Banish the Summer Boredom For Kids With a Mini Safari!

Right now, capering through your garden, mini-beasts of all shapes and sizes are devouring each other and doing a million other exciting things. If you have kids and aren’t squeamish then why not take advantage of the summer sun and get them out in the garden for a mini-safari? You don’t need a rifle or a Land Rover and there’s little chance of you getting eaten – but it still makes for a great afternoon out and away from the TV.

Hunt for Creepy Crawlies!

If you're not averse to things with more than 2 legs, your garden is probably playing host to a million delightful little fellows who caper gleefully through your flower beds eating each other. Kids are fascinated by such things so get on your hands and knees with a magnifying glass and spend an hour or two on a mini-safari! Some common garden highlights include:

1. The Zebra Spider

Often spotted on hot garage/shed walls, these fun little characters are identifiable by the stripey black and white pattern from which they take their name. If you place your finger near them, they frequently jump (which is how they catch their prey) which is great for any kids who like 'mini scares!'

Frogs and Toads

Believe it or not, even if you don't have a pond you can still find amphibians knocking around your garden. Once the adults have laid their spawn, they leave the confines of the pond and hunker down for the summer in the unlikeliest of places. If you have a rockery, or just a damp, dark corner, moving stones around can often reveal a startled looking frog. They are perfectly safe to touch and hold if you can bear it, and kids love their outlandish looks and behaviour!

Beetles

Beetles are great for kids to look at. Fast moving, safe to handle but with a good 'fear-factor'. If you don't know how to find them (look under rocks and bits of wood that might be lying around) you can turn a beetle hunt into a mini project.

Take a sheer-sided receptacle (empty jam jars are perfect) and sink it into the ground until its rim is level with the soil. Place something sweet - a sugar cube, blob of jam or piece of ripe fruit - in the bottom. Next, prop a flat piece of stone or wood over the top, keeping it clear of the top by about half an inch (1cm) by balancing it atop some pebbles. This is necessary to allow beetles to crawl underneath it.

Then... wait! Overnight, you should find that beetles, attracted by the sweet smell, crawl under the stone/wood, plummet into the trap and spend the evening crawling around waiting for you to turn up with your magnifying glass.

It is rare that this fails to bag something inside a single night, but be prepared to let the trap remain there for a few days to capture the cool scuttling things.

Mini Safari Checklist

Magnifying glass

Jam jar

Identification book

Excitable child

Steady hand

Finally - remember that these are living creatures and deserve your respect. Handle them gently and return them to their habitat when you have finished with them. Although pitching beetles and spiders against each in battle might sound appealing, it isn't really to be advised!

Other Techniques

If you don’t have the time or inclination to go digging holes everywhere and laying traps, here are some great places to find insects;

1. Under stones – beetles and spiders shy away from the sunlight where they can be picked off by predators such as birds, so as the daylight hits many species scurry away under flat stones. Remember that these stones are home to many creatures, so respect their house and put the stone back!

2. Under bark – mini-beasts often thrive on rotting vegetation (or on the creatures that thrive on rotting vegetation) and dead trees provide a haven for them. Look for rotting bark around the bases of dead trees – chances are you’ll find ‘em squirming their leggy way to cover once you lift it up!

3. In the trees – if you’ve got more resources to hand, you can place a white sheet blanket under a tree (ask permission!) and give the lower branches an energetic shake. You’ll be stunned by the number of beetles, weevils, spiders and caterpillars that fall from the tree – so be prepared!