10 Fun Insect Activities for Preschoolers 

So you feel like you’ve tried it all—painting, building blocks, storytime, and hide and seek. While fun, these activities can feel repetitive. But have you thought of insects? Exploring bugs brings fresh excitement and endless curiosity to learning!

There’s nothing like some creepy crawlies to unleash your child’s inner creativity.

This blog will introduce simple and exciting insect activities for preschoolers that combine learning with fun. These activities are sure to spark your child’s curiosity, creating a love for nature and exploration.

What are Insect Activities for Preschoolers?

Insect activities for preschoolers are engaging, hands-on experiences that introduce young children to the world of bugs. Through games, crafts, and outdoor exploration, children learn about various insects, their habitats, and characteristics, sparking curiosity and encouraging respect for all living things.

1. Bug Scavenger Hunt

Preschoolers love a good hunt, and a bug scavenger hunt provides the thrill of discovery along with a safe, guided exploration of the outdoors. This activity encourages kids to observe nature closely and identify various insects.

• How to play:
  • Create a checklist with common insects like ants, ladybirds, and butterflies.
  • Provide a magnifying glass for closer observation.
  • Encourage children to mark off each insect they find.

This activity fosters a love for the outdoors and helps children understand the diversity of insects. For added resources, explore Buglife’s conservation tips for ways to teach children about insect protection.

For more outdoor activity ideas, check out these awesome outdoor ideas.

2. Insect Craft Time

Crafting with an insect theme is a wonderful way for kids to learn about bugs through creativity. From making butterfly wings to building ladybird rocks, crafts help children visualise insects up close in a fun way.

• Craft ideas:
  • Butterfly wings: Use tissue paper to create colourful wings.
  • Ladybird rocks: Paint smooth stones red with black spots.
  • Egg carton ants: Use egg cartons to make adorable ant figures.

Crafts provide a tactile learning experience and allow kids to express creativity. For more bug-inspired crafts, check out the National Geographic Kids for tutorials and resources.

3. Bug Hotel Building

If you’re looking for an activity that teaches respect for nature, building a bug hotel is perfect. A bug hotel provides insects with a habitat to hide, rest, and thrive. Kids will enjoy building a safe space for the bugs they’ve encountered.

• Materials needed:
  • Sticks, leaves, and small stones
  • An old wooden box or sturdy cardboard
  • Recycled materials like cardboard tubes

After assembling their bug hotel, children can observe which insects come to stay. Building a bug hotel promotes environmental awareness. For more ideas on building insect habitats, visit the RSPB’s guide on bug hotels.

4. Insect Identification Cards

Young children are often fascinated by the names and appearances of different insects. Insect identification cards introduce kids to basic facts about bugs, enhancing their ability to identify insects around them.

• How to use:
  • Print or draw simple cards with pictures of insects like bees, beetles, and spiders.
  • Include a short fact about each insect, such as their favourite food or habitat.
  • Let kids carry these cards on outdoor adventures to help identify bugs.

This activity improves observation skills and helps children connect what they see outdoors with information on the cards. For more on insects, the Australian Museum offers interesting facts and educational content.

5. Bug-Themed Storytime

Reading bug-themed stories provides a cosy way for children to learn about insects without needing to head outside. Many books introduce insect characteristics and stories, making learning entertaining and imaginative.

• Story suggestions:
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • Bee: Nature’s Tiny Miracle by Patricia Hegarty
  • The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

Reading together can spark great discussions and build your child’s interest in insects. 

6. Butterfly Watching

Butterflies are often the easiest and most colourful insects for children to observe. Watching butterflies allows children to connect with nature, recognise patterns, and understand the role insects play in our ecosystem.

• What to do:
  • Visit a local garden or park with flowering plants.
  • Observe butterflies closely with binoculars or a magnifying glass.
  • Talk about butterfly colours, wing shapes, and movement.

This activity encourages mindfulness and patience as children watch butterflies flutter and feed. By observing butterflies, children gain an appreciation for nature’s diversity.

7. Nature Journal for Bugs

For budding artists and writers, a nature journal is a perfect way to document their insect adventures. In their journal, children can draw or write about the bugs they observe.

• Journal prompts:
  • Draw a picture of an insect you saw today.
  • Describe where you found the insect and what it was doing.
  • Write one thing you learned about the insect.

Keeping a journal helps children practise observation and expression while tracking their discoveries. We have so much to learn from nature!

8. Bug Dance

Sometimes, kids need an activity that gets them moving. A bug dance helps children mimic the movements of different insects, which is great for both physical activity and learning.

• Dance moves:
  • Flutter like a butterfly.
  • March like an ant.
  • Buzz like a bee.

This fun activity allows children to connect with insects through movement. It’s also a wonderful way to develop motor skills while sparking creativity.

9. Bug Songs and Rhymes

Songs and rhymes are fantastic for making learning memorable. Singing about insects lets children remember key facts while enjoying a rhythm.

• Songs to sing:
  • The Ants Go Marching (traditional)
  • Fly Like a Butterfly by Michael Rosen
  • Incy Wincy Spider (traditional)

Singing is a wonderful way to help kids recall facts about insects. You can find other fun songs in our post on Rhymes for Learning.

10. Virtual Bug Field Trips

For days when you can’t explore outside, virtual field trips introduce kids to exotic insects and faraway habitats. These online resources let children watch insects in their natural environments from home.

• Recommended sites:
  • Smithsonian’s Bug Exhibit offers virtual tours of its insect gallery.
  • National Geographic Kids has videos and resources for learning about bugs.

Virtual field trips help children experience the bug world beyond their backyard, adding to their knowledge and appreciation.

Bringing the Bug World to Life for Preschoolers

Exploring the world of insects is a wonderful way to nurture curiosity and respect for nature in young children. These insect activities for preschoolers provide a mix of creative, hands-on, and educational experiences that make learning fun. 

At Little Miracles, all our preschool locations are set amidst nature, so it’s easy to provide our children with safe and engaging learning experiences that bring them closer to nature. 

Join us in exploring new ways to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a love for learning. Discover more about our programs and activities by visiting our website.

Resources: Buglife ; National Geographic Kids ; RSPB ; Australian Museum ; Smithsonian Institute