Spider webs are a common Halloween decoration, but not because spiders are scary! Spiders hatch in the spring and grow larger all summer, so the webs they spin in the fall are bigger and more noticeable.
Naturalists Karen Rent and Susie Spikol from the Harris Center for Conservation Education, in Hancock, uncover the everyday outdoor magic waiting right in your backyard and under your feet.
Wild at Home is a 12-episode series created for curious kids and young-at-heart adventurers from NHPR and the Harris Center.
Want to find out more about our eight-legged neighbors? Then check out these links to learn more about these amazing animals. Remember, sometimes the best way to become less nervous about something is to learn more about it!
Read about Spiders
Not all webs are the same! Learn about different types of spider webs.
Children’s Books
“Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider” by Jessica Lanan.
“Diary of a Spider” by Doreen Cronin.
“Miss Spider’s Tea Party” by David Kirk.
Activities
This spider packet from Maryland DNR has many great spider activities, including a web scavenger hunt. How many webs can you find outside?
Take some time to make your own web outdoors by doing some nature weaving. Here is how.
Videos
See some amazing webs in the National Geographic UK video.
Witness some spider superpowers in BBC Earth’s Best Spider Moments video.
You can hear Wild at Home on NHPR Sunday at 9:35 a.m. every other week for 12 weeks.
Stream episodes anytime at NHPR.org, listen on the NHPR app, or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts on Apple and Spotify.
Wild at Home is a series created for curious kids and young-at-heart adventurers by NHPR and theHarris Center for Conservation Education.
