Backyard Explorer – Animals

Supplies

• paper
• colored pencils or crayons
• clip board
• magnifying glass or binoculars, optional
• lawn chairs or blanket

Steps

1. Parent, get comfortable on chair or blanket
2. Encourage child to sit or move around quietly 
3. Work together to look for animals, including insects
4. Draw pictures, and make simple, age-appropriate notes of discoveries
5. Allow child to talk about what they discovered and the pictures they drew

Consider adding a listening component to the activity by using the Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab. This free app allows you to record the birds around you for identification.

Benefits

A relaxing science and art activity that develops observation skills, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and memory and encourages an appreciation for nature.