Hide-and-Seek

You’ve probably played hide-and-seek outside with your friends. But did you know that some animals are great at hiding too? A walking stick insect can blend in with its surroundings by pretending to be a stick. But some animals can hide by changing colors! Here are a few hide-and-seek champions.

Octopus cyanea changes the color of its skin while hunting for crabs, fish, and shrimp. It does this to blend in with the sand, coral, and rocks on the ocean floor. This octopus, also known as the blue octopus, can change color in just a few seconds!

Crab spiders (also called flower spiders) can hide from insects by changing color. Crab spiders sit on flowers and wait for bugs to catch. They can change from yellow to white (or from white to yellow) in about 10 to 25 days. They live in gardens, woodlands, meadows, rainforests, and marshes.

Seahorses are tiny fish that can change color to blend in with their surroundings. They have even been known to turn bright red. They do this to hide from bigger animals or to send messages to other seahorses.

Pacific tree frogs live in wooded areas in North America. These tree frogs are green or brown with white bellies. They can change to tan, reddish, gray, cream, or black to match the forest around them. Pacific tree frogs can change color within one or two minutes!

Chameleons are the most well-known animals for changing color. Many chameleons change color when they are angry or afraid. There are more than 80 different kinds of chameleons in Africa alone.

God of Wonders

Isn’t it amazing how God created these animals to change color in their own special ways? God shows us his power and might through every leaf, flower, and colorful creature in creation. Sometimes we may try to play hide-and-seek with God. But the Bible teaches that God is never hard to find! Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Hide-and-Seek Tree Frogs

Try this hide-and-seek animal activity with your family and friends!
What you will need:
Green and brown tempera paint
Paintbrush
White, tan, or brown construction paper
Glue and scissors
Frog template from this website:bit.ly/2Ft37hf
Dirt, sticks, grass, leaves, etc. from your yard

What to do:

Have an adult help you print a frog template. Paint your frog green, brown, or tan. Let your picture dry. Once it is dry, cut out your frog and glue it to a sheet of construction paper (green, brown, or tan works best). Glue pieces of leaves, grass, and dirt to your paper to make the frog blend in with its surroundings.

Now play hide-and-seek! Hide the frog picture in your yard and have a family member or friend try to find it. Take turns playing hide-and-seek with your tree frog!