OUTDOOR MISSION

Camouflage Challenge

Lesson 6.6 — Masters of Camouflage

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Kitimu says: "A nightjar sitting on the ground is almost INVISIBLE — its feathers look exactly like dead leaves! Can you disappear like a bird? Your mission: test your camouflage skills and learn why blending in means staying alive. Let's go, Cub!"

🎒 What You Need

Garden or bush area

10 coloured objects

Friends or family

Timer (phone)

🎮 Choose Your Game

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Game 1: Colour Hunt

Hide 10 objects in the garden — 5 that match the surroundings (green, brown) and 5 that DON'T (red, yellow, white). Time how long it takes a friend to find all 10.

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Game 2: Human Nightjar

One person hides by lying flat and using leaves, sticks, and dirt to camouflage themselves. Others have 2 minutes to find them. Can you stay invisible?

📋 How To Do It — Game 1

Collect 10 small objects: Find 5 that match the garden colours (green leaf, brown stick, grey stone, dark pinecone, earthy bark) and 5 bright ones (red ball, yellow toy, white paper, orange peg, blue lid).
Hide them: Place all 10 objects in a 5m x 5m area of the garden. Put the camouflaged ones in spots where they blend in. Put the bright ones in similar spots.
Send in the predator: Give a friend 60 seconds to find as many as they can. Which ones did they find first? Which ones were hardest to spot?
Record your results: On your worksheet, write which colours were found fastest and which survived longest. This is EXACTLY how camouflage works in the wild — bright birds get eaten, camouflaged birds survive!
Think about it: Why would some birds be bright and colourful even though it's dangerous? (Hint: think about what male birds do to attract mates. Sometimes showing off is worth the risk!)

Ranger Tip: A fiery-necked nightjar sitting on a dirt road is almost impossible to see — until it opens its bright orange mouth to catch insects at night. Camouflage is about context: the same bird is invisible on dirt but obvious on green grass!

Extra challenge: Try Game 2 — lie on the ground and cover yourself with leaves and branches. Have someone take a photo from 5 metres away. Can they see you? That's the nightjar experience!