Science experiment: Team trail

Ants and kids have this mutual understanding when it comes to annoying parents. Use this great science experiment to lure the ants away from the house and keep the kids busy for a whole hour!

What you need:

• ants
• piece of apple

Number of players:
1+

Activity:

Find some ants – they are probably around some paths near your home.

When you find an ant, put a piece of apple in front of it.

Leave the piece of apple alone for an hour.

When you come back, notice how many ants there are now and what they are doing.

Why are there so many ants?
Ants use great insect teamwork. Once one ant finds food, it won't be long before others are soon there. The ants make long trails back to their nest, going back and forth collecting their food.

Fascinating facts:

• Ants can lift 20 times their own body weight.
• The average life expectancy of an ant is 45-60 days.
• Ants use their antennae not only for touch, but also for their sense of smell.
• The ant has two eyes but each eye is made of many smaller eyes.
• The outside of an ant's body is covered with a hard armour – this is called the exoskeleton.

Image from Shutterstock