Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Bug Hunt Checklist
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Bug Hunt Checklist is a free printable nature sheet for children to take outdoors. Pull on your wellies, pick up your Bug Hunting Kit and go exploring in a garden, park, playground or woodland. Page 2 is for the grown-up and holds notes on using the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. A clipboard or a hard book makes a good writing surface outside.
What is on the sheet
This is an outdoor sheet. Children take the checklist with them, along with their Bug Hunting Kit, and go looking for small creatures. They search in different spots, notice what is living there and use the checklist to keep track of what they find. It turns a walk into a mission. It also gives children a reason to look slowly and carefully.
Put together a bug hunting kit
A looking tool
A magnifying glass helps children see small details such as legs, wings and patterns. If you do not have one, a clear plastic pot with a lid works for looking at things up close.
Something to write with
Tie a pencil to a clipboard with string so it does not get lost in the grass. Pencil works better than pen if the ground is damp.
A gentle helper
A soft paintbrush or a leaf can nudge a small creature without hurting it. Children should never squash, pull or pick up a bug in their fingers.
Kit for the weather
Wellies, old trousers and a waterproof coat mean children can kneel in damp places without worry. A small towel for knees is handy.
Why go on a bug hunt?
Small creatures live almost everywhere, and many children walk past them every day without noticing. A bug hunt gives children a reason to stop, crouch down and look closely. They find out that a patch of grass, a pile of leaves or a wall can be home to a surprising range of life.
A checklist adds a clear purpose. Children know what they are looking for, so they search with more care and talk about what they see. It also builds habits that real scientists use: looking closely, noticing differences and recording what you find. It fits the working scientifically and living things and their habitats strands of the National Curriculum for England.
Adults should supervise the hunt. Children must look and not grab. Some small creatures can bite or sting, so an adult checks before anything is touched. Put every creature back where you found it, keep hands away from faces and wash hands well afterwards. Do not go near water or into places that are unsafe.
Bug facts to share
- Insects have six legs and three main body parts.
- Spiders are not insects. They have eight legs.
- Many small creatures like damp, shady places such as under logs, leaves and stones.
- Ladybirds are a type of beetle.
- Bees and other insects carry pollen from flower to flower, which helps plants make seeds.
Skills and curriculum link
- Observing closely
- Sorting and grouping
- Recording findings
- Naming living things
- Talking about habitats
- Caring for wildlife
Ideas to help your child look
- Look in different placesSmall creatures live in different spots. Suggest looking on leaves, under stones, in long grass and on tree bark, then comparing what is found in each.
- Move slowly and quietlyRushing and stamping make creatures hide. Slow, quiet steps give children a better chance of spotting something.
- Look at the detailsAsk about colours, shape, number of legs and how the creature moves. Close looking makes it easier to name what you have found.
- Put things backWhen you lift a stone or log, put it back gently the way it was. This keeps the creatures' home safe for them.
Key words
- BugAn everyday word for a small creature, such as an insect or spider.
- MinibeastA small animal without a backbone, such as a beetle, snail, worm or spider.
- InsectA small animal with six legs and three body parts.
- HabitatThe place where a plant or animal lives.
- ObserveTo look carefully and notice details.
- CamouflageColours or patterns that help an animal blend in with its surroundings.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes, help and stretch idea.
- Talk about the hunt before you set out. Agree the rules: look, do not grab, be gentle and put everything back.
- Pack the Bug Hunting Kit, put on wellies and head outside with the checklist and a pencil.
- Let your child lead the search. Ask what they notice and where they think a creature might hide, then tick off finds on the checklist together.
- Talk about what you found when you come back in. Ask which place had the most life and what surprised them, then wash hands.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start in one small spot, such as one flower bed or one corner of the garden, so there is less to take in. Look together and point things out. Ask short questions like "What can you see on this leaf?" and let your child take their time.
To stretch confident children
Go on a second hunt in a different place or at a different time of day. Compare what you find. Ask your child to explain why some creatures might choose one place over another, and to draw a favourite find with as much detail as possible.
Make it a game
Play a quiet looking game. Set a spot, such as one patch of ground, and see who can notice the most different small details in it. Take turns to describe something you have seen, and see if the others can find it too.
Talk about it
- Where did you think you would find the most bugs, and were you right?
- What was the smallest thing you saw?
- How did the creature move?
- Why might a bug choose to live under a stone or leaf?
- What would you do to help bugs that live in our garden?
- Which creature would you like to find out more about?
Take it off the page
Build a bug hotel
With an adult, stack logs, sticks, dry leaves and cardboard tubes in a quiet corner of the garden. Check it again in a few weeks to see who has moved in.
Draw a bug close up
Choose one creature you found and draw it large, with as much detail as you can. Label the parts you know, such as legs and wings.
Leaf and bark rubbings
Place paper over leaves or bark and rub gently with a crayon. Talk about the textures that small creatures might climb on or hide in.
Who it is for
Parents
Go outside with your child and let them lead. You do not need to name every creature. Saying "I wonder what that is" is a good start, and you can look it up together later.
Teachers
Use it on a school grounds walk, in a science or nature topic, or as part of a forest school session. Children can compare findings in groups afterwards. Check the area and plan supervision before you go.
Home educators
It works well in any garden or local park, and suits mixed ages, as younger children can spot and tick while older ones record and describe. It also makes a simple way to learn outdoors on a weekday afternoon or at the weekend.
Where this fits
Before this, children usually enjoy noticing plants and animals on everyday walks, naming ones they know and talking about where they live. Simple sorting, such as things with legs and things without, also helps.
Afterwards, children can sort creatures into groups, use simple keys to identify them and learn how different habitats support different living things. These ideas build on the living things and their habitats strand of the National Curriculum for England.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- Is this sheet suitable for a garden?
Yes. Any outdoor space with plants, soil, stones or logs will do. A garden, park, playground or school field can all work well. Check the area is safe before children start looking around.
- Do we need any special equipment?
No. The sheet mentions a Bug Hunting Kit, but you can make your own from simple things. A pencil, a clipboard or hard book and perhaps a magnifying glass are enough. Wellies help in damp places.
- Is it safe for children to touch bugs?
Children should look and not grab. Some creatures can bite or sting, so an adult checks first. Use a soft brush or leaf if a creature needs moving, and wash hands after the hunt.
- What if we cannot find many bugs?
That is fine. Try another spot, look under stones or logs, or check again at a different time of day. Weather matters too, so try after it has been damp and mild.
- Can we use it more than once?
Yes. Print a fresh copy and try a new place, season or time of day. Children will often find different things, and comparing the results is a good talking point.
- Does the sheet need an adult?
An adult should supervise the hunt, mainly for safety. Younger children will want help reading and writing, while older children can work more independently once the safety rules are clear.
- How can teachers use it?
It suits a nature walk, a science lesson on habitats or a forest school session. Children can work in pairs, then share what they found. Page 2 gives notes, help and a stretch idea.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.