Find lots of fun insect activities for your preschool and pre-k classroom. These activities are perfect for your insects & bugs themed learning centers.
Insects don’t have to be scary and gross. Make the study of insects and bugs exciting with this collection of fun insect-themed activities for your kiddos.
Caterpillar Pattern Craft Activity
Combine math, craft, and fine motor skills activities while making these simple caterpillar pattern activities.
Insect Theme Invitation to Play
Gather a variety of materials into a divided tray. Add playdough. Then stand back and watch kids create with this fun bit themed playdough invitation to play.
Bug and Insect Number Activities
There are so different ways that you can use this Bug & Insect Number resource from my store.
- Sort the cute fireflies by color
- Use number cards for number recognition and counting activities
- Work on simple addition
Butterfly Invitation to Play
I love gathering thematic materials to create an invitation to play. Colored beads, flowers, and plastic butterflies can be used to create a fun butterfly theme playdough tray. Your kids will love this open-ended creative activity.
Butterfly Matching Activity
Here is another butterfly activity. Kids can match butterfly halves with this butterfly matching activity that is found in my store. It’s a great visual discrimination activity.
Insect Theme Books
Are you looking for new books about creepy crawlies? Here is a nice list of bug and insect books for kids.
Entomology Lab Dramatic Play
Create an insect research lab in your classroom. Kids can collect insect specimens, measure them and observe them. Don’t forget to provide opportunities to record their data. Your little scientists will have so much fun when you transform your dramatic play area into an entomology lab.
Counting and Sorting Insects
Kids will enjoy sorting a variety of insects into sorting containers. Muffin tins, egg cartons, and ice cube trays can be used.
I found this inexpensive divided box with the fishing gear at my local Wal-mart. I think it’s a great bug sorting tool.
Design an Insect Habitat
Gather a variety of materials from silk flowers to colored beads. Let your kids design a habitat for plastic insects. They can then pretend to conduct research as they observe the insects and record the data.
Caterpillar Pattern Activities
Kids can identify and complete the pattern in this hands-on caterpillar patterning activity found in the store.
Butterfly Symmetry Activity
Using this free butterfly printable to introduce the concept of symmetry. Kids can design the wings on one half of a butterfly and use a mirror to complete the butterfly.
Bumblebee Literacy Clip Cards
Work on alphabet matching and beginning sounds with these bumblebee clip cards from the store. This activity is easily adapted for different learners.
Ten Frame Activities
Use this free ten frame printable and some fun insect stickers to make a DIY insect math activity.
Creepy Crawly Sensory Bin
Let your kids catch insects in the sensory bin. Use Easter grass, plastic insects, tweezers, and clear containers. Check out this sensory materials ideas list to get even more ideas for your sensory bin.
Make Number Books
Use fun buggy stickers to create thematic number books. These printable books can be found in my store, but you can easily make your own.
Additional Activities
- Insect Videos – Primary theme park has compiled some videos that are great for kids.
- Insect Themed Yoga – Promote movement and body awareness with these yoga poses by Pink Oatmeal
- Build-a-Bug Creative Activity – Set up a creative invitation to play from Paper and Glue
I hope that you and your kids have fun with these insect activities. Do you have additional ideas for activities for an insects and bugs theme? Please share them in the comments below.
