Five spooky nature activities for families this October Half Term

Beat the boredom this October Half Term with Butterfly Conservation's five fun, slightly spooky and wild-inspired activities for the family.

1. See what’s going bump in the night

The nights are drawing in but there’s still lots to see when the sun goes down! Head out after dark with a torch and look for fallen fruit, berries or Ivy and you might find some moths enjoying a sweet treat. Many caterpillars are nocturnal, so you can also check out plants and leaves to see if any caterpillars are out having a midnight feast. You can even make your own moth magnet. Heat a bottle of red wine (moths don’t mind what vintage) and stir in 1kg sugar until dissolved but make sure not to boil. Allow the mixture to cool and then soak lengths of rope or fabric in the sugary concoction. Drape the ropes over low branches, bushes or fences just before dusk and check for moths by torch light during the first two hours of darkness. You can identify what you spot on Butterfly Conservation's moth pages [https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths] 

2. Carve a butterfly or moth themed pumpkin

Looking to get a bit more creative with your pumpkin designs this year? Head over to Butterfly Conservation's butterfly [https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies] and moth [https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths] pages to pick your favourite, copy their outline onto your pumpkin and cut out your design. For the perfectionists of the family, you can make things more detailed by printing out a picture and tracing the butterfly, moth or caterpillar using tracing paper and thick pencil. Whatever you create, make sure to tag Butterfly Conservation in your designs on social media at @savebutterflies

3. Dress up as a Death’s-head Hawk-moth

Looking for a spooky nature-themed Halloween outfit? Make your own Death’s-head Hawk-moth mask. This fun craft is great for kids on rainy days and can make a fun party activity. Download Butterfly Conservation's moth mask template and follow the simple steps [https://butterfly-conservation.org/discover-and-learn/activities-and-resources/make-a-moth-mask]

4. Create your own Frankenstein’s caterpillar

Caterpillars have loads of clever ways of avoiding predators, from colourful bodies to spitting acid. Learn all about their adaptations on Butterfly Conservation's Discover and Learn page [https://butterfly-conservation.org/discover-and-learn/activities-and-resources/clever-caterpillar-adaptations] and then have a go at coming up with your own caterpillar creation – will it have horrible hairs, cunning camouflage or maybe a toxic taste? You could even bring it to life with whatever materials you have around the house! 

5. Go on a weird and wild walk

Although it’s seen as a quieter time of year for wildlife, there’s still lots of weird and wild things to see. Grab your scarves and head out for a walk around your local green space – and don’t forget to take a magnifying glass to get a bit closer. Look out for skeleton leaves, strange-looking lichens (and some of the caterpillars that eat them), and maybe even moth “mummies” pupating in leaf piles. Check out Butterfly Conservation's spooky spotter sheet for some inspiration of what to look out for [https://butterfly-conservation.org/discover-and-learn/activities-and-resources/spotter-sheets]

Looking for more fun activities to do with the kids this autumn? Check out Discover and Learn | Butterfly Conservation [https://butterfly-conservation.org/discover-and-learn]