Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Mini Beasts Hunt
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Mini Beasts Hunt is a free printable nature recording sheet for children. They take it on a daily walk and fill in the boxes to show how many of each mini beast they find. It links gardening and science, and all you need is a pencil, a clipboard or hard book, and some curiosity.
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 the sheet, head outside and let your child lead the search. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children go on a walk and look for the mini beasts shown on the sheet. They record how many they find in the boxes. By the end, the sheet shows what they spotted and how many of each. It turns an ordinary walk into a small science project: looking closely, counting carefully and noticing where small creatures like to live.
Get ready for the hunt
Pack a simple kit
Take a pencil, the printed sheet and something firm to lean on. A magnifying glass is a nice extra. A small clear pot is handy for a closer look, as long as the creature goes straight back where it was found.
Look in the right places
Mini beasts like damp, shady and sheltered spots. Try under leaves, along walls, around plant pots, on flowers and in long grass. Look gently and put anything you move back exactly as it was.
Count as you go
Make a small mark each time you see a creature, then fill in the box when you stop. This helps children avoid forgetting what they saw. It also helps them avoid counting the same creature twice.
Hunt on different days
The sheet is made for a daily walk, so try the same route on different days. Children can notice what changes with the weather, the time of day and the place they look.
Why hunt for mini beasts?
Mini beast is a friendly name for the small creatures we find in gardens, parks and hedges. Many are insects, but the word also covers spiders, snails, slugs, worms and woodlice. Because they live almost everywhere, children do not need a special trip. A pavement crack, a flower bed or a log pile can be a whole world to explore.
Hunting and recording is real science in a simple form. Children observe closely, ask questions and gather information. They begin to see that different creatures like different places, and that a small change in the weather can change what turns up. Counting what they find gives their observations a clear, honest result they can talk about.
Look but do not pick up creatures unless an adult says it is safe. Some bees, wasps and nettles can sting. Wash hands after the walk. Stay with an adult near roads, ponds and water. Always put creatures and any logs or stones back as you found them.
Mini beast facts
- Insects have six legs and three body parts.
- Spiders have eight legs, so they are not insects.
- Earthworms have no legs, and their burrows help air and water move through soil.
- Snails carry a shell on their back, but slugs do not have one.
- Woodlice are not insects. They are related to crabs and prawns.
Skills and curriculum link
- Observing closely
- Counting
- Recording results
- Naming common creatures
- Noticing habitats
Helping children look closely
- Slow downMany mini beasts are small and still. Stand quietly for a moment and let your eyes settle on one patch before moving on.
- Check different levelsLook on the ground, on plant stems, on leaves and up on walls or fences. Different creatures live at different heights.
- Use clear wordsAsk how many legs a creature has, what colour it is and how it moves. These details help children tell one type from another.
- Be gentleTreat every creature kindly. Lift nothing roughly and leave their homes tidy so they can carry on as normal.
Key words
- Mini beastA small creature without a backbone, such as an insect, spider, snail or worm.
- InsectA creature with six legs and three body parts.
- HabitatThe place where a plant or animal lives and finds what it needs.
- ObserveTo look carefully and notice details.
- TallyA mark you make each time you count something, so you do not lose track.
- RecordTo write down what you have found out.
How to use it
- Print the sheet and put it on a clipboard or hard book with a pencil.
- Look at the mini beasts on the sheet together. Talk about where each one might be hiding.
- Take the sheet on your walk. Search gently, and make a mark each time you spot a mini beast.
- Fill in the boxes with how many of each you found. Count your marks carefully.
- Talk about what you found and try another walk on a different day to see if the results change.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Choose one small area, such as a single plant pot or patch of wall, and search only there. Look for one type of mini beast at a time. Count aloud with an adult and make a mark each time you find one.
To stretch confident children
Walk the same route on two different days or in different weather. Compare the results. Which boxes had bigger numbers? Make a guess about why, then test it. You could draw a simple bar chart to show your results.
Make it a game
Play a team hunt. Each person picks a mini beast to find and stays at their spot for a set time. Then everyone shares what they found. Give a point for every creature spotted, and a bonus for the best description.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child counts the same creature more than once as it moves.
Try thisMake a mark only when you are sure it is a new one. Hunt in a small area and count slowly.
Watch forA child finds nothing and feels disappointed.
Try thisA result of none is still a real result. Try another spot, such as somewhere shadier or damper, or search again at a different time.
Watch forA child picks up creatures to count them.
Try thisLook first and count where they are. If you need a closer look, ask an adult to help and put the creature back at once.
Talk about it
- Which mini beast did you find most often, and why do you think that was?
- Where did you find the most creatures? What was it like there?
- What did the creature you liked best look like up close?
- How did you decide where to look?
- What do you think mini beasts eat?
- What might change if we did the hunt on a rainy day?
Take it off the page
Draw a mini beast
Choose a creature you saw and draw it from memory. Add labels for the body parts you remember, then check them against a book or a real one.
Make a mini beast home
Pile some leaves, sticks and bark in a quiet corner of the garden. Check it now and then to see who has moved in.
Mini beast story
Write or tell a short story from the point of view of a creature you found. Where does it live, and what is its day like?
Who it is for
Parents
Make it part of your normal walk. Let your child lead, carry the sheet and do the counting. You only need to ask questions and keep an eye on safety. Short, regular hunts work better than one long one.
Teachers
Use it for a school grounds hunt, a science lesson on habitats or a nature topic. It gives children a simple way to gather and record data. Pairs can compare results afterwards and discuss what they notice.
Home educators
The sheet fits easily into a home education week alongside gardening or nature study. Repeat the hunt through the seasons and keep the sheets together. This builds a record children can look back on and compare.
Where this fits in learning
Before this, children usually learn to name common plants and animals and to look closely at the natural world. They also practise counting small groups of objects and saying what they see.
After this, they can learn more about habitats and how animals depend on their surroundings. They can also move on to sorting living things into groups, and to showing their findings in simple charts and tables.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What is the Mini Beasts Hunt?
It is a free printable sheet for recording a creature hunt. Children go on a walk, look for the mini beasts on the sheet and fill in the boxes with how many of each they find.
- What age is it suitable for?
It suits primary age children, with a grown up to help younger ones. Early years children can look and count with support, while older children can keep neat records and compare results.
- How long does it take?
It depends on your walk. Children fill in the boxes as they find creatures, so you can do it in one outing or spread it across several days. There is no need to rush.
- What do we need?
You need the printed sheet and a pencil. A clipboard or hard book to lean on helps, and a magnifying glass is a nice extra. No special equipment is needed.
- What if we do not find many mini beasts?
That is fine, and it is still a real result. Try somewhere damper or shadier, look under leaves and around plant pots, or try again on a different day or in different weather.
- Is it safe to handle the creatures?
It is best to look without touching. Some creatures can sting or bite, so ask an adult before picking anything up. Put logs and stones back as you found them and wash hands afterwards.
- Which school subjects does it link to?
It links mainly to science, including living things and their habitats and working scientifically, which covers observing and recording. It also gives practice with counting and recording numbers, and it fits well with gardening.
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.