There’s a living world inside a log that’s just waiting for your kids to explore. During this easy nature activity for kids, they’ll discover the plants and animals — some tiny and some not so small — that call the hollow log home.

What You’ll Need:

• Magnifying glass
• Flashlight

Step 1: Take a walk in the woods and find an old, rotten log.

Step 2: Use a magnifying glass to explore everything that’s happening in this rotten — but lovely — little world.

You may see mountains of moss, mushroom forests, and many weird little creatures. You might see ants marching along with food. Or you might see insect eggs or larvae.

Can you hear any insect sounds? If you see loose bark, shine a flashlight into the crack between the bark and the log. Is anybody looking back? If the log is hollow, stand back a few feet and shine the light inside, too. Be careful, though. A hollow log might be home to a sleepy raccoon, opossum, or other animal.

Go ahead and turn the log over — as long as you turn it back when you’re finished. And don’t take anything. You can come back again at another time of the year to see if anything has changed.