Minibeast Themed Activity Ideas to Celebrate National Insect Week
Posted by EYR Team on 8th Apr 2019
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Lets celebrate all things creepy crawly this National Insect Week!
Encourage the children to celebrate all things creepy crawly this National Insect Week and learn more about the most diverse group of animals with our exciting range of hands-on insect activity ideas – perfect for your primary school, nursery or early years setting!
10 Insect Week Ideas:
1. Create a Miniature Minibeast Scene
Build your own miniature world of creepy crawlies! Inspire the little ones imaginations by using our In The Garden Tuff Tray Mat as your tuff spot base. Then add an array of mini insect figures, magnifiers and natural resources, such as moss and twigs, to bring your mystical minibeast scene to life!
2. Build an Insect Hotel
Explore the homes of minibeasts! Start by getting the children to hunt outdoors for various natural resources, such as bark, leaves and straw. Then ask them to use the materials they find to recreate habitats for different insects.
3. Go on a Minibeast Safari
Get up close and personal with insects! Go on an exciting minibeast hunt outdoors, using pooters, jars, nets and pots to collect any bugs that the children find. Get them to keep note of any insects they recognise using a minibeast spotter sheet and let them get even closer to them with magnifiers. Looking for a kit that has everything you need for a minibeast safari? Check out our bug-hunting kit.
4. Make a Friendly Fluffy Spider
Time to get crafty! Let the children create their very own DIY spiders, using black pompoms, pipe cleaners, giant googly eyes and a cord for spider silk – then why not go all out with spider web print as a display backdrop or tear up cotton wool to make your own cobwebs for a spooky effect!
5. Invent an Imaginary Insect
Inspire creativity! Ask the children to draw up an imaginary insect with a head, body and 6 legs using coloured pencils – then organise a competition for the most inventive minibeast! Children will be challenged to think imaginatively to create their minibeast. Why not ask them questions to prompt them such as "will your minibeast fly?" "what colour will your minibeast be?"
6. Make up a Creepy Crawly Story
Get imaginative with all things creepy crawly! Fill story bags with a selection of mini insects and other random objects and figures. Then pull out 3 random objects and ask the children to create stories about the different items they pull out of the bags.
7. Explore Classic Tales
Explore the delightful world of The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Complement the traditional tale with small world resources such as cuddly toys, ladybird life cycle figures, jigsaws and other items to enhance learning and curiosity.
8. Practice Fine motor skills
Encourage children to practice their fine motor skills with our free insect race download! Children can follow the paths of the different insects using their finger or a pencil to strengthen muscles and support later writing skills.
9. Play a Ladybird Counting Game
Develop the children’s numeracy skills! Use these ladybug themed counting pebbles to support early maths and explore some fun activity ideas. Let’s learn to count!
10. Take care of your own Butterflies!
Use our Butterfly garden to house your caterpillars and watch as they go through the stages of live to transform into beautiful butterflies! This is a great way for children to learn all about the life cycle of a butterfly in a memorable and hands on way. Another great resource to take children through a lifecycle of a butterfly is to engage them with our butterfly growing kit.
It’s time to head on an exciting minibeast safari…!
We would love to know what activities your children get up to this insect week! So don’t forget to share your National Insect Week photos with us on our Facebook or Instagram and tell us which activity was your favourite.