Wings in the Night

The Nature Friends program is for 4- or 5-year old children with an adult. The maximum group size is 20 child-adult teams. Programs are outside unless weather does not permit.

Riddle

I am small and like to eat flying insects.
I have strange arms so I can fly.
I come out at night.
I don’t fly in people’s hair.
I have fur on my body.

Story

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Bats: Creatures of the Night by Joyce Milton

Discussion

Ask children if they would like to feel inside the mystery box, which has some bat related item inside. It may be a plastic bat, a piece of fruit that is pollinated by bats, a plastic insect, etc. Assure them that you whatever is inside will not hurt them and is not alive. Ask the children to describe what they felt. Show them the item and discuss why it was selected to be inside the box. Discuss bats and related topics showing pictures, puppets and props.

• What do bats eat? Insects, fruit, nectar, fish, frogs, mice, and birds.
• All bats that live in the United States and Canada are insect eaters.
• What do bats in Iowa eat? Insects, up to 600 in one hour.
• Are all bats black? No, bats come in a wide range of color. Pure white, spotted black and white, all different shades of brown. We sometimes think they are black because our eyes cannot see color at night.
• Will bats fly in your hair? No, they can avoid something as fine as a human hair when flying.
• How do bats catch insects to eat? They use echolocation. The bat sends out high pitched sounds that bounce off objects. The echo that the bat hears helps the bat catch insects and avoids objects.
• What are some ways bats help us? Bats eat lots of insects in Iowa. Products that bats help provide for us include: bananas, breadfruit, avocados, dates, figs, peaches, mangoes, cloves, cashews, carob, balsa wood, kapok, and tequila. Show examples.