The Camouflage Trail - what doesn’t belong in the forest?

This game can be used an introduction to activities with invertebrates in your surrounding or as a way of genializing observation of the colours of the invertebrates the children have found.

Settle down in the forest somewhere with varied surroundings, preferably with a small path or clearing. The adults have brought along several everyday objects that do not belong in the forest. Anything that is either man-made or not found in a natural forest is suitable if the objects can camouflage either because their shape or colour resembles the surroundings.  

A stick insect on a twig
Woodlouse on bark (photo is coming)

Place the objects on a well-defined route through the forest - preferably along a small path - so that they are visible from the path. Consider the height of the children when placing the object in trees or bushes, in scrubs etc.

Walk along the route one at a time or in smaller groups and count how many things the children can spot. The children can do the counting by ticking on a piece of paper.  Decide whether the you are going to discuss the finding as you go along or whether you want the children to remember and tell you at the end of the path.  If you choose the last approach note which things have been seen and walk the route again and discover the things you have missed and talk about why? At the end collect all the objekts. You might want to look at them all once again finding similarities og differences between the objects.
Further reflections – why are some invertebrates and other animals camouflaged and others not?

Pædagoguddannelsen, UCSYD, Aabenraa, Denmark