Today’s activity is a bit of fun.  I found this idea on Discover Wildlife and just thought it would be a great project to occupy small hands for a while (tiny hands will need lots of support with this one) and then something that could bring fun to the whole family.  Did you know that if forced to make a series of turns, woodlice almost always keep turning in the opposite direction to their last turn (so that a right turn will be followed by a left turn, then a right, then a left, and so on).  Apparently that this instinct helps them to keep moving in a roughly ‘forwards’ direction, even if they have to move around lots of obstacles.  With that in mind…

Woodlouse Maze Race

You will need:

• A sheet of card, a piece of cardboard or some other flat surface to build your maze on
• a series of thin, straight sticks (these should be thick enough that a woodlouse will choose to walk around rather than over) OR lego bricks
• glue
• a clean empty jar
• a paintbrush
• two or more woodlice

Now you simply design a maze race on your flat surface using your sticks or your lego bricks.  As this is a race you will need to make at least two courses of similar lengths and with similar number of turns to keep it fair on the participants.  Give your woodlice lots of choice and lots of opportunity to turn left or right.  Make sure your pathways in the maze are wide enough that your woodlouse keeps walking forward but not so wide that they decide to turn around. Glue your sticks in place and while you wait for the glue to dry head out to find your woodlice.  Woodlice like damp dark places so see if you can find some.  Use your jar and paint brush to gently collect your racers.

Line them up at the start line and let the games begin.  Wow everyone watching by predicting which way your woodlouse is going to turn next. (Remember they will turn right if last time they turned left and vice versa.)  Get on a video call with your grandparents and let them choose a contestant then convince them that you are a woodlouse whisperer when you successfully predict which way the woodlouse will turn next.  Cheer your woodlice on and have a tasty treat for them waiting at the finish line.  Hmmm…  I wonder what woodlice eat…

Don’t forget to gently return your woodlice to their homes after the race is over.

Please do send photos of your race and/or videos of the action.  We would love to see and hear how this turns out.  You can find us on Facebook, twitter and/or instagram.

Happy racing!

All the best,

April