Authentic bug activities inspired by nature bring fresh air and life to your classroom as your preschoolers get busy with insects. Catching bugs requires quick fingers and a steady, firm grip as they try to wiggle away! Strengthen your toddlers’ fine motor skills so the next time they come across a bug, they can catch it!
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Insect Lesson Plans
Bug sensory Bin
Bug Activities for Preschoolers
You all know I love a themed sensory bin.
They are so fun to plan and envision what little imaginations will create with just a few simple items.
Plus, they encourage sustained play, which is always a win in my book!
I created this critter-filled sensory bin with Pluffle, bug counters, rocks, pretend trees, tongs, and jars.
It was the perfect mix for an exciting, bug-filled, sensory adventure!
Materials:
- green Pluffle
- plastic trees
- rocks
- flowers
- bug counters
- plastic jars (Dollar Tree)
- fine motor scoops
Butterfly Symmetry
Bug Activities for the Light Table
What do butterflies study in school?
Mothematics.
And let me tell you, those mothematics definitely include lessons in symmetry!
As a matter of fact, symmetry patterns on butterfly wings are the hallmark lesson for bug activities.
You can incorporate these symmetrical butterflies in your preschool classroom, too!
We used a light table and transparent chips to complete the symmetry patterns on each wing.
Materials:
Caterpillar Hole PUnch Munch
Bug Fine Motor Activity
Some of you may see this activity and envision tiny circles scattering your floor and just keep scrolling. Hear me out, though…
Having your students pick up the tiny never-ending hole-punched scraps makes this activity a fine motor double whammy.
First off, your toddlers will practice counting as they punch the correct number into each leaf. Hello, math skills!
But, they also strengthen their hands as they munch through each leaf AND work that pincer grasp as they clean up at the end.
See? I knew you would see the value in those tiny hole-punched scraps lining your floor. They’ll be gone in no time!
Materials:
Outdoor Bug Hunt
Bug Activities for Preschoolers
Things we learned on our hike in the mountains: what a glacier is, how to spell glacier, why the path was so rocky, what a glacier feels like, and how to avoid a mama moose aggressively staring us down.
See? Exploring the outdoors leads to rich learning experiences.
Whenever an outdoor learning opportunity arises, take advantage of it! This is why you should take this next bug activity outside.
Your littles will love the freedom of an outdoor bug hunt adventure as they search for hidden bug counters, but I’d be willing to bet they’ll discover even more!
The opportunities for learning in the great outdoors are endless.
Materials:
- bug counters
- Gator Grabbers
- plastic jars (Dollar Tree)
Bug Rescue
Bug Fine Motor Activities
For homeschooling this year, we read Charlotte’s Web.
The classic tale always comes to mind when I accidentally walk through a spiderweb (yikes) or create a spider web activity.
This bug rescue activity doesn’t involve pigs and fairs, but it has an element of excitement you can feel in the air!
The bugs are trapped on the grass mat underneath the spider web made of yarn.
Your bug rescuers must use fine motor skills to “rescue” every bug!
Materials:
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Adventure along with your students as they marvel at the uniqueness of each insect fine motor activity. Not only will fine motor skills be strengthened with these bug activities, but your toddlers may even find a newfound love of bugs.
