Unit on Bugs/Insects

Key Terms: ladybug, grasshopper, butterfly, bee, caterpillar

Goals: Child will recognize common insects.

Activities

Expandable capsules. I found these great pellets in the dollar bins at Target—each one expands into a bug-shaped sponge. Charlie was interested for about ten seconds and then just started splashing water everywhere. Oh well, I thought they were cute. Internet Scavenger Hunt. I saw Allie mention this on Twitter—she and her son look up a topic on Youtube and then watch videos on it. Charlie became interested in a troupe of break dancing bees, so I’m calling it a success.

Counting Ladybugs. What would I do without Allie and her blog? Found this at No Time for Flashcards. I made the bugs out of sticky-backed foam and then we helped Charlie place a certain number of spots on each one. The first bug had one, the second one had two, etc. He liked the bugs so much, we extended the activity by singing a counting song and holding up the corresponding bug for each number.

Bee Hunt. Inspired by the success of the counting ladybugs, I created some bees out of sticky-backed foam, stuck them around the house, and then we wheeled Charlie around and let him “catch” the bees. Another fun activity. Bug in a Bag. Sometimes you find the perfect item, but you worry that it’s too small for your toddler to play with. Using an everyday zipper pouch can solve the problem. Fill one with small items and then a bunch of clear soap. Seal with a piece of duct tape. Let your child explore the items. Charlie found the texture kind of gross, but I did like to see him interacting with smaller items.

A Book We Enjoyed

For this Unit we went with the childhood classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. All about a caterpillar that eventually turns into a butterfly, the board book is really great as it contains some three dimensional elements. Carle has also written The Grouchy Ladybug that would also work with this unit.

This was a really fun unit to do with Charlie. I had to improvise since most real-life bugs are too small for him to interact with, but overall, I’d call this a big success.