There are children who are independent players (like my oldest) and then there are children who don’t do anything alone (like my middle one). Normally that’s not a problem, but on occasion I do try to stretch him to try new things. It usually takes a little enticing, but as soon as I brought home the Backyard Explorations Critter Case I knew we wouldn’t have a problem with him striking out on his own.
Lately, he has been obsessed with bugs. He’s all about picking up worms, chasing flies, and identifying all sorts of creepy crawlers. I thought about saving the critter case for a gift, but I knew it would buy me some quiet and him some independent play outside in the fresh air so I handed it off the moment I it arrived.
It was a HUGE hit!
With an easy carrying handle my son can bounce all over the backyard while hunting for critters. The plastic door swings open with ease for his 4 year old hands, but stays closed when it needs to. It can easily be washed out due to the sturdy mesh fabric sides and plastic base. I know this full well seeing that he caught a slug last week!
Daily now he heads into our fenced yard on the hunt for a new creature. He has had quite the variety of scores and together we’ve had fun identifying and learning about what he finds. We watch his little bugs scurry about for awhile and then set them free. No doubt to warn their friends that a little bug catcher lives in this territory!
Buy the Backyard Explorations Critter Case from Amazon for less than $10 here. And take a peek at The Big Book of Bugs too. It’s one of our favorites when it comes to identifying and learning about various bugs.