Originally posted at http://dancingtothemusicinmyhead.com/2011/05/30/look-with-your-eyes-and-your-hands/ )