What is a minibeast?

Science · Insects & Minibeasts · ages 5-7

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which of these is a minibeast?
- A dog
- A snail
- A cow
What is a minibeast?
- A small animal with no backbone
- A big animal with a backbone
- A type of flower
A minibeast has a backbone, just like you.
Circle one: True False
Where is the best place to search for minibeasts?
- Inside a toy box
- On top of a cloud
- Under a log in the garden
You find a woodlouse, a spider, and a ladybird. How many minibeasts is that?
Answer: ______________
You want to see a minibeast's tiny legs. What tool helps you look closely?
- A magnifying glass
- A telescope
- A paintbrush
Tom held his magnifying glass far from a beetle. He could not see any details. What should he do?
- Look at the beetle from across the room
- Use a hammer instead
- Hold the magnifying glass close to the beetle
Zara looked for minibeasts on the kitchen table. She found none. What went wrong?
- She looked too slowly
- She looked in the wrong place
- Minibeasts do not exist

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

A snail · A snail is small and has no backbone. That makes it a minibeast.
A small animal with no backbone · Minibeasts are small. They do not have a backbone.
False · Minibeasts never have a backbone. That is what makes them minibeasts.
Under a log in the garden · Minibeasts hide in damp, dark spots like under logs and stones.
3 · You found one of each, so that makes three minibeasts in total.
A magnifying glass · A magnifying glass makes small details look bigger.
Hold the magnifying glass close to the beetle · Holding the magnifying glass close helps you see small details.
She looked in the wrong place · Minibeasts live outside under logs, stones, and leaves, not on a table.