Museum of Science, Boston

Books for Kids

  • Field Guide to Tracks
    , by
    Myron and Charles Chase
  • How to be a Nature Detective
    , by
    Millicent E. Selsam
  • In the Woods: Who's Been Here?
    , by
    Lindsay Barrett George

Contact Us

Contact the Discovery Center and Living Lab staff at livinglab@mos.org

Nature Detectives: Toddlers






  

    

  Nature Detectives can be a fun science activity for people of all ages. We provide these generalizations as guidelines about what children at different ages might do during a Nature Detective exploration at the Discovery Center, in the kitchen at home, or at school. Listed below are science and technology process skills that children may be practicing during their explorations. Please remember: each child develops at a different rate, so some children in each age group may be able to do some of the things described in the age group before or after their own.


How might toddlers become Nature Detectives?



  

      


  

    
Classify - Toddlers




Toddlers can sort the clues they find on their nature adventure by color, shape, size or texture.


Toddlers can compare clues collected from different animals to see how they are similar or different.

Do these animals walk on two legs or four? Do they both have fur? 


BioKids is a great site to check out for more information on tracking and analyzing clues from nature!
  





  

    
Observe - Toddlers




Toddlers can use their sense of touch to observe different textures in nature. Do all leaves feel the same? Does fur feel the same as a feather?


Toddlers can watch an animal outside in its habitat. Why does the bird fly back and forth from its nest?


Toddlers can observe their own hand-prints and footprints and compare them other animals. Do you have the same amount of toes? Do you walk on two legs or four?


Print out this animal track activity to make observations about animal prints at home!
  





  

    
Use Tools - Toddlers




Toddlers can use a magnifying glass to look at things closer up or binoculars to see things further away.

How do these tools help you see something you couldn't see before?


Young toddlers are developing their hand-eye coordination necessary to bring a pencil to paper.

Can you draw something you found on your nature adventure?


Toddlers can trace a partner's hand and compare it to another animal's hand-print.

How are the hand-prints the same? How are they different?