NORTHERN WISCONSIN / NORTHWOODS MAY ACTIVITY CALENDAR

Click on each month for a world of activities and fun... || January || February || March || April || May || June || July || August || || September || October || November || December || KIDS PAGES -- MAY ACTIVITY CALENDAR! WOW! HERE'S A TON OF WONDERFUL ACTIVITIES TO DO EACH DAY IN THE MONTH. WE HOPE YOU'LL KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE FUN AND INFORMATION EVERY CHANCE YOU CAN! PERHAPS YOUR TEACHER, PARENT, OR OLDER BROTHER OR SISTER CAN HELP YOU GATHER SOME OF THE MATERIALS YOU NEED OR HELP YOU DO SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES. MAYBE YOUR CLASS, BROWNIE TROOP, CUB SCOUT TROOP, 4-H GROUP, OR A GROUP OF FRIENDS WOULD LIKE TO DO SOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES TOGETHER. MAY Kids Activity Calendar May Brings Flocks of Pretty Lambs, skipping by Their Fleecy Dams May 1 May Day! May Day traces its origins to Roman times, when the day was sacred to Flora, the goddess of spring. She was honored with widespread festivities. The custom spread to Europe as the Roman Empire grew, and it became especially popular in England by the Middle Ages. People gathered flowers to decorate their homes and churches, and they sang carols and gave gifts. Most villages had a Maypole on the village green, around which the people danced. Because the Puritans frowned on celebrations, the custom of celebrating May Day was not brought to the New World with the Pilgrims. In this country, few communities observe the day. But that shouldnât stop you! Plan to honor the day in some way, with a Maypole (use a flagpole or a slender tree for the pole), or simple arrangements of flowers in baskets. Hang one on your best friendâs doorknob. Surprise! Many changes take place in nature come May, and itâs fitting to usher them in with some fanfare. May 2 Compare the Ways Animals Bear Their Young Most animals lay eggs, and most of these are left to hatch on their own. Thatâs true of amphibian and fish eggs, laid in water. Itâs true of reptile eggs, and insect eggs. Birds are different, however, being warm-blooded animals. Although birdsâ shells are hard, they must be kept warm in order to develop properly. Did you know that there are even two mammals that lay eggs? The duck-billed platypus and the echidna of Australia both lay leathery eggs. In nature, the young of most animals are not cared for by their parents (or any other adults). birds and mammals are the exception. In fact, the exceptions make the study of animal young fascinating. Did you know that there is a frog in Chile called Darwinâs frog that lays eggs that lay eggs that are then watched over by the male? Once the eggs turn into little tadpoles, the male swallows them and keeps them in his vocal sac for almost three months. Out hop a dozen or so little frogs! Have you ever seen animals being born? What about human babies? May 3 Visit A Zoo Where can you go to see some of the many animals you have been learning about? The zoo, of course! If you live near a zoo, be sure to visit it often. Rather than wear yourself out taking in the entire zoo in one visit, concentrate on specific areas of interest to you. If you hope to see some animal young, ask if there are any babies on display. If you are interested in what animals eat, find out when the animals are fed and see if you can watch. If reptiles are your passion, check out the snakes and lizards that the zoo houses. Even if you donât live near one of the larger traditional zoos, there may be other places that have animals in residence. Native species can often be found at nature centers. Science museums often have animals, including insect zoos! And aquariums are zoos, too, where you can see those marine animals that make their homes in and around the sea. Take a close look at the cages the animals live in. Can you see how you might improve your cages at home? You can also learn something about the food needs of different animals. May 4 Visit a Wildlife Sanctuary Whatâs the difference between a wildlife sanctuary and a zoo? They share some similarities (namely that they are places set aside for animals) but sanctuaries donât have the structure that zoos have. What a wildlife sanctuary (or refuge or preserve, if you like) offers is just that - - sanctuary, or protection. any parcel of land that animals can wander on and off freely, without fear of being shot by anything other than camera, is a sanctuary. Your own property is a sanctuary, too, isnât it? On a larger scale, there are more than 360 national wildlife preserves in this country, as well as many state-run and privately-funded ones. These are good places to go in search of animals that have little contact with human beings (which, of necessity, alters their behavior somewhat). If you are looking for migrating ducks and geese, go to a refuge that has a body of water. If you would like to explore a wetland, seek out a refuge that has one (some even have boardwalks built through the marshes so that the land will not be disturbed by visitors). There are refuges in all sorts of habitats. Visit one soon. May 5 Make a Study of an Animalâs Behavior Itâs easy to fall into the habit of comparing animals to people. some animals do possess human like traits, but this is coincidental. The behavior of animals is tremendously varied, from their eating habits to their social behavior. Most live in relative peace among one another, with spurts of ritual fighting, which is more bluff than anything. If you have a dog or cat, youâve probably wondered why it acts the way it does. When you are mad at your dog, does it roll over on its back? Dogs are not far removed from wolves, and in a wolf pack the belly up posture signals defeat. (Wolves play fair - - they wonât pick on an animals once it ãgives up.ä) Does your dog love to lick your face? The ãunderdogsä in the wolf pack lick the muzzle of the dominant wolf, and to your dog, you are the dominant one. Domestic cats practice hunting skills even though you provide their food. This is so ingrained that former pet cats do well in the wild - - they become what we call feral cats. Kittens, especially, like to stalk and pounce on moving objects - -your leg, if youâre not careful! What do you notice about the squirrels in the park, and the birds at your feeder? See if you can learn something about the way they maintain harmony. May 6 Look for Bird Feathers Birds are the only animals that have fathers. Birds have 940 to 25,000 feathers, depending on the species. They serve as insulation and aid in flight. As the feathers wear, they are periodically replaced. During a partial molt, only some of the feathers are replaced (such as when males don colorful plumage during mating season). A more complete molt takes place after breeding, and before migration. Feathers are lost a few at a time from both sides of the body, so that a bird is still evenly balanced. Look on the ground for the fallen feathers. Feathers are of two basic types, contour and down. Contour feathers are those found on the body, wings and tail. Notice how the individual strands (called barbs) lock together. Separate one of the barbs from the rest. Itâs like unlocking a zip-lock bag, isnât it? Birds spend a lot of time getting the barbs realigned. Tail feathers have the shaft running exactly down the middle; the shafts of wing and body feathers are slightly off-center. Down feathers are the fluffy feathers you may know from down coats, comforters and pillows. Itâs harder to tell what bird a feather has come from, unless itâs an obvious one like a blue jay feather. What can you tell about the feathers you have found? There are laws that prohibit collecting bird feathers. But itâs okay to keep those that have naturally molted, or that you have plucked from road-side kills. May 7 Make a Birdbath To keep their feathers in peak condition, birds spend many hours each day preening them. They pass their bills over the stiff contour feathers to realign the barbs, some spread water-proofing oil on their feathers (the oil comes from a gland at the base of the tail). But did you know that many birds like to bathe as part of their preening ritual? Some even ãbatheä in dirt! This helps keep insect pests, and may serve to fluff the down feathers. Watch how birds splash around in puddles! You can provide shallow water (which many birds prefer) by making a birdbath. One of the simplest to make is an up-turned garbage can lid filled with a layer of pebbles to give the birds firm footing. The pebbles also weight the lid so that it wonât blow away. Birds like a place to perch after bathing, so place the lid near some brush or under a tree. Put it on the ground (in an open area so the birds feel safe) or on a pedestal. A tree stump will do, or rig the lid by tying a rock to the handle and placing it on top of a length of clay drainage pipe. Check the level of water occasionally, and watch the birds have a blast! May 8 Watch Birds in Flight You have probably noticed that birds fly in different ways. Those birds that ride thermal currents hardly ever flap their wings at all. Hummingbirds, on the other hand beat their wings an incredible 70 times per second, enabling them to fly forward, backward, and even hover in place! Crows and robins beat their wings about two times every second, starlings beat theirs four to five times each second. Chickadees are almost up there with hummingbirds, flapping their wings at least 27 times each second. How do they do it? Well, birds have tremendously powerful chest muscles. And they are built for flight (at least the ones that fly are). Their bones are hollow, and they are streamlined. Try beating your arms as fast as a robin or pigeon does (pigeons clock in at three beats per second). How long can you keep up flapping? May 9 Saw a Chicken Bone in Half The power for flight may come from the powerful chest muscles that enable birds to take off, maneuver and land, but this muscle is sufficient only because birds are light enough to become airborne. Birds are light, in part, because their bones are hollow, strengthened by an inner network of tiny cross pieces. Saw a chicken bone from the dinner table in half to see what this looks like. Compare bird bones to those from other animals. (Examine the bones from a cut of beef or pork). Remember that chickens have lost much of their flying ability over the years through selective breeding. The bones of flying birds have an even more exaggerated inner structure. May 10 Make a Bird Beak-and-Feet Poster You can tell a lot about a bird by looking at its beak and feet. The two often complement each other. Make a poster that shows how these distinctive beaks and feet are often paired. Illustrate the poster with pictures cut from magazines, and your own sketches. To get you going, think of the seed-eaters. They have short, thick beaks that are good for cracking open shells. Their feet are designed for perching (with three toes in front and one behind), which they do when they eat. what about pond-dwelling birds? Their beaks are flat and broad, just right for scooping (some have built-in strainers!); these birds are swimmers and their feet are shaped like paddles. Birds of prey have powerful beaks, with the upper beak hooked over the lower. Their feet, large curbed claws, firmly grasp their prey. Think of other adaptations, from the long hollow tube of the humming bird used for sipping nectar to the gaping mouths of insect-eaters - - all the better to trap them with! Birds that scratch in the dirt for their food like chickens have rake-like toes. May 11 Read a Story or poem about Birds What is about birds that so many people find enchanting? Is it their singing, or their perky presence at the birdfeeder in winter? Maybe we envy their way of getting around! The Blackbird Humber Wolfe (poem) The Dead Bird Margaret Wise Brown (story) Ducks Ditty Kenneth Grahame (poem) The Mountain That Loved a Bird Alice McLerran (story) The Ptarmigan Anonymous (poem) The Swallow Ogden Nash (poem) May 12 Watch for the First Broods of Chicks It takes birdsâ eggs as few as 11, or as many as 90 days to hatch, once they have been laid. The number of eggs varies considerably from species to species, as well. Some birds lay on one, others as many as twenty. And some birds have several broods each year. If any eggs are lost or stolen, very often replacements are laid. (This is how some chickens are encouraged to continually produce eggs. A domestic hen might lay more than 200 eggs if they are promptly removed. If left in the nest, she would lay only 15-20). When do you think the eggs in the nests you are watching will hatch? How many do you suppose there will be? The frequent trips for food and the incessant peeping from the nest are unmistakable clues that the young have hatched. Keep watching, the nest for the next few weeks. Youâll be able to watch the chicks grow, crowding each other in the nest. You may even be able to watch them take their first trial flights. Just imagine what that moment feels like for those young birds! Eggcentricities Most eggshells are camouflaged to blend into their surroundings. Birds that nest on the ground lay eggs that are brownish in color, and often speckled, to visually break up the shape of the eggs. Then why are robinsâ eggs blue, and others white? Brightly colored eggs are often laid by birds that nest in shaded places; white eggs are most often laid in holes where they wonât even be seen. The shapes of eggs are also cleverly determined. Most eggs are oval, larger on one end than the other. This prevents them from rolling away. Place an egg from your refrigerator on a flat surface and give it a push. What happens? May 13 Make a Plant Press A good way to preserve plant specimens is to press them . You can always stick them between the pages of a fat book (make sure you protect the book by slipping the plants between sheets of clean paper), but an even better press is a portable one you can take with you on hikes. You can make your own at home with some simple materials. Take two pieces of 1/4ä plywood or masonite cut to the size you want. A 6ä x 8ä rectangle is a good size to tote: make the press larger if you plan to leave it at home. Drill holes in the four corners of each board and attach them to one another with long bolts that have wings. Cut several pieces of heavy cardboard from an old box to fit. As you find leaves and flowers to press, place them between sheets of clean paper. Sandwich these between the layers of cardboard. Tighten the nuts evenly at all four corners to put enough pressure on the plants to press them flat. Your specimens should be dry within a few weeks. May 14 Start a Scrapbook of Tree Leaves You may have already pressed the leaves of your ãspecial tree. A good way to get to know the different trees is to make a scrapbook of pressed leaves. Now that the trees are in full leave, youâll be able to find a flawless specimens to press. Mount the pressed leaves in a scrapbook of some sort. A store-bought one will do, but you can make your own with a three-ring binder. Use poster board for pages - -it holds up well and provides a firm surface for the leaves. You can glue the leaves in place (use white glue), or attach them the way scientists do, with thin strips of paper that straddle the stems and lobes. You can also keep leaves in place with a clear sheet of Contact paper, which protects them from dust and damage. Make sure you label the leaves. And leave some room for the treesâ flowers and fruits, if you like. You might also leave space for samples of the leaves in their autumn guises. May 15 Learn Which Plants Not to Touch Have you ever broken out in a rash after rubbing against some poison ivy? Youâre in good company, because of lot of people have an allergic reaction when they come in contact with this plant. The best way to avoid getting plant rashes is to avoid the plants! Learn what poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac and stinging nettles look like, and youâll be all set. The poison ivies and oaks are deceptive. They can grow low to the ground, as shrub-like plants, or as vines. Both can, however, usually be spotted by remembering the rhyme, ãLeaves of three, let it be.ä There are some other plants who leaves grow in a similar pattern, notably strawberries and some of the Virginia creepers, but the poison plants generally have shinier leaves. Stinging nettles are another plant altogether. Luckily their sting, painful as it is, is short-lived. Learn what plants to watch out for and dress properly if you plan to explore an area where they canât be avoided, and you can save yourself an uncomfortable reminder of a walk in the wilds. May 16 Look for Mosses Youâre probably familiar with some of the mosses. The cushiony green mats can be found wherever thereâs moist shade. Maybe youâve heard that you can tell direction by looking for moss? Supposedly it grows on the north side of trees. Well, thereâs some truth that (the northern side of a tree is moister and in the shade), but moss is often found growing all around tree trunks. So much for that theory! Mosses are primitive plants that have no true roots, stems, or leaves. They absorb moisture and nutrients through the entire plant. You may have heard of club mosses. These are not mosses at all - -nor are Irish moss, a seaweed, and Spanish moss, a member of the pineapple family. In the woods, look for ground pine and running cedar, two club mosses that look like miniature versions of the trees they are named after. Mosses do very well in woodland gardens. Give them a log to hug, and theyâll be quite content. The Plant Kingdom All the worldâs a garden. Many plants that made their first appearance hundreds of millions of years ago look the same, but have shrunk in size. Club mosses, ferns, and horsetails once towered as tall as trees. Within the plant kingdom, there are all sorts of different types of plants. (Mushrooms are not considered plants. They rule a kingdom of their own). True plants range from green, red, and brown algae (all considered separately), to mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants. Can you think of examples of each? Some of these plants are rather primitive. Club mosses were growing 250 million years ago, and have not changed much since. Conifers, conebearing shrubs or trees, dominated the earth about 150 to 200 million years ago. They are losing ground to the flowering plants, currently represented by at least 250,000 species. Plants that bear flowers include grasses, many trees, cacti, as well as the plants we call ãflowers.ä May 19 Create a Desert Garden Everything a woodland garden is, a desert garden isnât! Desert gardens are truly easy to care for; the hardest thing is remembering not to water them too much. But even desert plants can suffer from lack of humidity inside a home during the winter months. Set the pot on a layer of rocks that can be kept wet, and youâll have just enough moisture in the air. Desert plants have shallow root systems (and require little water), which means you can create a desert garden in any low dish, even one without drainage holes. Just put down a layer of gravel and mix your own potting soil in a two-to-one mix of potting soil and sand. Plant a number of cactus varieties together. Remember to wear thick gloves or wrap a strip of folded newspaper around the plants to protect your hands from the spines. Cacti are some of the most creatively named plants. Look for powder-puff, ratâs tail, rabbitâs ears, and fish-hook cactus. What do you think bishopâs cap, moonstones, and old man cactus look like? Very aptly named species, wouldnât you say? Letâs Hear it For Herbs! If you had to choose one group of plants to grow, you couldnât go wrong if you chose herbs. Herbs are lovely plants; many smell wonderful and they can be used in all sorts of ways. Not only that, they are among the easiest plants to grow. Few are bothered by insect pests and many can even stand a little neglect, which is a plus if you are new to gardening. Do you like to cook (or eat)? Grow some herbs you can use on pizza (oregano), in salads (chives) or sandwiches (dill is great with tuna). Do you like sweet smells? Grow some herbs you can use in potpourri - - like mints, lemon balm, and rosemary. There are many craft ideas that call for herbs, from scented pillows to dried flower arrangements. Discover why so many people grow herbs. Plant some today! May 20 Plant some Seeds Outdoors Many seeds can be sown right in the garden. Check the backs of your seed packets for hints on when to sow the seeds, how deep to plant them, and how far apart. Most instructions assume that you will plant long rows (one plant after another), but there are other ways to set up a garden. Experiment with wide-row gardening. Make your rows 3-4 feet wide, and plant several seeds (or seedlings) across the width, sowing those along the length of the row closer than usual, too. Individual plants donât grow quite as large as in conventional rows, but you can grow up to four times as much in the same area planted single-file. You also donât have to weed your garden as much because the closely grown plants shade the row. And you may even have to water less often, because every drop of water is used by growing plants (rather than ending up between the rows, as in a conventional garden). Water the garden with a gentle spray after planting. Make sure that the soil doesnât dry out, or the seeds wonât be able to break through the ground. Likewise, donât overdo it - - too much moisture can cause seeds to rot. Replant any seeds that havenât germinated after a week or so. May 21 Transplant Seedlings The plants you started from seed indoors can go into the garden when the weather warms. Itâs important that you gradually toughen up those plants before transplanting them. Place them outdoors for an hour or two, increasing the time they stay out over the course of a week. By the end of the week, they can stay out all day and all night, too, if there is no danger of frost. Make sure you give the plants plenty of water. They need a lot more of it than when they were indoors. Can you see how the plants are looking healthier? Are they a darker green? When your plants are properly hardened off, as the saying goes, transplant them to the garden on an overcast day, if possible. Otherwise, provide some shade for the seedlings with newspaper tents. Plants resent having their roots disturbed (wouldnât you?), so give them a little extra TLC. May 22 Make a Scarecrow Some of the seeds you plant in the garden may never sprout even if the conditions are right. Why not? Because birds and other animals might have eaten them! As any experienced gardener can tell you, you have to expect to share some of your bounty with other animals. But can they take a hint? Put up a scarecrow and find out! Crows arenât the only pesky creatures that help themselves to garden produce. But the name scarecrow has such. Make a figure from some of your old clothes stuffed with straw. Tie it to a fence post, or to a pole stuck into the ground. What do the birds think of your creation? Or take a curved branch and paint it with weather resistant paints to look like a snake. This sometimes does the trick. Move it around the garden so that the birds donât catch on. Or try warding off animals with a little noise. Hang some aluminum pie pans so that they bang together. (You may not be able to stand the sound either!) The sunlight reflecting off the pans scares the birds, too. Maybe next year should plant twice as much. Some for you, and the rest for the animals. May 23 Create a Hanging Garden What can you do if you donât have any room for plants? Make a hanging garden . You can plant a hanging salad, or herb patch, or even a vining version of a cherry tomato plant or compact cucumber. Indoors and out, hanging plants are the way to go if you want to make the best use of your space. You make sure that you hang your plants from strong hooks. Screw these into a solid support. check with your parents before you start making holes in the ceiling. The plants you hang indoors needs to have saucers under the pots to catch the drips. Treat your hanging plants like other container grown plants. Water them regularly and make sure they get enough ãfoodä to compensate for the small amount of soil they grow in. Hang your plants high in sunny windows, so that they get the light, but so does the room. Outdoors, plants look nice hanging from porches, or even from tree branches. May 24 Plant Some Night-Blooming Flowers A lot of plants open their blossoms during certain parts of the day. Morning glories are a familiar flower that opens in - - you guessed it - -the morning. Did you know that there are plants that bloom at night? These are some of the loveliest, most fragrant of flowers. You can start your own plants from seed, or purchase seedlings from a garden center. Look for nicotiania, or flowering tobacco (smoking tobacco is a relative of this plant). Ask for evening scented stock, datura, evening primrose, moonflowers and the cactus called cereus, to name a few. One of the nice things bout these plants is that they bloom during the summer months. When you are out in the garden at night, the scent of these flowers adds an unforgettable touch. Plant some under your bedroom window for a fragrant slumber. May 25 Sow Some Sunflower Seeds One of the sunniest flowers going (no pun intended!), sunflowers are great fun to grow. They grow very quickly, and very tall! Make sure you choose a spot for them where they wonât shade other plants. Sunflowers need to be staked as they grow (to keep them from toppling over), and youâll need to be able to get water to them because they drink a lot. You can grow sunflowers for the birds, or for you. Youâll have to rig some netting for the huge flowers once the seeds begin to ripen, otherwise the birds will help themselves (if thatâs what you want, leave them be). Rub the seed heads with a fork to loosen the seeds and lay them out to dry. Put them away to dole out to the birds this winter, or cracker some open for a nutritious snack. The texture of garden soil (affecting how well it holds water, and drains) can be improved by adding aged animal manure, peat, and straw. May 26 Read a Story or Poem about Gardening Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies for people of all ages. What do you like about growing plants? The Buried Treasure Djemma Bider (story) The Garden from Frog and Toad Together Arnold Lobel (story) Little Seeds Else Holmelund Minarek (poem) Maytime Magic Mabel Watts (poem) A Spike of Green Barbara Baker (poem) This Yearâs Garden Cynthia Rylant (story) May 27 Name Some of the Ways People Use Animals The dog was probably the first domesticated animal. Who can say when this took place? It is thought that the first animals to able kept for food were cattle (at least 12,000 years ago). We have a long history of raising animals. Can you name some of the other ways we use animals? They provide us with food, from milk to eggs to flesh . We turn their hair and hides into clothing . Other products from animal parts include fertilizers from bones and blood, glue from hides; paint brushes from bristles; violin bows from tail hair; and even medicine, such as insulin (this comes from the pancreas of cattle and hogs). Animals also play a vital role as ãguinea pigsä in scientific and medical research. While still used as beasts of burden in many parts of the world, animals are ridden, shown, and bred for fun, too. Most animals that people use are specially bred for the purpose. However, many wild species are extinct (or endangered) because too many have been killed in the name of sport or commerce. Today, more and more people are aware of some of the needless slaughter and inhuman practices that animals are subjected to. How do you think we should treat animals? May 28 Visit a Working Animal Farm Once upon a time, every family kept chickens for eggs, and milked a family cow. Small family farms are rare these days, but some people still tend animals that ãpay for their keep.ä Some people raise a small flock of sheep, which they shear fro the wool; others have a few chickens that lay eggs. Many are happy to show you around if they have the time. (Offer to help feed the animals!) You can get a firsthand glimpse at the relationships people have with animals other than pets. You might also live near a full-fledged commercial farm. These impressive businesses have to be large-scale these days to be profitable. Many people donât like living near working farms. They complaint about the smell, and get impatient when they have to drive behind tractors and other farm machinery. Farming has become so far removed from everyday experience that most people do not appreciate what farmers do to put food on everyoneâs table. What do you think farming must be like? Would you like to have your own sheep, or pigs or chickens someday? May 29 See How Wild Animals Help People Some wild animals do a lot to help out people, too. They arenât even aware of it! What would we do if there werenât any bees and butterflies to pollinate plants? How would we find enough fertile soil to grow crops on if there were no earthworms? We gather guano (bird dung) to fertilize crops, we also fish the seas and freshwater lakes for food. What other ways do wild animals help us out? Some insects help farmers out by eating other destructive insects. This is called biological control, and itâs a much better way of keeping pests under control than dusting or spraying with harmful chemicals. You can use insects (and other animals) to protect your own plants. Encourage ladybugs, ground beetles and lacewings to live on your property. You can do this by growing a variety of plants and providing insects with hiding places (such as leafy mulch). Although birds can cause some trouble, they do more good than harm. Insect-eating birds especially, are a great boon. And donât forget frogs and toads. They eat a lot of harmful insects. A source of water for them to breed in, and spend some of their time near, will make them feel right at home. May 30 Help Take Care of Some Animals People who enjoy working with animals have many job opportunities. Would you like to be a zookeeper when you grow up? Or maybe a veterinarian, or dog breeder or race horse trainer? For most of these occupations you have to go to school, but in the meantime you can learn a lot by getting some hands-on experience. Ask the vet in your town if you can help out after school, or during the summer. There might be some simple jobs you can do that will benefit the vetâs practice. Many animal breeders are people who have other jobs but raise dogs or cats on the side. You might make friends with someone who could use a hand feeding or exercising the animals, especially when they are away at shows. You can also offer your services at a nature center or science museum that has caged animals. Many places like these have small staffs, and depend on volunteer helpers to keep things running smoothly. You will be doing a good deed, while getting a chance to spend time with animals. May 31 Go To An Animals Show Animal shows are held year-round, both indoors and out, so check to see whatâs going on near you. Which is your favorite animal? Do you like dogs? Dog shows are bustling events that draw large crowds eager to see dogs of every imaginable breed, or watch the dogs going through their paces. Have you ever seen the utility training competitions? Dogs are asked to jump over obstacles, fetch objects and distinguish items by smell, all while getting instructions from their trainers at a distance. Watch how subtle some of the signals the trainers give are. There are cat shows and horse shows and shows where farm animals of every description are given a chance to win ribbons for their looks and abilities. These are also good places to meet people who raise animals for show, some of whom are your age!