Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Micro Habitats Hunt: Free Printable Game for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Micro Habitats Hunt is a free printable outdoor game for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children take the sheet into a garden, park or school grounds and tick the small places they find, such as under a log, in leaf litter or on a tree trunk. Page 2 gives the adult notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.
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. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children take the sheet outdoors and use it as a checklist. It lists small places where tiny creatures might live, such as under a stone, in long grass or near a wall. They tick each place they find, look closely at what is there and think about who might live in it. The sheet encourages slow, careful looking, one place at a time.
- Under a log
- Under a stone
- In leaf litter
- Under a flower pot
- In long grass
- On a tree trunk
- In a hedge
- Near a wall
- In a compost heap
- Under a bush
- On a leaf
- In soil
What is a micro habitat?
A habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives. It gives the living thing what it needs, such as food, water and shelter. A micro habitat is a very small version of this, such as the space under a stone or a patch of fallen leaves. Tiny creatures live in these places, and the conditions there can be quite different from the open garden next to them.
Small places can differ in light, moisture and shelter. One spot may be darker, damper or more protected than the open ground nearby. That is one reason different creatures turn up in different places. Looking closely and asking what a place offers helps children link a living thing to where it lives. This is the idea behind the Year 2 science strand on living things and their habitats.
Go outdoors with an adult. Adults should lift any heavy logs or stones, and children should look rather than poke or grab. Put every log and stone back as you found it, so the creatures keep their home. Watch out for nettles, brambles and sharp litter. Wash hands well afterwards.
Micro habitat facts
- A habitat is a place where plants and animals live.
- Living things need food, water and shelter, and their habitat provides them.
- Very small animals are often called minibeasts.
- A tiny place can be darker, damper or more sheltered than the open ground around it.
- Moving a log or stone can disturb the creatures living there, so it is kind to put it back.
Skills and curriculum link
- Observing closely
- Habitats
- Recording findings
- Sorting and ticking
- Explaining why
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Science | Living things and their habitats | Year 2 |
What children will be able to do
- I can find small living things in different places.
- I can say where each one was living.
- I can say why that place suits it.
Ideas for talking about habitats
- What a home givesAsk what a place could offer a small creature. Ideas to prompt include food, shelter and somewhere safe to rest.
- Compare two placesPick two places on the sheet and ask how they might feel different. Think about light, wetness and cover.
- Look gentlySlow, quiet looking helps children spot more. Remind them that these creatures are living in their own home.
- Leave it as you found itTalk about why logs and stones go back. A habitat only works if it stays safe for the animals using it.
Key words
- HabitatThe place where a plant or animal lives.
- Micro habitatA very small place where tiny living things live.
- MinibeastA small animal, such as the ones you might find in a garden.
- ShelterA place that protects a living thing from weather or danger.
- Leaf litterDead leaves that have fallen and gathered on the ground.
- ObserveTo look carefully and notice details.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Go outdoors together. Read the places on the sheet aloud before you start looking.
- Look carefully at one place at a time. Adults lift heavy logs or stones. Tick each place you find.
- Talk about what you saw and why a creature might like that spot. Check the notes and answers on page 2.
- Wash hands afterwards. Come back to the sheet another day, or try a different outdoor spot.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use a magnifying glass and look at one place at a time. Stay with the first place for a little while before moving on, so children have time to notice small movements. Point out what to look for if they are unsure, and praise careful looking.
To stretch confident children
Count and record how many creatures you found at each place. Then compare your results. Which place had the most, and which had the fewest? Ask your child to suggest a reason for the difference.
Make it a game
Take turns to find the smallest creature. Each player looks at a different place, and the group decides who found the smallest one. Keep rounds short, and remember to put logs and stones back each time.
Talk about it
- Which place was the hardest to find, and why?
- What do you think a small creature needs from its home?
- Why might a dark, damp place suit some animals?
- How did you move a stone or log safely and kindly?
- What would you change if you were building a home for tiny creatures?
- Which place would you like to look at again?
Take it off the page
Build a bug hotel
With an adult, pile sticks, leaves and bark in a quiet corner of the garden. Check it later to see who has visited.
Draw a micro habitat
Draw one place from the sheet and add the creatures you saw. Label what each one might need.
Habitat sorting
Draw or cut out pictures of different places. Sort them into light and dark, or open and covered, and talk about the differences.
Who it is for
Parents
Go outside with your child and let them lead the looking. Read the places aloud first, then take your time at each one. Lift any heavy logs or stones yourself, and make sure everything goes back as you found it.
Teachers
Use it in the school grounds as part of work on living things and their habitats, or as a starter before a longer outdoor session. Page 2 gives support, a stretch idea and answers, so it suits mixed ability groups. Plan adult supervision outdoors.
Home educators
Pair it with a nature walk, a trip to the park or time in the garden. Use it again with brothers and sisters, or in a different season, to see how the places and what you find change.
Where this fits in science
Before this, children in Year 1 learn to name and notice common plants and animals and to observe changes through the seasons. Autumn Leaf Collection is a good step before this sheet.
After this, children go on to look at living things and their habitats in more detail. They learn to group living things and to think about how places change. Rock Property Compare Cards is a good next step for building observation skills.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Where did you find the most creatures, and why do you think that was?
- What did the place give the creature, like food or shelter?
- What would happen if its home was taken away?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Micro Habitats Hunt for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Children look for small living things outdoors and tick the places they find, so it suits early science and observation skills.
- What will children practise?
Children practise observing, learning about habitats and recording what they find. They look for small living things and the places where they live, then talk about why those places might suit them.
- Does a grown up need to come outdoors too?
Yes. Take an adult with you. Adults should lift any heavy logs or stones, and children should look carefully rather than poke or grab. Wash hands afterwards and put everything back as you found it.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use a magnifying glass and look at one place at a time. Slow down, stay in each spot for a little while and point out what to look for. Come back to the sheet another day.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. No, you do not need colour. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so it costs very little to use again.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and it links to the Year 2 strand on living things and their habitats.
- Is it good for home education?
Yes. Home educators and tutors can use it on its own or as part of a wider science plan. It pairs well with books and outdoor play, and you can print it again for brothers, sisters or another season.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.