Spring is here along with all the little critters. Kids love to discover new things and discovering bugs will be the perfect activity to spend time in nature together. Here are some great ideas of bug activities to do as a family:

-Draw a picture of a spider and a web. What would your spider eat? Draw more to go along with it or write a story.

-Draw a picture of the biggest mountain that you can see.

-Write about the funniest thing you ever saw an insect do.

-Sit under a tree with your favorite book to read.

-Take a walk around your home and look for butterflies in daylight or moths at night.

-Read a book about fossils in the Cretaceous period (130 million years ago)

-Learn about the life cycle of a butterfly, what is does at night, and find out what butterfly flies 1,000 miles.

-Find a book about the “metamorphosis” of a bee. How does a bee communicate?

-Practice being insects, birds, fish outside.

-Write a short story that begins with “When I got home, my pet tarantula was missing…”

-What insect gives us a food item?

-Visit a museum to see what kind of insects live by the ocean, in the desert, or in the mountains.

-Go outside and cover your eyes, Can you hear any insects?

-Finger play—Eensy Weensy Spider

-Make a map of your room or yard. Plan a vacation trip for an ant or a spider.

-What types of bugs live near you? Draw a picture.

-Find three bugs outside, do any of them have wings?

-Write a poem about your favorite bug.

-There are 10,000 species of grasshoppers. Read a book about some of them.

-Read a book about monarch butteflies’ migration. Do you have flowers in your yard that attract butterflies?

-With sidewalk chalk draw a ladybug. How many spots will you draw on it?

-Look in magazines or newspapers for stories about insects. Are they helpful or harmful?

Pick out one, two or three to do with your family together! I love all of these ideas, especially making a map of a room or backyard to plan a vacation trip for a spider. What was your favorite that you want to try?