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Exploring Plant and Animal Life

Exploring Plant and Animal Life

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butterfly on a branch

Purpose

Learn about plant and animal life in your area to gain more appreciation for the world Heavenly Father created for you.

Description

Divide participants into pairs, and invite each pair to go outside and identify as many types of plant and animal life as possible in a set amount of time. They could draw what they see, make a list, or take pictures. Participants could also take notes on habitat or any behavior they observe. Come together as a group and discuss what each pair saw and learned. If desired, participants could find additional information online about plants or animals they saw.

As you plan this activity, please follow the counsel given in chapter 13 of Handbook 2: Administering the Church (2010) and review “Safety Recommendations for Church Activities.”

More Ideas

  • Make a nature collection—Go for a walk and collect things along the way, from rocks and sticks to pine cones, leaves, flowers, and bugs. How are they similar? Group by type (rocks with rocks, leaves with leaves), by size (all big items together), or by color.

  • Make a bird feeder—Use simple resources to make a bird feeder. For example, you could fill the peel from half an orange with birdseed, or you could fill a cleaned-out plastic bottle with birdseed and cut a hole in the side.

  • Track wildlife—Learn the basics about tracking the wildlife in your area. Learn what different animal footprints look like, how to tell if an animal was walking or running, and how to spot feeding signs, such as gnawed-on twigs. Now go outside and practice your skills!

  • Visit a wildlife refuge—Find an animal, bird, or wildlife refuge near you and schedule a time to visit. It might be fun to take materials to draw pictures of the plants and animals you see. If you have a camera, take that with you and capture pictures. You could also visit a zoo, aviary, animal shelter, or pet store.

Discussion

Encourage participants to talk about what they are learning. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity. You could ask questions like the following:

  • Why do you think it is important to love and appreciate nature?

  • When have you been lifted by spending time in nature?

  • What feelings or impressions do you have about God’s creations?

  • How can you apply what you are learning in your life?

Related Resources

Sabbath Day Lessons

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