Decomposers of the forest activity for kids 2025

This summer, school kids from Juhu Elementary school visited us for a school trip to learn about the forests in their local landscape. The theme for this educational activity was about nutrient cycling and the importance of animals playing a role in this by decomposing organic matter such as leaves and wood. We introduced various fauna and explained what they do and where to find them. One by one, we went over fungi, microorganisms, earthworms, termites, millipedes, slime molds, and dung beetles.

Then we set off to a nearby forest to observe how dung beetle traps are designed. These traps were made days prior to the activity, but due to rain, no dung beetle was captured for the students to see.

The second field activity was to hunt down pink flagging tapes where decomposers have been identified. We prepared around 9 spots for kids to find and show us where is the decomposer. Most of the decomposers were fungi, because it rained the day before. The kids loved looking for them. They had the option of using a botanical lens to look at them up closely. Surprisingly, they were able to quickly learn how to use the lens. Most importantly, students got the opportunity to walk around and be observant in the forest.