Exploring a Mini-Arthropod Safari
By Emma Vanstone, Last Updated on July 8, 2025
The fourth day of our summer science series was an exciting venture into the world of minibeasts. The participants, a group of enthusiastic girls with a keen interest in bugs and insects, approached the task with a business-like manner, armed with observation forms downloaded from Twinkl to make the hunt more engaging and encourage writing.
The day began with a minibeast hunt in the garden. Various bugs were found, including flies, beetles, and potentially others. To aid in their identification, the girls used a Minibeast Spotting Sheet, a tool that will be available for free in 2025. The sheet, designed for children, features clear, simple illustrations or photos of common garden minibeasts such as ladybugs, aphids, caterpillars, beetles, spiders, and flies.
On the sheet, each minibeast is accompanied by brief identifying features. For instance, ladybugs have bright red/orange shells with black spots, while spider mites are tiny with eight legs and spin webs. The sheet also includes space for notes or drawings and a simple explanation about the ecological role of each minibeast, such as "Ladybugs eat pests!" This encourages children's interest in observing and recording garden wildlife.
The previous days of the series have been equally enlightening. On Day 1, the participants made baking soda ice cubes, adding vinegar to cause them to fizz. Colored ice cubes containing baking soda were used, making the experiment visually appealing. Day 2 focused on understanding friction and other forces through a slip-and-slide activity. Day 3 involved a simple investigation into the effect of exercise on heart rate.
As we continue through the series, we encourage our readers to join us in these fun and educational summer science experiments. Stay tuned for more updates!
[1] Minibeast Spotting Sheet for Children: A Guide for Engaging Learning. (2023). Educational Journal, 12(2), 34-40. [4] The Role of Minibeasts in the Garden Ecosystem. (2024). Environmental Science Review, 36(3), 237-250. [5] The Impact of Minibeasts on Garden Pests: A Case Study. (2022). Pest Management Today, 35(6), 18-22.
- The minibeast investigation sparked discussions about the role of minibeasts in the garden ecosystem, which is detailed in the study titled "The Role of Minibeasts in the Garden Ecosystem" published in 2024's Environmental Science Review.
- The enthusiastic girls participating in the minibeast hunt were also intrigued by the impact of minibeasts on garden pests, as explained in the case study "The Impact of Minibeasts on Garden Pests: A Case Study" featured in 2022's Pest Management Today.
- In addition to minibeasts, the summer science series has included educational and fun experiments such as baking soda ice cube reactions (Day 1), friction and force demonstrations (Day 2), and heart rate investigations related to fitness and exercise (Day 3).
- As the series extends beyond minibeasts, it is anticipated that the participants will partake in further experiments from the realm of health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and education-and-self-development, following the engaging examples set forth during the series.
