Photo by Nasirun Khan on Pexels
How Do Bats See in the Dark?
Bats zoom through the night without crashing. How? Your child busts the "blind as a bat" myth, goes on an echo hunt around the house, and plays a Bat and Moth game to feel how bats find their way using sound.
The lesson goal is children will understand that sound bounces back as an echo, and that many bats use those echoes to find their way and catch food in the dark. This is called echolocation.
What You Need
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An open, clear space
Paper and crayons
A scarf or soft blindfold
Learning Guide
Step-by-step guidance. No preparation required.
- 1
Blind as a Bat?4 Min
- Ask: 'Can bats see?' and 'How do they fly in the dark?'
- Move on when Your child has guessed how bats find their way in the dark.
Photo by Artūras Kokorevas on Pexels - 2
Echo Hunt5 Min
- Clap or say 'Hello!' in a bathroom, then a carpeted room.
- Ask: 'Which room had the best echo? Why?'
- Explain what an **echo** is and introduce **echolocation**.
- Move on when Your child has found the room with the best echo.
Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels - 3
Bat and Moth Game8 Min
- Clear an open space, explain game roles (bat/moth) and safety rules.
- Play the game, with the bat calling 'Bat!' and moth answering 'Moth!'.
- Switch roles, discuss how real bats use echoes to 'see'.
- Move on when Your child has played both the bat and the moth.
Photo by Ian Gabaraev on Pexels - 4
Bat Sound Science5 Min
- Hum your lowest sound, then squeak your highest sound.
- Ask: 'Do you think bats make even higher sounds?'
- Explain human vs. bat hearing ranges and the use of bat detectors.
- Move on when Your child explains that most bat calls are too high for people to hear.
Photo by Nasirun Khan on Pexels - 5
Bat Fact Card3 Min
- Provide paper and crayons for drawing a bat.
- Have them draw a bat with sound waves and echoes.
- Ask them to finish: 'Bats find their way in the dark by...'
- Move on when Your child explains echolocation in their own words.
Photo by Regan Dsouza on Pexels
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