What Lives in a Tree?

"What Lives in a Tree?" is an easy science project that lets kids discover a tree's smallest inhabitants. When you shake a tree, you never know what will fall out in this easy kids' activity.

What Lives in a Tree easy science project
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Try the What Lives in a Tree easy science project for kids.

What You'll Need:

  • A tree with an easy-to-reach branch
  • White bed sheet
  • A partner
  • Magnifying glass

How to Do What Lives in a Tree?:

Step 1: Have a partner help you stretch a white sheet under a tree branch. (The closer you hold the sheet to the branch, the better.)

Step 2: Shake the branch hard for about a minute, then lay the sheet on the ground and observe with a magnifying glass. What tiny animals do you see? Look for spiders, adult insects, and caterpillars.

Step 3: Now try the same activity with a different tree. Do you find the same animals in a pine that you do in an oak? Record your findings and compare.

Step 4: Try sampling the same tree several times in a year. Do you see different insects at different times?

Be a detective in your own home in the next project and identify objects containing a certain mineral.

For more easy and fun kids' activities, see: