Welcome to our fun-filled mini beast guide for parents and children alike! We’re here to help you explore the amazing world of bugs and learn how to find them in all sorts of different places. So grab a magnifying glass and let’s get started!
You don’t need lots of fancy kit for your investigating, but a couple of basic bits will help you out.
Bug hunting kit
- If you need to briefly collect any bugs to take a closer look, clear containers are great for getting a better view. You can buy bug boxes, but re-using a clean food container will work too!
- Use a small spoon or paint brush to pick them up. Remember to be very gentle though!
- A magnifying glass will help you get a closer look!
- Paper and pencils for making small sketches and notes.
- An ID book or guide is always useful – or you can use a check list for a more simple approach. have a look at our printable guide here.
Where to look for minibeasts
There’s lots of places to explore, so lets start from the top and work our way down to the ground!
Take a closer look at leaves; you might well spot caterpillars and ladybirds.
Look in the cracks of tree bark, where spiders and beetles like to hide out. Bees and butterflies can be seen gathering nectar from flowers, so get close to the ground to watch a while. Grasshoppers are experts at camouflage, often heard before they’re seen. If you’re patient, they can be spotted when peering down into long grass and you might get a little surprise if they’re on the hop! Look out for wiggly worms and slimy slugs & snails after rain when the ground is still wet! Get down on the ground and look under stones and old logs, here you’re most likely to spot creepy crawlies such as woodlice, centipedes and millipedes.
Try to watch the bugs you find in their own environment if you can; young explorers can learn so much more about the minibeasts’ behaviour as they burrow, feed and lay eggs. If you’re not sure what you’ve found you could use this great online questionnaire from national charity Buglife, to help you find out. If they’re a bit too quick and your little ones are struggling to observe them, you could briefly pop them into a clear container, along with a little soil, bark, leaves or whatever else they were surrounded by when captured.
Once you’ve gently scooped up these beautiful beasts it’s magnifying glass time! What interesting markings and shapes can you see? Maybe you could take some notes and do some drawings? A great kids activity is to turn their notes into or spotters guide of their own for next time!
You could also check out your local Wildlife Trust for organised bug hunts and other activities in your area.
We hope you have enjoyed our guide. Now, it’s your turn. Happy exploring!