I’m getting ready to launch a new project next week and I’m really excited to tell you all about it! While I wrap up the loose ends, enjoy this repost from May of 2010.
The Best Bug Books
Within this unit, I’ve listed activities for many books about bugs, but there are certainly more to be considered! Here are a few I’ve enjoyed with many a little one. Please comment with your own favorites as well! I’m always up for a new read!
Spider Cookies To Tickle Your Child's Tastebuds!
“There was an old lady who swallowed a spider, that wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her…”
Spider Cookies To Tickle Your Child’s Tastebuds!
“There was an old lady who swallowed a spider, that wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her…”
Spiders Vs Insects- Breaking it Down for Preschoolers
Spiders and insects are often lumped together, but there are some significant differences that even young children can begin to recognize. Noting the difference between insects and spiders isn’t just important for discerning between the two “in the wild”, but the act of comparing and classifying is perfect for practicing logic, reasoning, and science skills.
From Caterpillar to Butterfly – Teaching Preschoolers About the Magical Metamorphosis
If you ask a group of preschoolers to name their favorite insect or bug, chances are you’ll get quite a few votes for the butterfly. They’re beautiful, gentle bugs, and their metamorphosis is simply spectacular. If you have little ones interested in the butterfly life cycle, particularly if you are using the butterfly habitat, you might want to try this activity!
Creating Preschool Entomologists – Bringing the Bugs Inside
When it comes to exploring bugs, you just can’t really beat bug collecting as an activity! Getting bugs into an enclosure -whether it’s the time-honored classic jar with air-holes in the lid, or something like this– allows children to look closely at the bugs to examine their characteristics. Having a barrier not only keeps the bug in one place, but it often makes little ones feel a bit less skittish.
We’re Going on a Bug Hunt
Eric Carle Author Study: The Grouchy Ladybug and The Very Clumsy Click Beetle
The Grouchy Ladybug always catches me off-guard, because it seems to be missing the “Very”. You know, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Lonely Firefly, The Very Busy Spider, The Very Clumsy Click Beetle, and…..The Grouchy Ladybug. I guess he’s just a little grouchy.
Well, this ladybug, who’s feeling a little bit grouchy, lands on the same aphid-laden leaf as another ladybug, who’s not feeling the least bit grouchy. One ladybug suggests they share, the other insists they’re all for him (I’m sure you can guess which was which). The rest of the story follows the grouchy ladybug as he goes from one creature to the next, each bigger than the one before, trying to pick a fight. He ends up trying to pick a fight with a whale, whose tail smacks him all the way back to that same aphid-laden leaf. There, the polite ladybug offers again to share, and this time Mr. Grouchy realizes his life is much easier when he tries to get along.
Butterfly Noodles
Isn’t it funny how children are much more interested in eating something when it’s has a fun name? I have a hard time getting my children to eat Farfalle Alle Erbe Panna Rosa (a tasty little recipe from my sister-in-law you can find here), but if I call it “Butterfly Noodles”, they’re all over it!
Eric Carle Author Study: The Very Busy Spider and The Very Lonely Firefly
Eric Carle’s The Very Busy Spider will always be one of my favorites because it was one of the first books I regularly read to my first son. It’s a simple story of a spider slowly building a perfect web as the barnyard animals come one by one to invite her to play. By the end of the story, the web is finished, the pesky fly has been caught, and the spider is ready for a good night’s sleep. The patterned text is great for reading with young children – invite them to join in with you!