Spring and summer weather is grand for heading outside for an exciting mini backyard safari – no full-sized jeep necessary!
We had a gentle spring rain last night that led to a magic raindrop-covered backyard this morning. Everything is long, lush, and green, and you can almost imagine the wild world beneath your feet.
We don’t have anything particularly exotic in our backyard – lots of hostas and ferns, a big area of Siberian squill, a few native violets mixed with patches of wild geranium, and some long uncut grass patches.
But get down at ground level, and it’s easy to see our midwestern garden for all that it is – a dense, living & breathing jungle of plant life that provides a habitat for bugs, animals, and other minibeasts of all shapes and sizes.
Press play to see our backyard safari in action!
In fact, upon closer inspection…you wouldn’t believe what we found happening under our canopy of fresh flora…
- A hungry lion crossing through the brush on the hunt
- An elephant lumbering out of the jungle and down to a river valley
- A zebra swishing its tail in the middle of marshy, treeless grasslands
- A gorilla enjoying the cool breeze sweeping through a tropical rainforest
- A two-horned rhinoceros grazing in the wetlands
- A young giraffe looking for leafy greens high up in the treetops
- A stealth panther stalking prey in the long grasses
- A leathery crocodile belly-crawling through a mangrove swamp
For little ones who love an exciting backyard expedition, try making a nature explorer kit from a shoebox. And hop over to our list of over 100 backyard summer play activities for kids for more creative outdoor play ideas.
To put together your own mini backyard safari you’ll need:
Note: We prefer to shop locally or use what we have at home, but this list contains Woodpeckers Crafts, Etsy, Blick Art Materials, Bookshop.org and/or Amazon affiliate links for reference. As affiliates (and Amazon Associates), we make a small commission on qualifying purchases.*
BASIC SUPPLIES:
- A set of miniature animals (I used this kind, or you could use a lovely handmade wooden set, but whatever you have works!)
OPTIONAL SUPPLIES:
- Our free printable safari scavenger hunt PDFs
- Self-laminating sheets (I use these Scotch brand sheets)
- Binoculars (like these) or a simple set made from two cardboard tubes
- A compass
Create your own Mini Backyard Safari – DIY Instructions:
Transform your outdoor space into an enchanting interactive wildlife adventure, allowing your little explorers to dive into the world of animal habitats!
Prepare for a DIY backyard safari.
Put on sunscreen or a hat, grab a pair of binoculars, and prepare for adventure!
You can use real binoculars, or make a set of easy DIY binoculars by taping cardboard tubes together.
You can also download our free set of safari scavenger hunt printables for a checklist of animals your little ones can look for.
Position your toy animals around the yard.
Look for spots in your yard that might mimic your miniature animals’ environment.
The safari can be made more accessible by placing the animals in more open spaces or areas where their colors stand out.
If your kids are game for more of a challenge, look for spots where the animals might blend into the scenery.
More Ideas for Backyard Safari Play
So you’ve magically transformed your backyard into the coolest, most entertaining wildlife adventure for your little ones…now what? Here are a few ideas to help you use this enchanting activity for learning and play.
From exploring animal habitats and fostering empathy for wildlife to developing essential navigation skills and sparking creativity, this garden safari will entertain, educate, and inspire your budding naturalists.
1. Use your backyard safari to explore animal habitats.
Just as we did with our DIY play pet tank, backyard bug habitat, playdough turtles, or egg carton whale, you can use this play activity to recreate the habitats of the animals you spotted on your safari.
Have your kids draw or build habitats from recycled supplies or natural materials.
2. Discuss having respect and compassion for wildlife.
Use our miniature safari play setup to teach your children the importance of being responsible and empathetic wildlife caretakers. An unfortunate fact: many of the animals in our play set represent species that are critically endangered.
Take time to reflect on what it means for animals to be put on the endangered list, and how we can demonstrate compassion and care for animals and their natural habitats.
To take the idea even a little further, you can design “Save the Animal” posters, or role-play as conservationists rescuing an animal in need, cleaning up or replenishing its “habitat”, and returning it to “the wild”.
3. Practice using binoculars and a compass.
This activity provides the perfect opportunity to teach kids how to use a set of binocs or a compass. Introduce them to basic binocular know-how (focusing, eyepiece adjustment, etc.), then invite them to survey the yard for animals from a distance.
You can help them find animals by using a compass and guiding them with simple directional cues (“10 steps north,” for example).
4. Integrate storytelling.
Add some storytelling and role-playing fun to the mix! Encourage your kids to cook up wild tales about the toy animals – their epic adventures, their goofy interactions, you name it.
Not only will this crank up the fun factor, but it’ll also give their creativity and language skills a nice little boost.
5. Engage in sensory exploration and creative expression.
While your little explorers are on the hunt for those cleverly camouflaged toy animals, why not make it a sensory experience too?
Remind them to take note of all the cool textures, colors, and sounds they come across in the backyard.
And, why stop there? Encourage them to channel their inner artist and whip up some nature masterpieces or safari-inspired crafts influenced by what they find in the great outdoors.
6. Go on a garden safari for actual bugs and animals.
Get ready for the ultimate combo: backyard safari meets nature scavenger hunt! Hand your kids a list of natural treasures to look for while they’re out there tracking down those toy animals.
They’ll sharpen their observational skills, learn a thing or two about the plants and critters in their own backyard, and develop a sweet appreciation for Mother Nature.
You can use our free printable bug hunt, beach hunt, leaf scavenger hunt, or seasonal color scavenger hunts for an instant add-on activity.
7. Explore the world of animal sounds and movements.
Get your kids moving and shaking as they imitate the animals they find on their backyard safari. Have them practice making the sounds each animal makes and mimicking their movements.
It’s a fun way to learn about different animals, but also a great way to burn off some of that endless kid energy (trust me, you’ll thank me later!).
8. Throw an animal-themed backyard party.
Why not go all-out and throw an animal-tastic backyard bash? Use the safari activity as the main event, and add in other animal-themed games, snacks, and decorations. Think pin the tail on the donkey (or any other animal), animal-shaped cookies, and jungle-themed party hats.
If your kiddos have been inspired to spend the rest of the day outside in their own wildlife oasis, be sure to try making a DIY bee bath, build your own bug observation box with recycled supplies, or put together a bird’s nest helper.
*A note about affiliate links: We strive to use simple, earth-friendly supplies that can be purchased locally whenever we can, but sometimes we find the best universally available options, a rare eco-friendly find, or a niche product only available on Blick Art Materials, Amazon, Etsy, or Woodpeckers Crafts. When included in our supply list, these products are affiliate links, and if you click through to make a purchase we receive a small commission that helps us re-order these supplies!
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I love seeing all the ways people make these ideas their own! If you're sharing the results of one of our projects, mention or tag me with @barleyandbirch, or share it in the comments of one of our Pinterest project pins.
