Preschool Insects Theme
Planning your Insects Theme
Insects theme planning guide for free! Not a member? Learn More Here
Fly Swatter Painting
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Set up an invitation to create an insect!
Some items you might include: cupcake liners, Tissue Paper, Paper plates, craft sticks, A variety of shapes cut out of card stock, construction paper, wax paper, chenille sticks, and googly eyes or eye stickers |
In the Grass Cut and Paste Activity*
Try our free insect themed craft! Children will practice using scissors in order to reveal who is hiding in the grass!
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Bug Antennae Craft
Materials:
Sentence strips or construction paper Crayons, markers or paint –in browns, black, grey, white, bronze, or gold colors Tape Brown or Black pipe cleaners Directions: Lay out sentence strips and let children color the color of their choice. If using construction paper, pre-cut into strips that will fit around the students' head. Once they are finished coloring, turn the strip over and tape the pipe cleaners close to the middle. Then fit the paper to the students' head and tape in place. Let them curl the tips of the pipe cleaners in any shape they choose or even leave them straight. |
Invite your preschoolers to create bug designs using pattern blocks. You can print off pattern block templates as examples and have them build on the template or beside the template or you can have them create a bug design all their own using the pattern blocks.
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*3-Part Insect Cards
Add 3-part cards (included in my Insects Activity Pack) to the activity shelf for learning insect nomenclature. Set out some pretend bugs for children to match-up to the cards.
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Label the Parts of an Insect*
Hang posters that include pictures of insects and vocabulary describing the different parts of insects.
Complete and then hang the Praying Mantis Life Cycle and Labeling Parts of a Praying Mantis included in my Insects Activity Pack for reference. |
Make -ug Words*
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Bug Name Writing Tray
Set up a letter writing tray with dirt. Provide plastic bugs or bug erasers. Students choose a bug, and use them to trace the letters in their names. Buy the editable name practice worksheets featured in this activity.
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Catch a Bug Shape Matching Game*
Sort buggy shapes into their same shaped jar to practice shape recognition and sorting skills. This activity is included in the Insects Preschool Activity Pack.
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Insect Count and Clip Cards*
Count up the number of ladybugs on the leaf, then find and identify the correct number and clip with a clothespin. Count and clip cards are not only great for math skills, but fine motor too!
This activity can be found inside our Insects Preschool Activity Pack. |
Insect Number Puzzle*
Practice ordering skills, number recognition, and problem-solving with an Insect Number puzzle.
This one is included in the Insects Preschool Activity Pack! |
Sorting InsectsGather 3 different types of plastic bugs and place in a bin. Place 3 empty containers next it to. Challenge preschoolers to use tweezers or scoops to sort the bugs (one type of bug per container). Give them an extra challenge by having them time how fast they can sort out all of the bugs only using the tools.
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Outdoor Bug ExplorationCreate a place for exploring insects outside. This fabulous outdoor bug exploration area belongs to reader Teresa Becker. Find more ideas on our Backyard Bug Investigation Blog post.
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Take a Closer LookWhen the time is taken to really look close and quietly observe, you can discover all kinds of creatures. The kids at Building Blocks Family Childcare found this ladybug in the pupal stage. During this stage the ladybug remains attached to the leaf which allowed observation over several days.
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Sort bugs by flying and non-flying (printable included in my Insects Activity Pack) using photographs or insects or insect counters. Find other ways to sort insects!
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Build a Bug Hotel
Use materials found outside such as pine cones, sticks, leaves as well as cardboard to fill a cut off plastic bottle to create a bug hotel. Help your preschoolers find a place to put their bug hotel outside to give bugs a nice home! You want to make sure that items are packed in tightly enough to not fall out, but you want some small spaces between materials as this is where the bugs can make their homes.
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Bug Hunt.Go on a bug hunt! Gather clipboards, crayons, and magnifying classes then go on a walk or explore your outdoor play space to see what kind of creatures can be found! Students can record their data by writing or drawing a picture. Consider creating a simple checklist to go along with this activity.
It would be fun to collect the drawings or photos and create a Bug Hunt Class Book. |
Praying Mantis Activities
Watch a Praying Mantis Egg hatch (you can purchase them on-line or at your local garden center). Compliment this activity with one our Praying Mantis resources (Life Cycle and Labeling Activity) found inside our Insects Activity Pack.
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Save the Bugs- Fine Motor Activity
Place plastic bugs in the bottom of a tray that has openings on the side. Lace yarn or string through the openings to create a spider's web across the top of the tray. Have your preschoolers save the bugs from the spider's web by using tweezers to reach in and pull the bugs through openings in the yarn.
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Hide plastic bugs all through the outside area or classroom. Give students a checklist for them to follow and have them find all of the bugs on their lists. Students will need to engage in gross motor movements as they look under items, look for bugs up high, navigate the territory, etc. Consider having children work in pairs to find the insects. Provide fun hats and explorer vests if you have them along with magnifying glasses and nets/tweezers for collecting specimens.
Pair with the 3-part Nomenclature Cards from our Insect activity pack to support language development. |
Insect Yoga
Help your preschoolers practice mindfulness through insect themed yoga posts.
You can use this YouTube video as inspiration! |
Exploring insects with young children is exciting. This preschool activity pack includes a variety of Math, Literacy, Fine Motor, and Science activities perfect for creating centers, file folder activities, or morning work for the preschool aged children in your care.
This 54 page .pdf contains the following 20 preschool insect themed activities:
Also included: TOS, Graphics Credit
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This set makes it easy to set up your preschool spring calendar! Use these calendar number cards in your pocket chart, or to set up a linear calendar for group calendar or math activities.
This set features several different Calendar Card Number designs to choose from all season long. Mix and match the themed numbers to create various patterns (AB, ABB, ABC, etc).
This 40-page PDF includes:
Plus the following themed calendar number cards:
Also Included: Directions, TOS, Graphics Credit
Pre-K Printable Club Members, Once you are logged in, click here to download this product for free! Not a member? Find out more here!
Keep little fingers busy this spring with these fun Spring Pattern Block Mats. This 38-page PDF includes the following mats each with different mats to choose from depending on developmental level.
These mats include 3 different levels of play for each design
The symmetry butterflies includes 3 different butterfly designs with two levels of play for each.
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Encourage a love of reading and some fine motor fun with this activity, perfect to pair with your Insect Theme. Your preschooler will build strong fingers and hands as they practice cutting the blades of grass for this easy to assemble craft. They will also enjoy peaking inside the grass to see all of the creatures living inside a backyard habitat.
Inside this PDF you will find:
Also included: TOS, Graphics Credit, Contact Information
Pre-K Printables Club Members:
Log in and click here to download this product for free.
Not a member? Click here to learn more about our membership
Learning Centers
Preschool Learning Centers are commonly referred to as Preschool Centers, or Learning Spaces. These are activity areas dedicated to a specific type of of play and exploring a variety of topics and activities. Download our Free set of Center Signs!
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