Introducing the Curious Kids Nature Activity Series Featuring FIND IT & ANIMAL BINGO Games

I bet you know exactly how easy it is to get side-tracked when you’re working on a project. I’m sure it happens to us all. (What things have you been side-tracked by lately?) I admit being side-tracked with MANY things (like looking for wildflowers, gardening, taking my dog and cat for walks, monitoring bluebird boxes, etc.) that got in the way many months ago when I was developing some of my ideas for  hands on children’s activities. But guess what? I’ve finally finished! And am happy to share these with you. I’ve been working on them for months! I can’t wait to hear what you think! 

I’ve created a bunch of children’s nature activities, starting with two that can be purchased now though my Etsy shop. If you have a child ages 3 and up, or if you know a child–a niece, nephew, neighbor, friend, etc, these games might be for you. Do you work with a home-schoolers, 4-H, scout or camp group? Want to have something to do with your kids while you’re on a camping trip or hiking excursion? Tired of bored kids while you’re outside in the woods? Need a fun activity the whole family can enjoy together? Then check out my Curious Kids Nature Series, with my first two activities –FIND IT and ANIMAL BINGO.

Both activities are hands-on, child-tested, and parent-approved. Both are activities the whole family can enjoy together. Both feature my photography and years’ worth of experience sharing nature. 

The first in the Curious Kids Nature Series is called FIND IT, and features 48 full color, laminated cards with photos and text. It’s like a scavenger hunt that kids can use anytime they are outside, whether it’s your local park, a neighbor’s backyard, a trail in the woods, a camping spot or other outdoor location. There are multiple ways to play the game but all basically ask the child to look for the pictured item. It’s way better than those basic scavenger hunts that kids use once and then throw out since these games can be played again and again, changing up the way they are played so the kids never get bored with them. And they can be made more challenging for older or more advanced children simply by making a few changes. 

Examples of FIND IT cards include: 

• An animal with more legs than you
• A smooth caterpillar
• A piece of silk
• A shed insect skin
• A feather
• A squirrel nest
• A cloud that looks like an animal
• A hidey hole where a raccoon could go

Each card features a photo on the top and text on the bottom. The text asks questions that force the child to really think about these things and gives the parent or care-giver a frame-work for a more in-depth study and experience. Text also give some natural history information or suggests where to look if it’s something a bit less obvious. The cards each have a point value, with the harder things worth more points. Kids can play using the points, OR without using the points. Older kids will love using the points and then trying to beat their records in future rounds. 

I have made a Spring, Summer and Fall version of these FIND IT games, though for right now I will start by only selling the SUMMER version. (The other versions will be available in the near future, and guess what? There are no repeat cards so kids can get them all and have even more ways to play!) Each deck of 48 cards comes with 4 blank cards and a dry-erase marker so kids (and their parents!) can add their own things to the mix each round they play. The deck comes in a cute, hand-made, drawstring bag that features a unique animal-print fabric. It also comes with two pages of instructions, suggestions and hints as well as two pages of natural history information for those who might want to know more. And if you want to personalize it with your child’s photo–that’s possible too! Kids will love seeing their own photo on the backs of all the cards. 

The other game so far in the Curious Kids Nature Series is Animal Bingo. 

Animal Bingo consists of 6 unique Bingo Boards. Each one is a laminated 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper that has two sides, and thus, TWO DIFFERENT games. One side is the indoor version, the other is the outdoor version. Each side comes with 28 color, laminated cards and like the FIND IT games, these too can be played multiple ways. 

For play with the indoor version, children each get their own board and dry-erase marker. Someone is the “caller.” This person reaches into the bag and pulls out one clue card, then reads clues until someone in the group correctly guesses the identity of the animal. Players mark off that space on their Bingo boards. Play continues until someone gets 5 squares in a row and then after that, however long you want the session to go on. Be warned–kids LOVE this game and will ask for it again and again! 

For play with the outdoor version, children each get their own board and dry-erase marker. Then, while outside, players look for things on their cards and when they find something, they show it to everyone else and then all players cross that off of their Bingo boards. Play continues until someone gets 5 squares in a row, and then after that, as long as you want the session to go on. You could go for” inner or outer square” and even “cover all” if you have time. Directions are included on how to play this game indoors too, or how to combine the two decks of cards to play a predator/prey game. 

Eventually my plan is to have multiple versions of these Bingo Games, including Bird Bingo, Mammal Bingo, Insect Bingo, Reptiles and Amphibians Bingo, Pollinator Bingo, Nocturnal Animals Bingo, and many more! I’ll let you know when the next one is done!

Want to know more or want to purchase one of these games? Then check out my Etsy Shop–go to the Curious Kids Nature Play tab on the left side. And don’t forget to drop me a line to let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you! 

If you purchase either game in the month of June AND write a review at my Etsy site, you’ll get a 10% off coupon on your next purchase of anything in my Etsy shop. Hope to see you there!