Materials:

1. A trowel or small shovel
2. A plate or tray with a damp paper towel on it
3. Magnifying glass (optional)
4. An area to look for worms such as a garden bed, lawn, forest, or even a sidewalk 
5. An adult to explore with you

What to do:

1. It’s best if this activity is done on a rainy day, or just after a nice spring rainstorm
2. Have an adult join you as you go out for a walk
3. Do you see any earthworms that have come out in the rain?  
4. Find a nice spot to dig that won’t disturb other things that are growing.  Try digging in the edge of a garden bed, the edge of the lawn, or even in the woods.  Take your trowel and carefully dig out a spadeful of dirt.  Use your fingers to dig through the dirt.  Do you see any worms?  Can you find any worm castings (‘worm poop’), that look like little piles of dirt and plant matter?
5. Look at the hole you dug.  Do you see any small burrows where your worm might have been hiding?
6. If you find a worm, gently lift it onto your damp paper towel.  Worms need to stay wet, so make sure its skin doesn’t dry out.  Take a close look.  What do you see?  What does the worm feel like?
7. Keep digging to see if you can find more worms.  When you are done digging, carefully return the worms to their home and fill the hole back up.
8. Try another spot to dig.  Where do you find the most worms?

Additional Resources:

For more information about earthworms and tips for finding them, visit ’s tips for going on a worm hunt.

To participate in Citizen Science by reporting your first sighting of an earthworm this spring, visit Journey North’s

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Materials:

• In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming, (optional)
• playing cards printed out
• Space to play the game, either inside or out
• An adult to play with you

What to do:

• Have an adult help you set up and play the game
• Print out the set of playing cards, making sure they are double-sided.  If you don’t have a printer at home, you can make your own set of cards!
• Place the cards from 1-10 on the floor (or even better, on the ground outside), as if they were a big game board.  Make sure there is plenty of space for movement between each card
• To play, follow the path of the cards, starting with card #1.  Look at the picture of the insect on the front, and then listen to the information about each insect on the back.  Follow the instructions and act out each movement.  What’s it like to be an ant?  A ladybug?  A dragonfly?
• You can add more cards to the game for some of your favorite insects!

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Materials:

• Animal images (optional)
• A piece of string 8 feet long
• A piece of string 25 feet long
• An adult to help out

What to do:

2. Take a look at how the frog and toad move.  Does it look like they hop in the same way?  That’s right – frogs have longer legs and take big long jumps.  Toads take shorter hops.
3. Head outside (or stay inside if you prefer), and try jumping like a frog using your strong hind legs.  Take short little hops like a toad.  Which animal would you prefer to be?
4. Take a look at the pictures of the deer and moose.
5. Have an adult help you measure and cut the two lengths of string.
6. Have an adult help hold the 8 foot string so that it hangs vertically.  A white-tailed deer can jump over that string.  How high can you jump?  Measure your jump against the string!
7. Now you’d best head outside!
8. Stretch the 25 foot piece of string flat on the ground.  A white tailed deer can jump that far in one jump.  How many jumps does it take for you to leap from one end of the string to the other?
9. A moose can run fast; about 35 miles per hour.  Find some outside space to run.  How fast can you go?

Animal Images

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Materials:

• Rock cards
• An adult to go with you

Resources:

• If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian

What to do:

1. Listen to the story If You Find a Rock (optional)
2. Head outside and take a walk, taking the Rock Cards with you 
3. Can you find a rock that matches each picture on your Rock Cards?
4. If you find a wishing rock, don’t forget to make a wish with it!
5. What other rocks can you find?  Can you find rocks that are different colors, shapes or sizes?
6. If you find another kind of special rock, what would you name it?

Rock Cards:

Wishing RockÂ	Sifting Rocks	Resting Rock
Memory Rock	Splashing Rock	Worry Rock

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Materials:

• A bunch of small, short, thin sticks or twigs
• The Stick Alphabet Poster
• Two sticks that are the size of markers
• The Tap, Tap, Tap Your Sticks song lyrics sheet
• An adult to help out!

What to do:

1. First, remember that the sticks you use today are special sticks for learning and play
2. Head outside with an adult to collect the sticks you’ll need
3. Take a look at the Alphabet poster (on page 2).  Can you use your thin sticks or twigs to make each letter of the alphabet?  What about writing out your initials or your name?  
4. What else could you make with these sticks?
5. Look at the song lyrics on page 3 for the Tap, Tap, Tap Your Sticks song.  Using your two bigger sticks as rhythm sticks, sing the song and follow along with the movements.
6. What other songs could you sing?  What other ways could you use your sticks to make music?

Tap, Tap, Tap Your Sticks

Sung to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Tap, tap, tap your sticks
Tap your sticks together,
Tap them fast, tap them slow,
Tap your sticks together

Rub, rub, rub your sticks
Rub your sticks together,
Rub them fast, rub them slow,
Rub your sticks together

Hold, hold, hold your sticks
Hold your sticks together,
Hold them still, hold them quiet,
Hold your sticks together

Tap, tap, tap your sticks
Tap your sticks together,
Tap them fast, tap them slow,
Tap your sticks together

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1. Materials:
   1. Color Scavenger Hunt list
   2. An adult to help out!

1. What to do:
   1. Head outside and take a walk.  
   2. What can you find that matches each color?  Try to look for things in nature, rather than things people made.
   3. If you find something else interesting, write it down or draw a picture!

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Materials:

1. Scavenger Hunt list
2. Something hard to write on like a clipboard
3. Pencil
4. An adult to help out!

What to do:

1. Head outside and take a walk.  What can you find?
2. Check off the things you see and hear
3. If you find something else interesting, write it down or draw a picture!

Scavenger Hunt

• A rock that fits in the palm of your hand
• The sound of water as snow melts or streams gurgle over rocks
• A blade of green grass
• Something rough
• Something smooth
• A plant that is taller than you
• The sound of a bird singing
• 4 rocks that are white or have white on them
• A patch of old snow or ice
• A stick shaped like one of the letters of the alphabet

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