An Insect Theme Dramatic Play Area: How to Make an Entomology Lab

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Find ideas to create an entomology lab dramatic play area set up. Your kids will love playing and learning in this insect research lab.

Are you looking for a fun idea for a dramatic play area? Here are some ideas for transforming your dramatic play area into an entomology lab. I love that there are so many opportunities for math, science, and literacy learning while playing.

Your little entomologists are going to have so much fun conducting insect research in this laboratory.

The printables pictured in this post can be found at my store. There are also several links at the bottom of this post for your shopping convenience. If you purchase something from one of the links, there will be no additional cost to you, but a small portion of your purchase will be used towards the cost of maintaining this website

Dress Up Clothing

You can add a bunch of different types of clothing to an insect research lab dramatic play center. Provide white lab coats, white button-down shirts, or lab aprons.

Entomologists also work out in the field as they research and collect insects. Cargo vests, camp shirts, sun hats, visors, and sunglasses are also appropriate gear for the job.

Additional Prop Ideas:

Use your imagination to pull together props for your research lab. You can let kids make bugs from a variety of craft supplies or you can use plastic bugs.

Here are some additional props that you can use in your dramatic play set up.

plastic bugs or insects
small plastic containers to collect and house insects
baskets, plastic trays, sorting containers
butterfly nets
butterfly houses
bug houses/boxes
tweezers
magnifying glasses
small tackle boxes
microscope
kitchen scale or balance scale
Easter grass empty sunscreen bottles
silk leaves
silk flowers
flashlights
non-working laptop or device
phones
rocks, sticks, soil

Setting Up Your Dramatic Play Center

Labels

Transform your play area into a lab by adding props and supplies to shelves and tables. Labeling supplies will help kids keep the area organized and provides an opportunity for literacy learning.

Specimen Display Boxes

Entomologists collect and study insect specimens. You can make your own specimen display boxes or drawers by attaching plastic insects to a shoebox lid or a piece of foam core.

You can hot glue the bugs in place or use velcro dots so they can be taken off and re-attached. I found that self-stick velcro dots came off of the insects quite easily. Hot gluing velcro to the underside of the insects worked better.

You can also house insect specimens in small cardboard jewelry boxes or on inexpensive picture frames. The specimens can be displayed on the wall or can be used as a sorting activity with kids.

Insect Collection Kit

Entomologists have to find and collect insects so that they can study them. You can create an insect collection kit with a small tackle box, a bag, a backpack, or even a shoebox.

Add tweezers, collection containers, a magnifying glass, some blank books, a pencil, and some nets. Tulle netting and clothespins can be used to create traps. Let kids help you think of additional materials that might be good for trapping insects.

Once you have put a kit together, your kids can now go out into the field (your classroom or playground) to look for insects.

Weighing Insects

Use a small kitchen scale or balance scale so that your kids can weigh different types of insects. They can record the data on a data collection sheet or in a blank book.

Insect Sorting Station

Entomologists identify and classify insects. Provide a variety of plastic insects and let your kids sort them in different ways. They can sort them on graphs, in bowls, or on sorting mats.

Muffin tins, egg cartons, and ice cube trays make great sorting containers.

You can also pick up some inexpensive divided boxes at Wal-mart (by the fishing gear) for a fun sorting activity.

Insect Measuring Station

Set up an area where kids can measure the length of insects. Provide rulers or tape measures and some paper or blank books so that kids can record their data. They can sort their insects by length.

Design Insect Habitats

Your kids will enjoy designing habitats for their little creepy crawlies. Habitat materials can be placed in a divided tray. Here are some ideas for materials:

rocks, pebbles, gravel
flowers and leaves (real or silk)
sticks
popsicle sticks
pine cones
colored gems/ glass beads
bottle caps
sand

Kids can use the materials to design different habitats inside plastic containers or cardboard boxes. Add some non-fiction books about insects so that kids can learn about different insect habitats.

Insect Observation

They can then observe the insects in each habitat and collect data on insect behavior.

I hope that you and your little entomologist enjoy playing in your new dramatic play area.

Purchase Entomology Lab Dramatic Play Printables

Visit my store to get the printables pictured in this resource. The Entomology Lab Dramatic Area resource also contains many addition printables like open/closed signs, lab schedule, bunting, insect diagrams & photographs, an entomologist book, and much more.

Below are some items from Amazon that can be used for the activities mentioned in this article. The links below are affiliate links. If you happen to purchase something from a link, there will be no additional cost to you, but a small portion of your purchase will be used towards the cost of maintaining this website.

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