BUG CATCHERS
Supplies needed are: oatmeal containers, glue or tape, screen or netting, yarn.
Use oatmeal containers with lid. Cut a large window in the side and glue or tape screen or netting to inside of the window. Have the children decorate their bug catchers, put the lid on top and punch holes at the top to put in yarn for the handle.
ROCK BUGS
Supplies needed are: small rocks, glue, pipe cleaners, paint, sheet protectors, beads, and magnetic strips.
Paint the rocks to look like insects. Use pipe cleaners for legs, sheet protectors for wings and beads for the eyes. Put a small piece of magnetic strip to the back.
FEET BUTTERFLIES
Have the children take off shoes, dip feet in pan with pastel paint. Step onto a piece of paper with the feet going outward from the heels together. When dry add antennas with marker.
POM POM CATERPILLARS
Supplies needed are: pom poms, glue, markers, pipe cleaners.
Glue three middle sized pom poms together. Glue on eyes and antennas.
WAX PAPER BUTTERFLIES
Supplies needed are: used crayons, wax paper, scissors
Shave crayons and place between a sheet of wax paper. Make sure the table you are working on is covered for easier clean up. Cover with another piece of wax paper. Press iron for a few seconds, cut into a butterfly. You can add pipe cleaner antennas if you wish by gluing them on.
LADYBUG PRINTS
Have the children press their thumbs on red stamp pads and make thumbprints on pieces of white paper. Then let them turn the thumbprints into ladybugs by adding dots and six legs to each print they made.
LADYBUG PAPERWEIGHTS
Take the children on a walk to find a ladybug shaped rock. Have the children paint their rock red. Allow the paint to dry. Let each child use a black felt tip marker to add a line and several dots. Glue felt to the bottoms of the ladybug paperweights.
GIANT ANT HILL
Cut a giant ant hill out of brown wrapping paper or butcher paper and place it on the floor for the children to help you draw rooms and tunnels all through the ant hill. Let them add "fingerprint ants" as described below.
ANT PRINTS-Have the children press the eraser end of a new pencil in the black paint and make three prints in a row on the ant hill shape. Let the children make as many prints as they like. Help the children use a fine tip black marker to add the six legs to each ant.
VERY FUNNY CATERPILLARS
Supplies needed are: old socks, string, small felt circles, rubber bands, cotton or polyester filling, scissors, fabric glue, pipe cleaners.
Make sure each child has their own sock, some filling, and four pieces of string, about 12" long. Show the children how to stuff the toe end of the sock with the filling, the tie it off with a piece of the string. Doing this three more times but at the last one make sure you use a rubber band to close as this will be the caterpillars mouth. Show the children how to wrap pipe cleaners between the sections and shape them into feet. Making the antennas going up where the last section of feet is added. Have the children paste felt circles onto the face of the caterpillar for eyes. Cut the strings of the middle short leaving the end strings on the front and back long so that they can have a caterpillar puppet.
AMAZING ANTENNAS
Give each child two 3 x 12 and two 3 x 10 sheets of aluminum foil. Show them how to roll and twist the longer pieces into a headband. Then have them roll the shorter pieces into antennaes. Tell the to wrap one end of each antenna around the front of the headband and curl the ends to look like antennaes. Let the pretend to be insects sniffing, touching, and listening with them.
ANT FARM
Supplies needed are: a large coffee can, a large glass jar, potting soil, a pan of water big enough for the jar to stand in, cheesecloth, a rubber band, a small piece of sponge or cotton ball, bits of fruit, meat, tuna, cat food, honey or syrup.
Take the children outside and find ants or an anthill. VEry gently scoop the anthill into the coffee can, making sure that you have also caught some ants. Cover the coffee can with the cheesecloth, secured with a rubber band. Back in the classroom, fill the glass jar with soil, and place the jar in a pan of water. Since ants cannot swim the water will serve as a moat to keep any stray ants from escaping into your room. Very carefully transfer the ants and the hill into the jar. You can leave the ants in the refrigerator for an hour, as the cold slows up the activity of the ants to make the transfer easier. Immediately cover the top of the jar with the cheesecloth and again secure with the rubber band. Provide water for the ants by placing a small piece of wet sponge or dampened cotton ball in the jar. Feed them with bits of food and a little syrup or honey drizzled over the soil. To start the conditions in an underground ant farm cover the jar with a dark cloth to keep out light. After a day or two, lift the cloth and observe what the ants have done, making tunnles and rooms. Explain the purpose of the different rooms; one is for hatching eggs, taking care of the babies, taking care of the queen, storing food and keeping warm in the winter. If you were lucky to get a queen ant then you will be able to observe the ants life cycle as the queen is the only one who lays the eggs.
BEE COSTUME
Supplies you will need are: large paper grocery sack, yellow and black paint, paint brushes, scissors, construction paper, pipe cleaners, tape and a stapler.
Give each child a grocery bag. Help the children cut holes in the bottom of the sack for their heads and holes in the sides for their arms. Have them paint their bags with yellow and black horizontal stripes. Tape or staple strips of construction paper together to make headbands, and help them to staple pipe cleaners on the headbands for the antennaes.
FIREFLY FUN
Supplies needed are: cotton balls, construction paper, glow in the dark paint, glue, black marker, pipe cleaners.
Give each child three cotton balls and have them glue them in a row. Cut out a pair of wings from construction paper and glue them to the middle cotton ball. Have them draw a face on the top cotton ball with the black marker, adding pipe cleaners for the antennaes. On the last cotton ball have them paint it with the glow in the dark paint. After the paint dries have them hold their firefly to a lamp, turn off the lights in the room and the fireflies should glow in the dark.
FLOWERPOT BUG HOUSE
Supplies you will need are: meduim sized flowerpots, soil, weeds, grass or leaves, bottle caps, water, a stapler, mending tape, a plastic coffee can lid, magnifying glass, fine mesh screen.
Have the children fill their flowerpots with soil, adding grass, weeds, or leaves. Have them place a bottle cap on top of the soil and fill with water. This is for the insects to have water. Help them to roll a piece of screen into a cylinder that will fit inside of the flowerpot. The diameter can be no bigger than that of the coffee can lid. Staple the screen together and press mending tape over the seam. Place the screen into the flowerpot and cover with the coffee can lid. When the children find insects they want to watch, they remove the lid, drop the insect in, and replace the lid back on. Let the insects go as soon as you are finished with your unit.
SING THE SONG "THE ANTS GO MARCHING"
BUMBLE BEE ON MY NOSE
(SUNG TO "JINGLE BELLS")
BUMBLE BEE, BUMBLE BEE
LANDING ON MY TOES,
BUMBEL BEE, BUMBLE BEE
NOW HE'S ON MY NOSE.
ON MY ARMS,
ON MY LEGS,
ON MY ELBOWS.
BUMBLE BEE, OH BUMBLE BEE
HE LANDS AND THEN HE GOES.
FLUTTER, FLUTTER, BUTTERFLY
(SUNG TO "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR")
FLUTTER, FLUTTER, BUTTERFLY
FLOATING IN THE SUMMER SKY.
FLOATING BE FOR ALL TO SEE,
FLOATING BY SO MERRILY.
FLUTTER, FLUTTER, BUTTERFLY,
FLOATING IN THE SUMMER SKY.
LITTLE WORM
(SUNG TO "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR")
SOFTLY, SOFTLY TURN AROUND,
RIGHT BEHIND YOU ON THE GROUND
YOU WILL FIND A LITTLE WORM
CAREFUL NOW, HE'LL MAKE YOU SQUIRM.
SOFTLY, SOFTLY TURN AROUND,
THERE'S A WORM RIGHT ON THE GROUND.
CATERPILLAR SONG
(SUNG TO "SKIP TO MY LOU")
CATERPILLAR OH, SO FUZZY,
CATERPILLAR OH, SO FUZZY,
CATERPILLAR OH, SO FUZZY,
EATING GREEN LEAVES TODAY.
CATERPILLAR GROWING SO BIG,
CATERPILLAR GROWING SO BIG,
CATERPILLAR GROWING SO BIG,
STRETCHING HER SKIN SO TIGHT.
CATERPILLAR MAKING A COCOON,
CATERPILLAR MAKING A COCOON,
CATERPILLAR MAKING A COCOON,
NOW SHE'S SLEEPING.
CATERPILLAR'S WAKING UP,
CATERPILLAR'S WAKING UP,
CATERPILLAR'S WAKING UP,
OUT OF HER COCOON SHE COMES.
CATERPILLAR'S GROWN SOME WINGS,
CATERPILLAR'S GROWN SOME WINGS,
CATERPILLAR'S GROWN SOME WINGS,
NOW SHE'S A BUTTERFLY.
SEE THE LADYBUG
(SUNG TO "FRERE JACQUES")
SEE THE LADYBUG, SEE THE LADYBUG.
WATCH IT CRAWL, WATCH IT CRAWL.
SEE IT CRAWLING HIGHER,
SEE IT CRAWLING HIGHER.
WATCH IT CRAWL, UP THE WALL.
SEE THE LADYBUG, SEE THE LADYBUG,
WATCH IT CRAWL, WATCH IT CRAWL.
SEE IT CRAWLING LOWER,
SEE IT CRAWLING LOWER.
WAY DOWN LOW, TO MY TOE.
GLIMMER, GLIMMER, FIREFLY
(SUNG TO "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR")
GLIMMER, GLIMMER, FIREFLY;
SHIMMER, SHIMMER, IN THE SKY.
LITTLE LANTERN IN THE NIGHT,
FLY BY AS YOU FLASH YOUR LIGHT.
GLIMMER, GLIMMER, FIREFLY;
SHIMMER, SHIMMER, IN THE SKY.
FINGER SIZE BUTTERFLIES
Supplies needed are: celery cut into fourths, small pretzel sticks, small twisted pretzels, cream cheese.
Spread the cream cheese in the middle of the celery, stick the twisted pretzel in the cream cheese to make the wings, stick the pretzel sticks in the front of the celery for the antenna.
LADYBUG JELLO TREATS
Prepare the red jiggler recipe according to the box. Drop a few chocolate chips into a mini sized muffin pan sections. Fill each cup with about half gelatin mixture and let set. After they set up then take them out and lay them on a bed of lettuce with pretzel sticks as the antennaes.
WORMS
Use a can of cinnamon rolls, have the children roll out into worms and then into chocolate milk drink mix and then cook as directed on the can.
LADYBUG TREATS
Mix cream cheese with red food coloring and small bits of carrots in a blender. Spread the cheese on oval crackers. Add several raisins to each of the crackers for ladybug spots.
ANTS ON A LOG
Let the children make "logs" by filling celery sticks with peanut butter. Then give them each three or four raisin "ants" to place on the top of their logs. For a different kind of stuffing you can mix together equal parts of peanut butter, grated carrots, and crushed shredded wheat. Let them press the mix into the celery sticks and then place the raisins on top.
BEE BARS
Supplies needed are: 4 T. melted butter
1 cup honey
4 well beaten eggs
1 1/2c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 c. chopped dates or apricots
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Confectioner's sugar
Large bowl
Wooden spoon
2 8" square cake pans
Knife
Oven
Mix all the ingredients except the confectioner's sugar in the order it is listed. Butter the cake pans and spread the mix in the pans. Bake in a 350 oven for about 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle the confectioner's sugar over the top and cut into 1 x 4 inch bars.
Wax Paper Butterflies- Shave crayons and place them between a sheet of wax paper on newspaper. Cover with another piece of wax paper. Press with iron for a few seconds, cut into butterfly shape.
Cut about 4 shapes of picnic foods 1-4" in size from construction paper. Use a chicken leg, cookie, strawberry, and a watermelon slice. Using plastic ants, see how many ants it takes to cover each food and record the answer.
Make a big box into a picnic basket. Make ant antennae's out of pipe cleaners and add them to the play area. Now kids can pretend to be ants around a picnic basket. Add play food for them to carry away.
Use cherry tomatoes for three body segments, pretzel sticks for the legs and antennae's, let the children make ants for snack.
Cut bread into pants. Spread with peanut butter and put raisins on top.
Paint the bottom of a paper bowl red. Stick black paper circles on it for the spots. Add paper legs and head. Pipe cleaners can be used for the legs.
Bug Catcher- Use oatmeal containers with lids. Cut a large window in the side and glue or tape screen or netting to the inside over the hole. Punch two holes in the sides to add yarn for a handle.
Dragon Fly- Use a paper towel tube and have the children decorate with a sheet of yellow paper that will fit around the tube. Then tape it. Trace the child's two hands for the wings to each side of the tube. Add eyes that are oval shaped with the bottom flat so that they stick up above the top of the tube.
Ant Farm- Take a large peanut butter jar that is empty and cleaned and place a small baby food jar upside down inside it. Fill the peanut butter jar with sand. Make holes in the top of the lid with a nail or screw. Add a little honey or jelly every few days, along with a little water. Gather up some ants from outside. After you have closed the lid, stop up the holes with cotton so the ants don't get out. Remember to keep a cloth over the jar when you are not observing it. This way the ants can make tunnels near the sides for you to see when you uncover it.
Ants In The Sand- Place one whole graham cracker in a ziploc and seal it, releasing extra air. Crush the cracker either with hands or small rolling pins. Count out your choice of raisins (ants) and add to the baggie. Reseal and gently shake.
Ants On A Stump- Take apples and slice them in circular shapes, the children take peanut butter, spread it and sprinkle it with raisins.
Have the children squeeze glue all over a piece of construction paper. Sprinkle sand all over the glue and let dry. After the sand design has completely dried, have the children glue on watermelon seeds to represent ants.
Mix orange juice, sprite, peach yogurt or sherbet. Pour the mixture into a 5 oz. cup. Give each child a small straw. Tell the children to drink their flower nectar juice. You can tape a flower pattern around the top of the cups.
Dancing Bugs
Clear glass
1 can of Sprite
Several raisins
Fill glass with Sprite. Drop the raisins in and watch them dance up and down.
There Was An Old Lady- Put on a black sweater and stuff it with all the animals the old lady swallowed. You can purchase the animals at a local discount store.
Circles & Centipedes- Pour 4-6 different colors of paint into seperate containers. Provide lots of different circular items, such as corks, film containers, plastic spools and bottle tops. Provide each child with white paper and direct them to use the items to print a caterpillar. When dry, add wiggle eyes, legs and antennas.
Edible Mud Muckers- Fill a bag for each child with whipped topping, 1 Tbsp. chocolate milk mix and a gummy worm candy. Have the children use their fingers to squish and squeeze the mud mixture and then tunnel a path for the worm. When finished provide a spoon and let them eat out of the baggie.
A Web of Friends- Have a group of children sit on the floor in a circle. Give a ball of yarn to one child. Have this child hold onto the loose end and roll the ball across the floor to another child. Have that child hold a strand of the yarn and roll the ball to another child. Continue until each child has a strand of yarn in their hand then have them see what a GREAT spider web they created. Take a picture so that they can see it any time during their insect unit.
Butterfly Pasta- Neat idea for teaching the life cycle of a butterfly. Make a tagboard rectangle with 4 squares marked off. As you talk about the life cycle, have the children glue different items in each square.
1st Square- a small pom-pom (egg)
2nd Square- 1 spiral pasta (caterpillar)
3rd Square- 1 shell pasta (cocoon)
4th Square- 1 bow tie pasta (butterfly)
If you wish you can dye the pasta before using.
Crunchy Carrot Caterpillars- Carrots, mild vegie dip and chow mein noodles, green food coloring. Wash and peel the carrots, then slice as circles. Place the carrot circles and chow mein noodles in seperate bowls. Use green food coloring to tint the dip. Fill a squirt bottle with the green dip. Put 4 carrot circles in a line, resembling a caterpillar. Add 2 chow mein noodles on the first carrot circle at the top for antennae's. Squirt out lines of the dip, resembling grass under the caterpillar. Eat and enjoy.
Wiggly Worm Painting- Cover a table with newsprint, then supply with rubber fishing worms, sheets of fingerpaint paper and pans of paint in varieties of color. Have the child dip the rubber worms in different colors of paint and drag them across the paper.
Wiggle Worms (Fine Motor)- Put some rubber worms in a container. Then set an empty container and tongs near the worms. Have the children use the tongs to move the worms from one container to the other.
Dragon Fly- Cut out a pair of wings from laminating film. Use glitter glue to decorate the wings then glue them onto the back of a colorful jumbo craft stick. Add wiggle eyes and hang from the ceiling in your classroom.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Puppet- Cover a clean and empty Pringle container with green paper, then add black construction paper legs or use the craft foam with glue. Cover the lid with red paper, then add eyes and antennae's. Cut a hole in the lid for the mouth. Cut out paper food shapes that are in the story. Laminate the food cut outs to last longer. Retell the story and feed the caterpillar. The children will ask you to do this story over and over again.
Buzz Swat!- Have the child dip a clean flyswatter into a pan of paint and swat on a large piece of paper. Then use black paint to press thumbprints onto the flyswatter prints. When dry use markers to add eyes, legs and wings to the thumbprints to resemble flies.
Insect Song
Sung to: The Wheels on the Bus
The firefly at night goes blink, blink, blink
blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink
The firefly at night goes blink, blink, blink
All around the town.
The bees in the flowers go buzz, buzz, buzz
The ants in the grass go march, march, march
The crickets in the leaves go chirp, chirp, chirp
The caterpillar in the field goes creep, creep, creep
We're Going On A Bug Hunt
We're going on a bug hunt!
We're going to catch some big ones
What a sunny day!
Are you ready? OK!
Oh my! A bee!
A black and yellow bee
Flying over the flowers
BUZZZZZZZ...
We're going on a bug hunt!
We're going to catch some big ones
What a sunny day!
Are you ready? OK!
Oh my! An ant!
A tiny, black ant
Crawling through the grass
SHHHHHH....
We're going on a bug hunt!
We're going to catch some big ones
What a sunny day!
Are you ready? OK!
Oh my! A grasshopper!
A big, green grasshopper
Hopping around the tree
Boing, boing....
We're going on a bug hunt!
We're going to catch some big ones
What a sunny day!
Are you ready? OK!
Oh my! A butterfly!
A pretty, orange butterfly
Floating in the sky
Whoosh, whoosh....
We're going on a bug hunt!
We're going to catch some big ones
What a sunny day!
Are you ready? OK!
Oh my! A spider!
A big black spider
Creeping on the tree
Creep, creep...
