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Explore · Wild and Tumble activity

Pond peeking

What's swimming down there? Watch a pond quietly and see who comes to say hello.

  • 20 min total
  • Some mess
  • Ages 3–5*
  • Outdoors
  • Spring and summer
Let's do this

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 3 min to prepare · 15 min to explore · 2 min to tidy. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • A pond with a safe, flat edge or a dipping platform
  • A white tray or bowl, optional

Let's begin

Five simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Lie or crouch at the edge, holding on to your grown-up.

  2. Look very still. Can you spot ripples, bubbles or tiny swimmers?

  3. Look for pond skaters, tadpoles, snails or a dragonfly.

  4. If there's a dipping platform, an adult gently scoops a little water into the tray to look closer.

  5. Pour everything back gently.

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

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