As the days get longer and the sun brighter take time to get outside and investigate the science of nature. All around us are tiny critters that live, eat and lay eggs without our notice. Children are fascinated with these small critters that live in the grass and under rocks. To encourage the excitement and observation skills of your budding scientist grab some basic tools and start a search for tiny critters right in your own backyard.

Tool list:

• Magnifying glass- The best way to get up close to count and compare insect parts. Even if the power of your magnifying glass isn’t great, it will focus the attention of your child.

• Bug net- If you hesitate to grab a bug or want to catch those tricky flying critters. Long butterfly nets work great in fields and aquarium nets help corner water bugs in streams.

• Clear container with lid- Punch a few holes in the lid and collect critters for later observation.

• Digger- More than just worms live under the ground! Use a small trowel or old spoon to dig under rocks, logs and grass.

Buy this Double-sided poster at AllPosters.com

• A field guide – An especially fun bug identification book is Usborne Spotter’s Sticker Books: Insects. Mysteries and Marvels of Insect Life is an excellent reference book of insects from around the world. Both are available at Providence Children’s Museum Gift Shop.

In southern New England backyards you can discover earwigs, sow bugs and beetle grubs in the dirt, crickets and grasshoppers in the grass, slugs and snails under the rocks, moths on tree trunks and even a praying mantis waiting on leaves. Notice where you found the critters. Do they live in dirt, plants or water?. Make miniature habitats for your bugs in your clear containers.

While observing your critters in their temporary home, encourage your child’s questions. Maybe she wonders what a cricket eats or whether slugs like light or dark. Help her design an experiment that can answer the question. Maybe you choose different plants to put in the container and a time every day to inspect what’s been chewed on. Talk about the results you get from your experiment. After a few days let your critters go free. Note: If your bug home begins to stink, it’s really time to let your bugs go.

For creepy critters you won’t find in your backyard check out the program Awesome Arachnids at Providence Children's Museum, on May 14th 1-4pm. Weave a kid sized spider web, meet and hold hairy tarantulas, talk with an arachnid expert and make a spider pal to take home.

Jay Higgins is the Science Educator at the Providence Children’s Museum. Photos courtesy of the Providence Children's Museum. You can vist the Providence Children's Museum at 100 South Street, in Providence's "Jewelry District". You can call them at 401-273-KIDS or visit their website at www.childrenmuseum.org

Readers Comments About This Page:

Be the first! Add Your Comment!