With a backpack, bag, or container, head out to places like your home, garden, backyard, or neighbourhood park to collect some natural materials. These items will eventually go inside your hotel

Find pieces of wood and cans from your recycling bin, garden shed, home, or yard. These items will provide the main base and structure of your hotel

With the help of an adult, use a drill to make 3-4 holes along the short edge of each piece of wood, and at each end

Using rope, yarn, string, or burlap (something sturdy) push the rope through the holes and tie a knot to make sure they hold together. For the top portion of the hotel, make sure this piece of rope is long enough to make a spacious loop. The excess rope will eventually be used to anchor your hotel around your home

Once your cans have been cleaned and dried, fill each one with some of your haul from your trip – sticks, bamboo tubes, acorns, wood chips etc…

Place the cans inside your hotel

If your hotel is for smaller guests only, you can include mesh around the entrance. With the help of an adult, cut out a piece of wire mesh, and then use tape or staples around the edges of the wire to fasten them to your hotel

• This will help minimize damage from larger, curious animals

• Ensure holes are large enough for bugs to enter

Now it’s time to find a place to debut your new creature hotel!

• Placing it near some wild flowers and in an area that receives sun and light shade is a good place to start 

• Make sure it is secure so that movements are limited

With your scissors, cut out a piece of cardboard or paper, and find something to write with. Make a sign for your guests!

Check back every so often to see who has moved in! 

Regular housekeeping is key to keeping your visitors happy and healthy! 


• At the end of the season (or more frequently if using materials that decay/collect mold easily), check tunnels, acorns, and other materials for mites, mold, and types of decay

• Remove unwanted or dirty materials

• If your hotel has seen better days, replace it with some upgrades – change everything with fresh materials. Experts recommend changing wooden nesting blocks every two years or so, while plastic and cardboard ones be changed more frequently

During colder months, you can also store your hotel somewhere cool and dry, like a garden shed, to protect overwintering creatures from weather elements