Not all bugs are seen as masterpieces, but these bug art activities for preschoolers are leading the way and working to change that narrative! Each bug art activity invites your tiny Picassos to showcase their creativity. No matter the art medium, your preschoolers will find success and take pride in each of their insect creations.
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Insect Lesson Plans
Egg Carton Bugs
Bug Art Activities for Preschoolers
If at first you don’t succeed, try again!
We used paint sticks the first time we painted these egg carton bugs. Five minutes later, my kiddos were done. There was no crawling with excitement or fluttering fun.
It was a forgotten bug smushed into a car grill.
So out comes the watered-down paint (about 50% shimmery tempera paint, 50% water), which they delicately dripped all over their egg carton bugs using pipettes.
The swirls, the patterns, and the drips collectively revived this dead bug art project into a process art success.
In fact, they asked to do this bug craft again!
Tip: Hot glue the mini popsicle stick legs on first and use a skewer to poke two holes in the “head” for the pipe cleaner. Let the kids paint their bugs before adding the pipe cleaner antenna.
Materials:
- egg cartons (cut into three-well pieces)
- mini popsicle sticks
- pipe cleaners
- googly eyes
- tempera paint
- pipettes
Coffee Filter Butterflies
Bug Crafts for Kids
Creating a coffee filter butterfly is almost like a rite of passage.
Simply invite your preschoolers to decorate two filters set on top of each other with dot markers.
Then, drip water to create unique coffee filter butterflies. It’s definitely a favorite part!
Once they are dry (leave them in the puddle of water for more vibrant colors), twist pipe cleaners around the center of both coffee filters to create antennae.
The fluttery butterflies are perfect for a hallway display any time of the year.
Materials:
- coffee filters (2 per student)
- dot markers
- pipettes
- pipe cleaners
Firefly Painting
Bug Art for Toddlers
Fireflies are an interesting and sometimes elusive insect. Some of your littles may be familiar with them, and some may not!
What better way to highlight the uniqueness of these insects than with a glowing firefly painting!?
Start off by painting the background – shades of blue that mimic an evening sky at dusk using a sponge brush to dab on the ombre paint. Then add black accents (either paper cutouts or paint) to create firefly wings and tall grass for them to buzz over.
Finally, the fireflies are ready to make their debut! Add small white circles or stickers so that your little ones can use their fingers to dab on glowing firefly bodies with glow-in-the-dark paint.
Materials:
- paper
- shades of blue paint (add white or black to blue)
- sponge brushes
- black paper or black paint
- white paper cut with a small hole punch or white dot stickers
- glow-in-the-dark paint
Bug Directed Drawings
Step-by-Step Drawings for Kids
IKEA furniture. If you know, you know.
I am the executive assistant who carefully follows the pictured directions while I hand parts over to my husband to drill in (even though it says no drills, that’s a battle I cannot win).
I’ve often had the thought that these easy-to-follow, step-by-step drawings put those less-than-ideal instructions from other companies to shame.
This is why your toddlers won’t have any problem at all following along as they learn how to draw an ant, butterfly, and ladybug using this set of step-by-step directed drawings.
Once they’ve mastered each insect, the possibilities for insect-themed masterpieces are endless.
Materials:
- Bug Directed Drawings
- paper
- black markers
- markers/crayons/watercolor paints
Worm Painting Process Art
Bug Art Activities for Preschoolers
Please don’t hate me, but fishing is a boring, cruel waste of time. Hours of my life have been spent fishing, and I will sadly never get those hours back.
But for some reason unknown to me, my girls enjoy fishing with their daddy. This also means I feel obliged to help (mostly so my husband can actually attempt to fish himself).
But I draw the line when it comes to baiting the hook. Nope. No wiggly worms speared onto a hook by me.
The good news is this wiggly worm art includes plastic worms dipped in paint.
They won’t wiggle away while masterpieces are in progress. Instead, they will be dipped in paint and used to paint the larger-than-life worms.
After painting, add oversized eyes (use two circle hole punches to save time) to the worms for a fun touch!
Materials:
- worm printouts
- tempera paints (pick two)
- plastic worms
- white and black paper
- large & small circle hole punch
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MORE Insect Activities for Preschoolers
Fun crafts that unleash creativity and encourage your budding artists’ abilities will help any reluctant to warm up to insects. Your toddlers will take delight in creating each insect masterpiece! What are you waiting for? Your bulletin boards are ready for these bug art activities for preschoolers to buzz on over!
