Here are some fun ways to play with a roly-poly, a tiny pillbug.

What You Need

• Ruler of yardstick
• Legos, dominos, or other blocks
• Shoebox

What You Do

1. Find a Roly-Poly
   Check under boards, in leaf litter, or under rotting logs outdoors. Scoop up the pillbug in a cup.
2. Let Your Roly-Poly Climb On You
   Try putting the roly-poly on your hand. What does it do? Does it roll up?
   See if you can get it to climb up your arm. Does it tickle? (Don’t worry—it won’t bite or sting.)
   Be sure to put your roly-poly back when you finish being a climbing toy.
3. Ruler Races
   Turn a ruler or yardstick into a pillbug track. Put your pillbug on one end of the ruler, and then time it to see how long it takes to walk the whole length. Try it with several pillbugs to figure out which one is the fastest.
4. Pillbug Maze
   Make a pillbug maze. Use a shoebox as the base, and build a maze out of Legos, dominos, or other little blocks. Then see how long it takes your pillbug to find its way through the maze. How does it make its way around? Are there places in the maze where it likes to pause?