Home Blog Three nature activities for a group Activity ideas
Three nature activities for a group Connect plant parts, birds and insects in one session, with a different word game and a short follow-up for each topic.
A garden gives three word activities a shared setting. Start with a plant word search, move to a bird scramble and finish with insect bingo. Each game has its own list, so you can introduce a new topic as well as a different way to play.
Choose a setting Choose a setting the group can picture: a garden, a school planting area or a patch of woodland. Plant Parts supplies labels for a drawing. Garden Birds uses British bird names, while Insects includes ant, beetle and damselfly. Read the lists and choose the words that fit your setting.
You can begin indoors with a picture or drawing, or spend a little time looking outside. Ask what people notice about shapes, colors and movement. Use a nature reference for names you want to identify, then return to the word list for spelling help.
Give each activity a different job Topic Game Try afterwards Plant parts Plant Parts word search Put a few labels on a plant drawing. Bird names Garden Birds scramble Choose a familiar bird to describe. Insects Insects bingo Pick a called word for a sentence or picture caption.
Use the games one after another, set them out on three tables or spread them over a few days. Introduce each new list before starting. A player who wants more time with one activity can stay with it while others move on.
Make and print an activity pack →
Plant Parts — Word search {"title":"Plant Parts","locale":"en","activity":"word-search","seed":"nature-plants-01","engineVersion":"pt-engine-1.0.0","printVersion":"print-1.0.0","paper":"Letter","fontPoints":12,"marginsMm":12,"words":[{"id":"w01","display":"root","gridForm":"ROOT"},{"id":"w02","display":"stem","gridForm":"STEM"},{"id":"w03","display":"leaf","gridForm":"LEAF"},{"id":"w04","display":"flower","gridForm":"FLOWER"},{"id":"w05","display":"fruit","gridForm":"FRUIT"},{"id":"w06","display":"seed","gridForm":"SEED"},{"id":"w07","display":"petal","gridForm":"PETAL"},{"id":"w08","display":"sepal","gridForm":"SEPAL"},{"id":"w09","display":"stamen","gridForm":"STAMEN"},{"id":"w10","display":"anther","gridForm":"ANTHER"},{"id":"w11","display":"filament","gridForm":"FILAMENT"},{"id":"w12","display":"pollen","gridForm":"POLLEN"},{"id":"w13","display":"pistil","gridForm":"PISTIL"},{"id":"w14","display":"stigma","gridForm":"STIGMA"},{"id":"w15","display":"style","gridForm":"STYLE"},{"id":"w16","display":"ovary","gridForm":"OVARY"},{"id":"w17","display":"ovule","gridForm":"OVULE"},{"id":"w18","display":"bud","gridForm":"BUD"},{"id":"w19","display":"node","gridForm":"NODE"},{"id":"w20","display":"internode","gridForm":"INTERNODE"},{"id":"w21","display":"vein","gridForm":"VEIN"},{"id":"w22","display":"cuticle","gridForm":"CUTICLE"},{"id":"w23","display":"bark","gridForm":"BARK"},{"id":"w24","display":"cambium","gridForm":"CAMBIUM"}],"grid":{"rows":16,"columns":16,"directions":["horizontal","vertical"],"allowOverlap":true,"alphabet":["A","B","C","D","E","F","G","H","I","J","K","L","M","N","O","P","Q","R","S","T","U","V","W","X","Y","Z"],"blacklist":["FUCK","SHIT","CUNT","PORN"]}} Plant Parts Word search Find the words in the grid. Use the list to check the spelling. J P T Z O U V X L O U J L T B W X Y O Q E X Q P X Q L F J X S U Y G M K B E X N D C F A K Y L C X D G S P O I Y I F A K P S W K Z D R T D C H W N B W S S O W F W F K Y Y Y B O V U L E A F O G F H F L O W E R E D G P Z H A Z K U I E S A S T I G M A J Y L R G C L K T N T C N P D L G G O C Z A A P E T A L Z O V A R Y R S U M M I M H M E H L V X E F N Y K B E S S E E D A L K B A R K C A I N T E R N O D E T I M U W M C U T I C L E Q E N Q U W I K Z U M J L I Y Q S K H R O O T T O H Q I Y C T S F B R S A Z N J E Words to find root stem leaf flower fruit seed petal sepal stamen anther filament pollen pistil stigma style ovary ovule bud node internode vein cuticle bark cambium PuzzleKitLab · https://puzzlekitlab.site · support@puzzlekitlab.site Page 1 / 2 Language: en · Version: pt-engine-1.0.0 · Seed: nature-plants-01 Start with a Plant Parts word search and its matching answers. Words used root · stem · leaf · flower · fruit · seed · petal · sepal · stamen · anther · filament · pollen · pistil · stigma · style · ovary · ovule · bud · node · internode · vein · cuticle · bark · cambium
Make a Plant Parts word search→
Garden Birds — Word scramble {"title":"Garden Birds","locale":"en","activity":"scramble","seed":"nature-birds-01","engineVersion":"pt-engine-1.0.0","printVersion":"print-1.0.0","paper":"Letter","fontPoints":12,"marginsMm":12,"words":[{"id":"w01","display":"robin","gridForm":"ROBIN"},{"id":"w02","display":"blackbird","gridForm":"BLACKBIRD"},{"id":"w03","display":"blue tit","gridForm":"BLUETIT"},{"id":"w04","display":"great tit","gridForm":"GREATTIT"},{"id":"w05","display":"coal tit","gridForm":"COALTIT"},{"id":"w06","display":"marsh tit","gridForm":"MARSHTIT"},{"id":"w07","display":"long-tailed tit","gridForm":"LONGTAILEDTIT"},{"id":"w08","display":"chaffinch","gridForm":"CHAFFINCH"},{"id":"w09","display":"goldfinch","gridForm":"GOLDFINCH"},{"id":"w10","display":"greenfinch","gridForm":"GREENFINCH"},{"id":"w11","display":"bullfinch","gridForm":"BULLFINCH"},{"id":"w12","display":"house sparrow","gridForm":"HOUSESPARROW"},{"id":"w13","display":"tree sparrow","gridForm":"TREESPARROW"},{"id":"w14","display":"starling","gridForm":"STARLING"},{"id":"w15","display":"wren","gridForm":"WREN"},{"id":"w16","display":"dunnock","gridForm":"DUNNOCK"},{"id":"w17","display":"nuthatch","gridForm":"NUTHATCH"},{"id":"w18","display":"treecreeper","gridForm":"TREECREEPER"},{"id":"w19","display":"magpie","gridForm":"MAGPIE"},{"id":"w20","display":"jackdaw","gridForm":"JACKDAW"},{"id":"w21","display":"woodpigeon","gridForm":"WOODPIGEON"},{"id":"w22","display":"collared dove","gridForm":"COLLAREDDOVE"},{"id":"w23","display":"song thrush","gridForm":"SONGTHRUSH"},{"id":"w24","display":"mistle thrush","gridForm":"MISTLETHRUSH"}]} Garden Birds Word scramble Put the letters in order to find each word. 1. NIROB 2. DBIKBCLAR 3. LEBITUT 4. TERTITAG 5. TLTOICA 6. ASTITHMR 7. LILIANTGTTOED 8. HAFICHFNC 9. NDHFLOGIC 10. FNEGHNICRE 11. BIHLNFCUL 12. OUSWRPOAHSRE 13. REPRTWROSEA 14. ASNGTLRI 15. RWEN 16. KNCDNOU 17. NTHACUTH PuzzleKitLab · https://puzzlekitlab.site · support@puzzlekitlab.site Page 1 / 4 Language: en · Version: pt-engine-1.0.0 · Seed: nature-birds-01 Change to a scramble using the Garden Birds list. Words used robin · blackbird · blue tit · great tit · coal tit · marsh tit · long-tailed tit · chaffinch · goldfinch · greenfinch · bullfinch · house sparrow · tree sparrow · starling · wren · dunnock · nuthatch · treecreeper · magpie · jackdaw · woodpigeon · collared dove · song thrush · mistle thrush
Make a Garden Birds scramble→
Insects — Word bingo · PT-F343A036-001 {"title":"Insects","locale":"en","activity":"bingo","seed":"nature-insects-01","engineVersion":"pt-engine-1.0.0","printVersion":"print-1.0.0","paper":"Letter","fontPoints":12,"marginsMm":12,"words":[{"id":"w01","display":"ant","gridForm":"ANT"},{"id":"w02","display":"bee","gridForm":"BEE"},{"id":"w03","display":"wasp","gridForm":"WASP"},{"id":"w04","display":"hornet","gridForm":"HORNET"},{"id":"w05","display":"butterfly","gridForm":"BUTTERFLY"},{"id":"w06","display":"moth","gridForm":"MOTH"},{"id":"w07","display":"beetle","gridForm":"BEETLE"},{"id":"w08","display":"ladybug","gridForm":"LADYBUG"},{"id":"w09","display":"firefly","gridForm":"FIREFLY"},{"id":"w10","display":"dragonfly","gridForm":"DRAGONFLY"},{"id":"w11","display":"damselfly","gridForm":"DAMSELFLY"},{"id":"w12","display":"grasshopper","gridForm":"GRASSHOPPER"},{"id":"w13","display":"cricket","gridForm":"CRICKET"},{"id":"w14","display":"katydid","gridForm":"KATYDID"},{"id":"w15","display":"locust","gridForm":"LOCUST"},{"id":"w16","display":"mantis","gridForm":"MANTIS"},{"id":"w17","display":"stick insect","gridForm":"STICKINSECT"},{"id":"w18","display":"leaf insect","gridForm":"LEAFINSECT"},{"id":"w19","display":"earwig","gridForm":"EARWIG"},{"id":"w20","display":"cicada","gridForm":"CICADA"},{"id":"w21","display":"aphid","gridForm":"APHID"},{"id":"w22","display":"termite","gridForm":"TERMITE"},{"id":"w23","display":"lacewing","gridForm":"LACEWING"},{"id":"w24","display":"mayfly","gridForm":"MAYFLY"}],"bingo":{"gridSize":3,"freeCenter":true,"cardCount":3}} Insects Word bingo · Card PT-F343A036-001 Mark each word as it is called. Ask the host to check your win. mantis beetle moth grasshopper FREE termite katydid dragonfly cricket PuzzleKitLab · https://puzzlekitlab.site · support@puzzlekitlab.site Page 1 / 4 Language: en · Version: pt-engine-1.0.0 · Seed: nature-insects-01 Finish with three Insects bingo cards and the call list for that set. Words used ant · bee · wasp · hornet · butterfly · moth · beetle · ladybug · firefly · dragonfly · damselfly · grasshopper · cricket · katydid · locust · mantis · stick insect · leaf insect · earwig · cicada · aphid · termite · lacewing · mayfly
Call list moth · beetle · damselfly · leaf insect · katydid · locust · stick insect · cricket · firefly · earwig · dragonfly · aphid · grasshopper · termite · hornet · mantis · cicada · ant
Make Insects bingo cards→
Keep the right list beside each game Keep the matching list beside each activity. Root, stem and leaf belong with the plant diagram; robin, wren and magpie with the bird scene; ant, bee and butterfly with the listening game. That makes it easier to check a word without looking through all three lists.
When editing a list, keep names in their usual spelling. A word search joins multiword names and removes hyphens inside the grid, but the reference list keeps the spaces and hyphens. Use that original spelling for labels and writing.
Finish with a word to use Finish each activity with a quick check using its answer page or call list. Ask everyone to choose one word for a sentence or picture caption. They can say it aloud, write it down or add a label to a drawing.
Try a short writing activity →
Keep each word list with its activity pages and answers. Use a text size the group is comfortable reading. Include any extra word-list pages shown in the preview. Look over the puzzle, including the filler letters, before sharing it. Keep the original spellings visible for labels and writing. Keep the same garden setting next time and change one topic. Flowers can replace Plant Parts when the group wants flower names rather than structures. Choose a few new words to introduce before returning to a familiar game.
See the Flowers word list→