More bug ideas

This week we are having an insect theme! This is one of our classes favorite themes. To start out the week we go on a bug hunt outside with small plastic cups. So far we found lots of rollie pollies, 2 beetles and even 2 crickets! I talk to the children ahead of time and explain how to be "kind" to bugs. Then we put the bugs in the sensory table along with grass, pine cones, and twigs. I allow the children to use the magnifying glasses to observe them in our science area. I also put out bug hunt worksheets with markers so that the children can draw what they see. I was surprised to see how many of my boys actually spent time drawing the bugs that they found. (most of my boys aren't interested in art)
I usually separate the week by doing a different bug each day. Mondays spiders Tuesday Caterpillars....etc

For anybody who doesn't have this book and CD, you should purchase Wee Sing and Learn About Insects. They have some wonderful songs that we use for this theme.

Spiders:
Spider web weaving: Take a paper plate, cut out the middle and use your hole punch to punch holes all around the outside. Supply long pieces of yarn and allow children to thread the yarn from hole to hole (for younger children, tape the end to make it easier to thread) For a fun bonus, tie those cheap Halloween spider rings to the end of the yarn!


Itsy Bitsy Spider:
We build our marble raceway in the sensory table. Then i put water in the bottom and supply plenty of pouring toys and watering cans. I use small spider rings (the cheap kinds you get at Halloween) and the children are encouraged to "Wash the spider out" The kids get a kick out of this activity.

Bumblee bees:
During bumblee bee day we make bumblee bee headbands using yellow construction paper. Children can glue black stripes, flowers and antennas on their headband.
Then we listen to Flight of the Bumblee by Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov - I ask the children what the sound reminds them of and how it makes them feel (almost all of them say it sounds like a bumblee bee) Then we put on our headbands and fly around the room like bees!

Hives and honey: I allow children to squeeze honey onto plates to touch, feel, taste and smell the honey. It's a very sticky activity but it uses all the senses so it is worth it. We used fake flowers and bumblee bees to show the children how the bees drink the nectar and make the honey. It was very fun! Suprising it wasn't that messy.. i had a box of wipes handy and one section of the plate was filled with water so that the children could wash off the sticky bees!

We also make hives using honeycomb cereal.
We used bingo markers to make little yellow bees and added black stripes with a marker!

Worms:
Dirt cups: My all time favorite snack is a dirt cup! The kids help me make plenty of chocolate pudding and then we add broken Oreo's, kool whip and even some chocolate sprinkles with a gummy worm to top it off (of course) We put the oreo's in baggies and let the kids use hammers from our tool set to smash the oreos...it's so much fun!