- Bug-themed activities can be educational and fun.bugs 2 image by Alx from Fotolia.com
Some kids seem to have an innate attraction to bugs, while others are disgusted at the mere mention of an ant. If you have one who is highly interested in bugs and insects, you may find yourself forced to deal with slimy, grizzly or flying creatures. But if you're not as excited about bugs as your kids, bug-themed activities are a hands-on compromise. - Paper chain crafts have so many possibilities and they are simple for kids of all ages to do. This caterpillar craft from educational website Enchanted Learning requires several strips of construction paper (colors should be his choice) that are 1-by-6 inches. The number of strips you have will depend on how long you want your caterpillar. Show your child how to loop the paper strips to make a paper chain and he can glue each strip together with a glue stick or tape. When he's done, he will cut a circle out of another piece of construction paper and draw a face on it, before gluing it to one end of his paper chain. Prior to looping the strips, your child can decorate them if he'd like.
- What could be a more hands-on way for your child to explore bugs than for him to have his own collection? Preschoolrock.com has an easy bug catcher he can make with little assistance. You'll need a quart-sized canning jar, a nylon stocking (good way to use old pairs), pipe cleaners and craft items to decorate the jar. Discard the seal for the jar (or use it for another craft), then lay a piece of the nylon stockings over the mouth of the jar, loosely stretching it to cover the entire circle. Hold the stockings in place by screwing the rim back onto the jar. If he wants, your child can glue a piece of ribbon to the outside of the rim. Have him decorate the outside of the jar with craft supplies such as paint markers or you can hot glue some wooden craft shapes (perhaps in a bug theme) for him. Below the ridge of the jar, he will wrap a pipe cleaner around the jar to create a handle. At this point, his jar is ready to serve as a temporary home for some lightning bugs. When it's dark, help him catch several and place them in his jar, explaining to him that he'll have to let them go after a few days but that he can do this again.
- A worm compost is a helpful way to dispose leftover food. You'll need a large, plastic storage bin, some pillow filling (the white fluffy stuff), a screen to cover the container, a piece of burlap the size of the opening of your bin and about 100 earthworms. You'll also need any old leftovers or table scraps. Wet the pillow filling and lay it about 8 inches deep in the bottom of the bin. If it isn't moist, continue to add water, which you'll do every couple of weeks. Mix in the food pieces, then add soil and your earthworms before laying the burlap on top of the soil.
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