We're Going On A Bug Hunt, Finding Fuel For The Sport Of Kings: Snail Racing

Bug Hunt

Get your wellies on and take your camera out with you to look for insects high and low. Extra points for spotting anything you can’t name straight away. Take a picture, and look it up in a library book on bugs or on UK Safari. Remember we'd love to see any photos you have! 

Is it a Grey Dagger Moth or a Brown-tail? We can't decide.

Email them to lfwstubbs@gmail.com. Great places to look are the underside of leaves and under fallen wood.

Take it further:

• What types of insects have you found? Are any of them rare or only found in your area?
• Collect the pictures or drawings you have made in a book and record the place and time of day you saw them.

How To Put On A Snail Race

Number 4 races to victory.

You will need:

• A plant pot
• Paintbrush
• Bright coloured non-toxic paint (Our DK kids science guide recommends enamel paint, but we're using washable poster paint)
• Flowerpot

How to set it up:

• Carefully collect snails from around the garden or local area – they can easily be found in damp places after rain and first thing in the morning. Pick them up gently by the shell.
• Paint numbers or names on the shells, be careful not to get any paint on the body of the snail and to hold the snail carefully.
• Stand the flowerpot up and put the snails in the bottom.
• Wait to see which snail makes it first over the edge of the flowerpot!