The Forest Floor

Materials

• A low tray or tub on a low table or directly on the floor
• Green rice as the base (dyed with food colouring or liquid watercolour, dried overnight)
• Brown rice mixed in for variety, or any natural-coloured grain
• Plastic jungle bugs from Kmart, Daiso, or Amazon (beetles, ants, spiders, caterpillars)
• Magnifying glasses, child-sized if you have them
• Fake moss balls or small clumps of faux moss (Kmart and Spotlight stock them in the floral aisle)
• Small wooden discs as fallen logs
• Brass cups, tin scoops, wooden spoons, and small jugs for tipping and pouring
• Tweezers and tongs for picking up bugs
• Leaves (real or faux), small pebbles, broken sticks
• A bowl of warm soapy water and a tea towel for hand rinses