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Make a Toad House

Here's a simple way to make toads feel at home in your backyard -- made from a plastic flower pot.

What You Need:

• plastic flowerpot
• permanent marker
• scissors
• fist-sized rock
• damp rag
• saucer

What You Do:

• Use a marker to draw a door on the top edge of the flowerpot. Make the door about 2 inches in diameter.
• Using scissors, cut along the marked line. (For young children, parents can handle this step.)
• Have fun with it! Decorate the pot with colored, waterproof markers or by gluing pebbles to the sides.
• Find a cool, shady area outside. Place the flowerpot upside down on the ground.
• Put the rock on top of the pot to keep it from blowing over on a windy day.
• Place a wet rag inside the house to keep the shelter cool and moist.
• Fill the saucer with water and place it next to the house -- toads need water, too.
• Watch and wait: You've made a house that's very comfortable for a toad -- one may move in any day!

Adapted from Your Big Backyard magazine. Learn more about how to attract toads to your backyard.

More Observe and Explore Activities:

• Make a Tree Journal
• Make a Wormarium
• Observe Bugs at Night