Ask Ollie
Tiny Square Nature Survey
Here's one to try together!
Shrink the whole backyard into a doormat-sized square and count every little life you find!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- handling bugs outdoors, possible bites or stings
- dirt and germs on hands, wash afterward
- possible sharp or unsafe items dropped on the ground
- sticks may have rough or pointed ends
What you need
- Paper, 2 sheets
- Crayons or markers, 1 pencil
- String, 2 pieces, about 2 meters each
- Clipboard or book, 1, to lean on
- Magnifying glass, 1 (optional)
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Pick two outdoor spots with different feel, like open grass and a spot under a tree. Check the ground for glass, sharp bits or anything unsafe before kids start.
- Choose your first spot and lay four sticks in a square.
- Tie the corners together with string.
- Lie down beside your square and look closely.
- Draw everything you find inside the square.
- Count how many of each thing you found. Ask: Which thing do you think you will find the most of?
- Move to a different spot and set up a second square.
- Draw and count everything in the second square. Ask: Do you think this square will have more life or less than the first?
- Compare your two squares and decide which had more life.
- Wash your hands, then try a new spot or invite a friend to survey! Ask: Where else could we set up a square to find even more life?
Play it again
- Different habitat: Try a square on a path, under a bush, and beside a wall, then rank them.
- Time travel: Survey the same square in the morning and evening, or in a different season, and see what changed.
- Team race: Two teams each survey a square for fifteen minutes and see who finds more kinds of things.
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