Hiding in Plain Sight

Children play a game of hide and seek to learn about important adaptations in many wild animals.

Using animal toys hide two animals, one where it blends in and one where it stands out.  Have children look for them.  Which is easier to find? Why? Introduce the word camouflage and have the children come up with examples.  Show examples of camouflage in nature using pictures or other visual.

Go outside and play hide and seek using the toy animals (one for each child).  Choose a child to be the predator.  The “predator” sits with his or her eyes closed (“sleeping”) in the center of the play space.  The rest of the children are the “prey” and hide their animal “in plain sight” by hiding their animal where it will be camouflaged.  The prey must be able to “see” the predator and not be covered up; they are relying on their camouflage to hide from the predator!  After the prey animals have been hidden “wake” the predator up.  The predator then tries to spot any prey they can from where they are.  Which animals were the easiest to find?  The most difficult? Why?  Encourage children to discuss and make observations.  Repeat the hide and seek game allowing each child a turn to be the predator. 

Also try a version of freeze tag called “Freeze Birds”.  One child is the “hawk” and the other children are the “bluebirds”.  The hawk turns his or her back to the bluebirds and counts to twenty, while the hawk counts the bluebirds fly around together behind the hawk looking for food.  When the hawk is finished counting they yell “Here comes the hawk!” and the bluebirds warn each other by yelling “Freeze birds!”.  The birds freeze and stay still.  The hawk turns around and looks for movement, the first one to move becomes the next hawk!

Create a “surprise terrarium” to share with the children.  Place in a terrarium an animal that is camouflaged to the vegetation in the terrarium (for example a toad that blends into the grass and soil).  Encourage children to observe the terrarium and describe what they see!

Take children on a nature walk to look for camouflaged animals.  Draw pictures of what you see in your nature journals.  Study the animal(s) that you found as a class, read books about it, make a class picture of it or write a class storybook about it.

For more great ideas, including snack and craft ideas, use Growing Up WILD’s “Hiding in Plain Sight”.

Book List

Arnosky, J. 1995. I See Animals Hiding. Scholastic.

Dewey, J. 1994. Can You Find Me? A Book About Animal Camouflage. Scholastic Trade.

Donati, A. 1995. Animal Camouflage: Fun Facts for Curious Kids. Random House Children’s Books.

Donati, A. 2001. I Wonder Why Crocodiles Float Like Logs and Other Neat Facts About Animal Camouflage. Graymont.

Gilpin, D. 2010. 3-D Close Up: Animal Camouflage. Silver Dolphin Books.

Foley, C. 2000. Find the Wild Animal. Children’s Press (CT).

Heller, R. 1994. How to Hide a Crocodile and Other Reptiles. Penguin Group (USA).

Heller, R. 1995. How to Hide a Meadow Frog and Other Amphibians. Penguin Group (USA).

Heller, R. 1992. How to Hide a Butterfly and Other Insects. Penguin Group (USA).

Jenkins, S. 2001. What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

McDonnell, J. 1997. Animal Camouflage. Child’s World, Inc.

O’Mara, K. 2009. Camouflage: Survival in the Wild. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

Otto, C. B. 1996. What Color is Camouflage? HarperCollins Publishers.

Peterson, M. C. 2010. Camouflage Clues: A Photo Riddle Book. A+ Books.

Schwartz, D. M., Y. Schy, and D. Kuhn. 2011. Where in the Wild? Camouflaged Creatures Concealed…and Revealed. Random House Children’s Books.

Smith, P. 2006. Animal Hide and Seek. DK Children.

Tildes, P. L. 2000. Animals in Camouflage. Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.  

Weber, B. 2004. Animal Disguises. Kingfisher.

Wood, A. J., and N. Palin. 1996. Hidden Pictures: Find a Feast of Camouflaged Creatures. Lerner Publishing Group.