Bugs

DISCUSS & LEARN:

*Body parts of insects.

*Life cycles of insects.

*What is your state butterfly? Find out here.

ACTIVITIES:

*Bug in a rug: make a rectangular paper rug and about 8 different insects (ladybug, spider, beetle, ant, mosquito, butterfly, etc.) I laminated mine so they would last longer. Hide an insect under the rug and have the children guess which one is missing. Take turns. Let the children hide the bug under the rug.

*Make a butterfly net and catch butterflies!

*Make a home for a bug and catch them.

*Be a spider: With string wrapped around a tube of some sort (like a cut down wrapping paper tub or paper towel tub) attach it to your waste with a skinny belt or string. Attach the end of the string from your tube to something sturdy. Crawl around to unwind the string. Make a web!

*Start a bug collection.

MAKE:

*Egg carton bugs: using egg cartons, markers, foam pieces, pipe cleaner, glue, etc. make different bugs. For example caterpillar, butterfly, ladybug, spider, ant, fly, etc.

*Caterpillar paper chain: (idea from enchantedlearning.com) cut green construction paper into stripes (about a 1 1/2 inches thick). Link them together to create a chain. On the last one attach a circle of construction paper that has a face on it.

*Pipe cleaner bugs: use different color pipe cleaners to create bugs.

*Rock bugs: find and clean stones that are smooth and round/oval. Paint them to make bugs. Red with black spots and head for a ladybug, etc. What bugs will you create?

*Finger print bugs: with ink make finger prints on a piece of paper. Add legs, eyes, etc. to make your finger print bugs.

*Be a bug: with cheap headbands add pipe cleaner with pom poms on the end to make antennae. Dress up! You could have capes for wings or shells.

SCIENCE:

*Go on a bug hunt. In a fanny pack have paper, pencil, magnifying glass, glass jars & lids with holes, a bug list with pictures, camera, etc.

*Bug homes: explore old cocoons and beehives. Watch ants build their home.

BOOKS:

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner

Bug Safari by Bob Barner

The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin

Charloette's Web by E. B. White

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle

The Very Long Firefly by Eric Carle

In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming

The Very Greedy Bee by Steven Smallman

The Honeybee and the Robber by Eric Carle

The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle

Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth

SONGS:

LITTLE MISS MUFFET

Little Miss Muffet

Sat on her tuffet,

Eating her curds and whey;

Along came a spider,

Who sat down beside here

And frightened Miss Muffet Away

ITSY BITSY SPIDER

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout,

Down came the rain and washed the spider out

Out came the sun that dried up all the rain

And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again

BABY BUMBLEBEE

I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee,

Won't my mommy be so proud of me,

(Cup hands together as if holding bee)

I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee,

Ouch! It stung me!

(Shake hands as if just stung)

I'm squishing up the baby bumblebee,

Won't my mommy be so proud of me,

('Squish' bee between palms of hands)

I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee,

Ooh! It's yucky!

(Open up hands to look at 'mess')

I'm wiping off the baby bumblebee,

Won't my mommy be so proud of me,

(Wipe hands off on shirt)

I'm wiping off the baby bumblebee,

Now my mommy won't be mad at me!

(Hold hands up to show they are clean)

THE ANTS GO MARCHING

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching one by one,

The little one stops to suck his thumb

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching two by two,

The little one stops to tie his shoe

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching three by three,

The little one stops to climb a tree

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching four by four,

The little one stops to shut the door

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching five by five,

The little one stops to take a dive

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah

[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-ants-go-marching-lyrics-children.html ]

The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching six by six,

The little one stops to pick up sticks

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching seven by seven,

The little one stops to pray to heaven

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching eight by eight,

The little one stops to shut the gate

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching nine by nine,

The little one stops to check the time

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching ten by ten,

The little one stops to say "THE END"

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

RECIPES:

*Cup of dirt: see my recipe here, scroll down to the bottom.

*Ants on a log: spread peanut butter onto a stick of celery. Add raisins to make the ants.

*Ladybug apples: slice red apples in half. With peanut butter "glue" on raisins for the spots.