Rain or Shine Mamma

There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes

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How to Do a Small Animal Nature Study

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Read my full disclosure policy here.
September 24, 2013 By Linda McGurk

My kids love critters. Squirmy, slithering, hairy, slimy, spiny critters. They swoon for caterpillars, centipedes, moths, crickets, earthworms, grubs, slugs, craw dads, leeches and spiders. I have yet to find a critter that they didn’t want to pick up and subject to a small animal nature study. Me? I love the outdoors and getting my hands dirty in the garden, but honestly I’m good just looking at creepy crawlies from a safe distance rather than having them wander around in the palm of my hand.

Doing an animal nature study is a fun nature activity for preschoolers as well as older kids. These helpful tips will help you get started.

It hasn’t always been like that. In fact some of my most cherished childhood memories involve catching countless big, black slugs from the forest behind our house and creating enclosures for them in our backyard (from which they inevitably escaped). Chances are many of you have similar memories.

Regardless of how we personally feel about bugs and slimy critters, there are many good reasons why we should let our kids acquaint themselves with them. Insects, spiders, slugs and other critters are typically abundant regardless of where you live (in fact, insects make up 90 percent of all animal life on Earth). That means catching and handling bugs, and doing a small animal nature study, is an easy way for a child to connect with wildlife in nearby nature.

How to Do a Small Animal Nature Study. Fun nature activity for preschoolers and older kids. Rain or Shine Mamma.

Benefits of a small animal nature study for kids

  • Handling small animals provides children with tactile input, which in turn supports a healthy sensory development.
  • Exposing children to bugs and small animals early on may make them less likely to develop irrational fears of them later in life.
  • Dealing with small, vulnerable critters helps teach children how to be gentle and compassionate.
  • Searching for critters encourages children to get their hands in the soil, which contains microbacteria that are beneficial to our health and well-being.
  • Studying bugs and their different life cycles helps children understand the bigger picture of life and death.

How to do an animal nature study

Critter studies can be done any time of the year even though you can expect to see less activity in the winter. Do it at different times of the year to see which animals are active during each season. Don’t attempt to handle any mammals or birds, since that may interfere with their natural instincts and ultimately put their lives at risk. Also, use your judgment in which animals to pick up – if you know your area is inhabited by venomous species, you need to be able to identify and avoid contact with those.

Location: Any natural area, backyard or park

Materials:

  • Butterfly net (not mandatory but helps if your child wants to capture something that flies)
  • Bug container to hold the critter
  • Magnifying glass
  • Small shovel for digging
  • Natural materials to build a habitat (varies from species to species, but could for example be grass, rocks, water, sticks etc.)

Method:

  • Take your child for a walk in a natural area or simply explore your backyard by looking underneath rocks or digging holes.
  • Observe the critters you find and let your child handle them if he or she wants to – but don’t force it.
  • Ask open-ended questions about the animals that you see, such as “What do you think they eat?” “Where do they sleep?” and “Who do you think they may be food for?” Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers right off the bat – you can always look things up later.
  • Catch critters with the butterfly net or your hands and place them in the bug container or a simple cardboard box, jar or plastic cup. Just make sure the container is not air tight, since this will cause the animals to suffocate.
  • Build a temporary habitat for the critters in the container and again talk to your child about what the animal needs to live.
  • Use a magnifying glass to take a closer look at the animal’s body parts. Can you count the number of legs? Wings? Antennae?
  • Release the animal/s when you’re done. The last thing we want to do is harm or kill anything in the process of studying it.

earthworm

 Some good online resources about bugs:

The Bug Chicks

National Geographic Kids – Insects

Insect Identification – Spiders, Bugs and Insects

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission from sales from these links, at no extra cost to you. Read my full disclosure policy here.

How to Do a Small Animal Nature Study. Nature activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Rain or Shine Mamma.

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Filed Under: Learn with Nature, Nature Activities, Outdoor Learning 8 Comments

Comments

  1. limewire says

    October 19, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    do you have a twitter that i can follow

    Reply
    • Linda McGurk says

      October 19, 2013 at 1:44 pm

      Sure do:o) I’m @rainshinemamma.

      Reply
  2. Betsy @ BPhotoArt says

    June 12, 2014 at 8:40 am

    What a great activity. I’m trying to re-acclimate my son to bugs after a well-meaning relative warned him about stinging ones and got him scared to touch ALL bugs. Sigh. Following on twitter! (I’m @bphotoart) …and pinning this too 🙂

    Reply
    • Linda McGurk says

      June 12, 2014 at 9:21 am

      Thanks for stopping by, Betsy! I love your blog and your photography work:o) Let’s keep in touch.

      Reply
  3. Jacquie says

    July 8, 2014 at 5:36 pm

    Critter hunts are awesome! Thanks for linking up at Discover & Explore Outdoor Activities. I’ll be featuring your in our summer round-up this week 🙂

    Reply
    • Linda McGurk says

      July 9, 2014 at 3:25 am

      Great! I’ll look out for it!

      Reply
  4. Donni says

    August 27, 2015 at 4:45 pm

    We love bug hunts too. Amazing how there is always something different to see.
    xo Donni

    Reply
    • Linda McGurk says

      September 1, 2015 at 9:43 pm

      I know – grasshoppers are my girls’ favorite right now:o)

      Reply

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"Misconceptions about outdoor learning are fairly commonplace, especially in places where the climate or culture is less conducive to it. But it’s possible to get parents off the proverbial fence about outdoor learning in early childhood education."My latest piece for the Famly blog is a guide for early childhood educators who encounter skepticism about outdoor learning from parents and other caregivers. ... See MoreSee Less

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What makes parents support outdoor play in early education?
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All learning begins with the body - this is why it's crucial to protect and promote outdoor play in childhood🤸🏽‍♂️ Enough with the worksheets and wall words and pressuring young children to reach academic milestones before they are physically, mentally and emotionally ready. If we truly want our children to succeed in school - and in life - we must understand how the brain works and how children learn. And this is what brain science tells us:🧠 Children learn by building connections between brain cells called neural pathways.🧠 As many as 90% of the neural pathways are set in the first years of life, making early childhood the fastest period of brain growth in a person's life.🧠 Some of the chemicals that are needed for these neural pathways to grow are only released when children move.🧠 The more the neural pathways are used, the stronger they get.🧠 Being physically active outside is crucial to growing children's networks of neural pathways and, as a result, improving memory and learning.For more interesting insights on the connection between outdoor play and brain development, check out this white paper by the Institute for Child Success: www.instituteforchildsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Childhood-Unplugged-Outdoor-Learning.pdf ... See MoreSee Less
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To all the parents who are worried about not providing enough enriching and educational activities for your children - this quote is for you. The fact that you're even anxious about it tells me that you're probably doing more than enough to stimulate your child's growth and development🙌🏽 Remember that the most important thing you can do for a young child, aside from providing a loving and supporting home, is to allow ample time and space for free play, preferably outside🌿All mammals, including humans, learn by playing, moving their bodies and mimicking older individuals.So go outside and feel the joy of connecting with the trees and the earth and the birds and the sky. Follow your child's curiosity and see where it takes you. Get excited about their discoveries. Let them climb, crawl, roll, jump, run, cartwheel. Let them fall and get back up and fall again. Dare to say 'yes' and embrace the mess. Let them get bored. Take a step back and trust in the power of nature play.Quote by @themainenanny ... See MoreSee Less
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Linda Åkeson McGurk
One of the reasons why I’ve always made a point One of the reasons why I’ve always made a point to get outside with my kids is that there’s so much valuable learning involved from being immersed in nature. And I’m not necessarily thinking of learning facts about plants and wildlife, even though that’s part of it as well. I’m thinking about life skills like problem solving, decision making, risk management and grit. All crucial to children’s future success in life. But I also want to connect my kids with nature to help them fully understand where they came from🌿

As I’m writing this, my 11-year-old and I are on a train on our way to Swedish Lapland, where we will attempt to climb Mount Kebnekaise, weather permitting. This area runs deep through my family history, since my parents and grandparents took me here when I was little and it forever made an imprint on my inner landscape❤️ 

While I’d love for my daughter and I to make it to the summit, it’s not my main objective with the trip. It’s for us to learn and grow together through physical and mental challenges on the mountain. And to make Lapland part of my daughter’s history as well🏔
___________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #outsideeveryday #wanderlust #wanderer #backpacking #backpackingwithkids
All learning begins with the body - this is why it All learning begins with the body - this is why it's crucial to protect and promote outdoor play in childhood🤸🏽‍♂️ Enough with the worksheets and wall words and pressuring young children to reach academic milestones before they are physically, mentally and emotionally ready. If we truly want our children to succeed in school - and in life - we must understand how the brain works and how children learn. And this is what brain science tells us: 

🧠 Children learn by building connections between brain cells called neural pathways.
🧠 As many as 90% of the neural pathways are set in the first years of life, making early childhood the fastest period of brain growth in a person's life. 
🧠 Some of the chemicals that are needed for these neural pathways to grow are only released when children move.
🧠 The more the neural pathways are used, the stronger they get. 
🧠 Being physically active outside is crucial to growing children's networks of neural pathways and, as a result, improving memory and learning. 

For more interesting insights on the connection between outdoor play and brain development, check out this white paper by the Institute for Child Success: https://www.instituteforchildsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Childhood-Unplugged-Outdoor-Learning.pdf
It’s during the dog days of summer that the sayi It’s during the dog days of summer that the saying “There’s no such thing as bad weather” is put to the test more than anything in my opinion. Because while you can always put on an extra layer or get a warmer coat to beat the cold, it’s harder to dress for the heat. At 95F/35C, I feel like not wearing any clothes at all most of the time, but when you have neighbors that’s not really a viable option🤣

So how do we beat the heat? These are three of my go-to actions:
🔥 Stay in the shade whenever possible.
🔥 Step down the activity level a notch and save more intense work for the coolest hours of the day. 
🔥 Hydrate.

If you have young kiddos, being able to play in water can really help keeping them happy on hot days. And you don’t need a big pool; even small amounts of water can make a big difference. I love this video of my girls from a few years ago when we filled up our wheelbarrow with water for them to play in!💦 

If you’d like some more fun water play tips for warm days, head over to the blog: https://rainorshinemamma.com/5-water-play-ideas-for-summer/.
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #waterplay #outdoorplay #playoutside #playoutsideeveryday
To all the parents who are worried about not provi To all the parents who are worried about not providing enough enriching and educational activities for your children - this quote is for you. The fact that you're even anxious about it tells me that you're probably doing more than enough to stimulate your child's growth and development🙌🏽 Remember that the most important thing you can do for a young child, aside from providing a loving and supporting home, is to allow ample time and space for free play, preferably outside🌿

All mammals, including humans, learn by playing, moving their bodies and mimicking older individuals. 
So go outside and feel the joy of connecting with the trees and the earth and the birds and the sky. Follow your child's curiosity and see where it takes you. Get excited about their discoveries. Let them climb, crawl, roll, jump, run, cartwheel. Let them fall and get back up and fall again. Dare to say 'yes' and embrace the mess. Let them get bored. Take a step back and trust in the power of nature play. 

Quote by @themainenanny
_______________________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #freeplay #natureplay #lessismore #playisenough #letthemplay #letthembewild #wildchildhood #1000hoursoutside #parenting #naturalparenting
While we cook outside all year, summer is definite While we cook outside all year, summer is definitely our high season. I don’t plan ahead a lot, instead using the motto that most things that can be cooked inside also can be cooked outside🥘 Last weekend, we went with tacos and a dessert that I’ve been wanting to try out over the fire. I’ll share the recipe once I’ve perfected it!😋
@muurikkasverige 
_________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #cookingoutdoors #campfire #tacofriday #friluftsliv
🌞Happy Summer Solstice!🌞 Today marks the lon 🌞Happy Summer Solstice!🌞
Today marks the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and to me it’s a highlight of the year - literally. Recognizing the changing of the natural cycles is a simple way to realign your life with nature. Having grown up on these northern latitudes, I’ve always cherished these long summer nights. Today, the sun rose at 4:06 am and set at 10:12 pm where I live in southern Sweden. When is your sunset? 
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #summersolstice #summersolstice2022
There are a lot of good things about tech, but exc There are a lot of good things about tech, but excessive screen time is taking a toll on children’s physical and mental health today. Many apps and games have built-in mechanisms designed to make them highly addictive and children are even more susceptible to them than adults, since their brains are not fully developed🧠Screens are so ubiquitous in our lives today that it takes conscious effort to balance them with experiences IRL. 

For the past few years, our family has experimented with screen free or screen reduced Sundays. I’m not going to pretend that it’s easy. But if the goal is to increase quality family time outdoors and encourage the kind of creativity that arises from a healthy dose of boredom, it does work🌳

Some other tips to foster a healthy screen time culture in your family are:

✅ Learn how to use the parent controls on your kids’ devices and set age-appropriate limits.

✅ Have certain times or spaces that are always screen free, for example around the dinner table, in the bedrooms and so on, and be sure to be consistent. 

✅ Create a buy-in for the kids by letting them help plan screen free activities for the whole family.

What’s your biggest obstacle when it comes to keeping screen time under control?
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #screenfreesunday #friluftsliv #outdoors #greentime
That about sums it up, doesn’t it?☺️ This qu That about sums it up, doesn’t it?☺️ This quote is from Meet the Wild, a new picture book by Lindsay Kellar-Madsen of @the.madsen.littles. Inspired by the outdoor learning and play culture in Scandinavia, Lindsay wrote the book to invite children to explore nature all year round, regardless of the weather. 
I personally love the message and sweet illustrations in this book❤️ If you have a little one in your life, you can buy the book by backing Lindsay’s Kickstarter campaign. Check out her Instagram for details!
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#meetthewild #picturebook #outdoorplay
📚📚📚Book Cover Reveal📚📚📚 A few y 📚📚📚Book Cover Reveal📚📚📚

A few years ago, I did a poll in my social media channels to see what topic you’d like me to explore in my next book. One of them won by an overwhelming margin: the Nordic outdoor tradition friluftsliv. Well, I heeded your call. I’m pleased to share that it’s now possible to pre-order The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day from just about any place that sells books! (Link in bio)

The Open-Air Life is for anybody who is longing to lead a simpler, happier and less hurried life. It shows you how to channel the power of nature connection to improve your physical and mental health, as well as your relationships with both other people and Mother Nature. Plus, you’ll learn a few party tricks, like lighting a campfire without matches and cleaning water on the go. At a time when more and more people are starting to appreciate why they should spend more time outside, this book will show you how, with a decidedly Nordic twist.

I must say that I LOVE this dreamy cover that the designers at @penguinrandomhouse created. What do you think? 

@tarcherperigee @penguinrandomhouse

#theopenairlife #rainorshinemamma #coverreveal #bookcover #friluftsliv #friluftslivbook
I took my kids on an overnight paddling trip last I took my kids on an overnight paddling trip last weekend and it started out with sunshine and rainbows☀️🌈 Swipe to the last video to see how it ended➡️ 

We had set out to explore the northernmost island in our local lake and while we cruised up there with decent tailwinds, the wind picked up overnight. Going back the next day, we faced strong headwinds the entire time🌊 

For nearly three hours, we paddled in choppy waters, with waves sometimes so high that they splashed into the canoe. We had no choice but to paddle nonstop - if we stopped, we immediately started drifting backwards😩

The thing about being outdoors is that you’re never fully in control of all parameters - trips like these always involve a certain amount of risk. The weather can change quickly, and not always according to the forecast. What we can control is our reaction to the challenge, how we act on it and what we learn from it.

While none of us was happy about the situation, the girls did pull together and did an amazing job paddling💪🏻 And while they both vowed to never go paddling again, I told them that this will make a funny story later in life. They weren’t convinced at the time but I think they’ll come around eventually😅 

Do you have any stories of getting in over your head to share?😃
_____________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #openairlife #paddling #paddlingwithkids
Sunny days on the water can be lovely. But nothing Sunny days on the water can be lovely. But nothing compares to the stillness of the lake after an early summer drizzle. The water is dark and mysterious, the air thick with the smell of earth and lilacs. And we’re all alone. Not a single motor boat in sight to break the glass-like surface.

Evenings like these are worth putting of bedtime for. Even if it means padding in your pajama pants at 9pm🤩 
_________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #paddling #paddleboard #sup
Summer is high season for TICKS…🕷 (I know tha Summer is high season for TICKS…🕷 (I know that’s a spider emoji, but you get the idea😅) 

A lot of people freak out at the sight of these blood suckers and understandably so, considering the diseases they can harbor. But they too are a part of nature and if we want to keep venturing outside during the warmer months (I definitely do and I suspect you do too) we must come to terms with them.

If you want to know more about tick prevention, I just wrote a pretty detailed post about it on my blog. Head over to rainorshinemamma.com to learn and share this post with others who worry about ticks!👌🏻
________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #ticks #tickprevention
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