Scavenger Hunt Nest

Bonnie Scorer — Thu, 29 May 2014 16:31:46 +0000

Here’s a little activity to get your child or class to think like a bird and gather items to make a two-dimensional nest.

Materials

clean egg carton
glue
scissors
Activity Label template
Items to look for template Scavenger_Hunt_nest
plastic lid
Craft items (e.g., felt, feathers, markers, paint or foam etc.) to make your bird
Background (we used a canvas, but cardstock or another thick paper would work)

Using a clean egg carton, glue the Activity Label template onto the top of the closed carton and allow it to dry. We used a cardboard egg carton for the label to adhere more easily.

Glue the suggested guide (Items to Look For template) on the inside of the lid to give you inspiration for items to find for building your nest. In the blank squares of the grid, add your own ideas.

Go outside together and see what you can find, thinking like a bird. You may wish to combine found items with those purchased at a craft store (raffia,yarn, craft sand etc.) to enhance your nest depending on your collection.

Using the materials you have collected, create your own nest. We did this by gluing the items in a circular formation on a plastic lid (so it wouldn’t adhere to another surface) and then once it was dry placing several books on top to flatten it a bit.

We painted a canvas background (using a bit of blue and white paint and a facial tissue) and allowed it to dry.

We then added a found branch for the nest to perch on and created a painted bird, gluing this all down with our nest. (We had to use a glue gun, but you may find this is not the case.)

If your child needs a prompt to get started in making the bird, ask: “What kind of bird do you imagine would live in the nest you made?”. Or if you pretended to be a bird while you collected the materials, “What kind of bird were you?”. We were a “firebird”!

Exploration of the outdoors/engagement with environment
To develop an understanding of materials that birds might possibly use to make their nest.
Children/ Students might also engage in the use of resources such as books to investigate further what birds use to create their homes- does it differ according to region? Urban or rural settings?
Fine motor development (cutting, gluing, assembling)

Bonnie Scorer — Thu, 29 May 2014 16:18:03 +0000

Doesn’t it seem like there is some magnetic pull between children and the treasures of nature? Here’s an idea to encourage that discovery process.

Child binoculars
Little plastic case (We have used both photo boxes and little suitcases from Michaels craft store)
Tweezers/tongs
Magnifying glass
Notebook
Pencil
Printouts of the labels for the notebook & the case Outdoor_Explore_Kit
Clear tape

Make a little kit to encourage the discovery and collection of nature items. We included a set of labels for you. (This would be great for a summer camp idea too!) As you can tell from last year’s kit (the suitcase), it was a hit!

Once you have collected your items, take them home for further study. We often put each item into the cups of an old muffin tin and examine them Have your child record their discoveries which might include a diagram (which they could label), a description (encourage them to use their senses) and to quantify their description (e.g. measure the length of a feather’s quill/ shaft). They could compare and classify their objects as well.

Using tools to assist in the handling and investigation of objects (e.g., magnification)
Encouraging discovery
Beginning to record one’s findings and see connections helps establish an interest in the scientific process
Appreciation of nature
Doing things such as labelling the parts of an object or making a cutaway help children to become familiar with some of the elements that are used in non-fiction writing and texts.

We included tongs/ tweezers in case you are hesitant about your child handling feathers for cleanliness reasons
Caution should be used with a magnifying glass as it can be used to start a fire.
You may (from experience), want to discuss that tongs/ tweezers are for use in picking up objects rather than on each other!
As many binoculars have a string attached, review safety prior to use (e.g. taking them off at the playground in case they got caught on equipment).
Prior to collecting you may want to decide and discuss some guidelines that work for your family or group- do you want them to pick things that are alive for example?
Be sure to explore with adult supervision.