Ants create nests in many places, but in North America their nests are mostly constructed underground or in fallen logs.

Ants are constantly excavating their underground homes and carrying the soil up to the surface.

They can create large mounds of soil and sand outside their nest entrances.

Some ants build up their mounds with sticks and pine needles and bits of grass.

This visible part is called an “ant hill” or an “ant mound.” Often a single nest will have more than one opening. For this activity, we created our own ant hills out of kinetic sand!