At-Home Resources

Sound Mapping is an engaging activity focused on using your sense of hearing. To play, use a piece of paper with an ‘X’ marked in the center, and with the date and time in the corner. The paper is a sound map and the ‘X’ represents where you are sitting. When you hear a sound, make a mark on the paper to represent the sound. Your mark can be a simple design, such as a few wavy lines representing a gust of wind, or a musical note indicating a singing bird. Making simple marks keeps the focus on listening rather than on drawing. If you are unsure of the source of the sound, draw a question mark. The location of the mark should indicate the direction and distance of the sound from your seat.

Close your eyes while listening. To help increase hearing ability, you can make “fox” ears by cupping your hands behind your ears. This hand position will create a greater surface area to capture sounds. Then cup the hands in front of the ears (palms facing backwards) to hear the sounds from behind them more easily. Listen for urban sounds and sounds of nature.

This activity can be done daily or weekly, compare your maps as you go! When you are finished think about all of the sounds in nature. How to sounds help animals communicate? How does changing the envrionment and habitat change the sounds?

Have you ever noticed how bugs including moths are attracted to a porch light? Grab an old, white sheet and hang it up near a light! You can use rope or clothespins to hang up your sheet. As the sun sets, turn on your porch light and watch all of the insects that start congregating. You may find cicadas, craneflies, and beetles in addition to moths. You can use Seek by iNaturalist.org to help with identification. If you want to get really fancy, use a black light set-up!

Entomologists aren’t sure why moths are attracted to light. One theory is that lights at night blind moths by swamping the light receptors in their eyes and disorienting them. Other theories involve confusing man-made lights for the Moon. Here is a great resource for more information on mothing - National Moth Week

Get to know the trees near you! For this activity you will need a blindfold or bandana, a partner, and a couple of trees to choose from. Decide who will be the leader first and who will be the one blindfolded.

1. The leader will blindfold their partner, spin them around a couple of times, and place their partner’s hands on their shoulders so they are in front of them to guide them. The leader will pick out a tree nearby to lead the blindfolded to. Remember to walk slowly and watch out for any tripping hazards and you lead your partner.
2. Once the blindfoldee is at the tree, they are to “meet the tree” by using their sense of touch. Characteristics they should explore (without taking off their blindfold!) include: size of the tree, texture of the bark, number and size of branches, leaf characteristics, any notable uniqueness such as knots or holes, or sticky sap.
3. When they are done, the guide leads them back to starting point and removes their blindfold.Their partner must now guess and decide which tree they “met” based off of their findings. Kids can play the ‘hold and cold” game if they are having difficulty finding the tree they “met.” Once they guess the correct tree, switch places and now the leader becomes the one blindfolded.

At the end, discuss the similarities and differences between the trees. Additional resource: A Key to Common Trees in Alabama