Camouflaged to Hide and Hunt

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By Mary Kay Carson

Kids love to look at pictures of strange and scary, bizarre and slimy, weird and wonderful animals. Harness that fascination but challenging students to ask WHY? Why does that animal have bright red lips, a covering of goo, or legs covered in spikes? How might these strange-looking characteristics help the animal survive? Does it help it find food, hide, hunt, or impress a mate? 

This is challenge of my newest book, WEIRD ANIMALS. Its interactive color-coded design allows readers to observe, predict, and then discover the why behind the weird! It's a fun way to teach students about animal adaptations and survival strategies like camouflage colors, thorny skin, and extra hard heads!

The book's premise came from one of my most popular author visit school programs, Why Are These Animals so Weird? It's the perfect combination of entertaining images and educational info about animal adaptations. Plus, I'm always surprised by the reasons students predict for an animal's strange behavior or looks! One point I always try to reinforce is that camouflage hides an animal from both predators and prey. Blending in with the surroundings can help an animal stay safe and be a better ambush hunter. 

Try this fun printable activity with your kids. It not only allows them to see how effective camouflage is, but challenges them to quantify those effects. Grab some colored toothpicks, a timer, and start searching!