Outdoor games can help kids learn about different habitats.
A suitable habitat is a critical necessity for all living organisms. A habitat is comprised of the physical and environmental features where a particular type of organism can find food, water and shelter. Species adapt to and depend upon particular habitats. Learning about the necessity of habitats and identify them makes up an important part of kids' natural science education. Outdoor games provide a fun way to teach children about species' habitats.
Scavenger Hunt
Outdoor scavenger hunts make a great learning experience for kids. A variation on the popular scavenger hunt allows kids to assume the identity of an animal and search out signs of suitable habitat. Assign an animal to each kid in a group, giving some kids animals that do inhabit the area to be covered and others ones from different habitats. Give each kid a card with habitat information for their animal, or have kids do their own research ahead of time. Make a list of things indicative of each habitat. For example, for a squirrel you could list acorns and leaves. Have the kids hunt for the items on their cards. Based on what they find, discuss whether the hunted area is a suitable habitat for their assigned animal.
Photography Contest
A camera can help kids target and document signs of particular habitats. Give the kids digital cameras, or have them bring their own cameras from home. Assign each child an animal or plant common to the local area, or let the children choose their own. Have the children go out and photograph any elements of the organism's habitat they are able to document, such as shelters, food sources, water, appropriate sunlight and other habitat features particular to their species. The kids can then gather their photos into an album and show their albums to the group to see who was able to find the most appropriate habitat elements.
Tree Tag
Trees provide habitat for many species, from birds to mammals to insects. Learning identify different types of trees is an important extension to learning about habitats. Tree tag uses specified types of trees as "home base" in a fun game of outdoor tag. Choose a playing field that has a variety of tree and shrub species. Ask for a volunteer to be "it" for the first round. Begin calling out "safe" trees. The kids have to find and touch a safe tree to avoid getting tagged. As the caller, you can say "touch an oak tree for safety." You can help by calling out identifying characteristics of the tree or shrub such as "look for acorns on the ground around the tree." Give a time allotment for each round. Those who get tagged or who are not touching the correct tree are "it" for the next round.
Habitat "Who Am I"?
Kids can enjoy a variation of the "who am I?" game in which one child describes habitat characteristics of a species and the others try to guess the species. For example, a student could be a species of bat and say "I live in a cave or in a tree during the day and come out at night." Enhance the game with photographs of the animals identified or take the group to a nature center and include real animals with the help of nature center staff.
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