Go on an Anthill Quest!

What can we use instead of a magnifying glass or special colouring materials if we don't have them?

If you don't have a magnifying glass use a smartphone camera zoom or a clear plastic disposable magnifier to look closely at the ant trails from your safe spot, and substitute crayons or markers with colored pencils or even colored pens for coloring the hill trails and landmarks in your notebook.

What should we do if counting ants for one minute is too hard because they move too fast or there are too few?

If your one-minute counts (step 'Choose an imaginary counting line') are inconsistent because ants are too fast or too few, ask the adult to time two-minute counts, switch your counting line to a busier trail, and mark tallies in your notebook for each count to keep accurate numbers.

How can this activity be adapted for younger children or older kids who want a challenge?

For younger children shorten the quiet-watching to 30 seconds, have an adult help hold the magnifying glass and draw the simple outline, while older kids can measure trail widths, calculate the average of the three one-minute counts, add species notes, and polish the map before sharing on DIY.org.

How can we extend or personalize the Anthill Quest after finishing the observation map and notes?

After adding a legend to your map and coloring trails, extend the activity by returning at different times to repeat your three counts and graph the results in your notebook, taking photos to compare, and creating a small 3D model or annotated photo map to upload to DIY.org.