Imagine that you are a tired parrotfish. You are going to sleep, but first, you need to make a protective cocoon. A cocoon that will keep enemies away. What does it feel like inside the cocoon?
One exercise in the booklet Biomimicry for Young Children – Sea Life is about the colourful and interesting parrotfish.
What things can you invent inspired by this fish?
Art activities are part of biomimicry for young children, and this time we used templates made by Deep Space Sparkle – Early Cubist Art Activity. We made some paintings using a mixture of markers, doodling and watercolours. We also tested Glue Art inspired by The Artful Parent. We traced the lines with PVA glue, and then we used watercolours. The glue dried overnight.
In the booklet, there are also ideas about how to design and invent things using seahorses as inspiration. Octopuses are fascinating, and so are corals, sharks, whales and nudibranches. . .
Link to the resource.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.