Camouflage

Have you ever played hide-and-seek. It is so much fun to hide and be super quiet so no one can find you. I help animals play hide-and-seek all the time. I help a little green frog hide on a big green leaf. I help a sandy-colored lizard disappear on a warm rock. I help a big, soft polar bear snuggle into the bright white snow so you can hardly see him. I am the magic of blending in. Hello, my name is Camouflage.

For a very, very long time, people watched the animals hide. They saw how I helped them stay quiet and safe. Some hunters would put soft mud and green leaves on their clothes to hide, just like the animals do. Then, during a big event a long time ago called World War I, people needed to hide important things like big trucks and tents. In a faraway country called France, around the year 1915, a group of clever artists had a wonderful idea. They started painting splotchy, bumpy patterns on things to make them hard to see. They were the very first official 'camoufleurs,' and they used me to keep everyone and everything safe.

Now, you can find me everywhere you look. I am not just for hiding in the woods anymore. You might see my fun, splotchy patterns on a cool backpack you take to school. You might see me on cozy pajamas you wear at night, or even on a super-fast car. Nature explorers wear clothes with my patterns so they can get close to shy little birds and bunnies without scaring them. I help people watch the beautiful world quietly. When you play a hiding game or watch a bird build its nest, I am there, helping you become a quiet part of the background.