Bug Activities For Kids

Six bug activities for kids

My three year old goes through phases where he is very passionate about something. Sometimes these interests last a day, sometimes weeks, and sometimes months. After finding the book Insect Superpowers from our local library last week, he is all about bugs. Looking for bugs outside, bug shirts, bug books, bug activities, everything is all about bugs over here. In honor of his current bug obsession, here are some of our favorite bug activities for kids that we have done over the past year. 

Fingerprint Bug Count Game

Kids fingerprint bug craft and counting game

I love this activity because it’s a craft and game all in one. Your child can help make their own game. Plus the game is a great way to work on fine motor skills and counting.

What You Will Need:

Ink pads (could use paint), paper, pen/marker, scissors, dice, contact paper (optional. I used the contact paper to laminate the game)

Directions:

  1. Have your child use their fingerprints and ink to create dots for the bugs
  2. Decorate the fingerprints to decorate the fingerprints into bugs
  3. Cut out the bugs
  4. Draw a jar
  5. Cut out the jar
  6. Optional: Use the contact paper to laminate all of the bugs and jar
  7. To play the game: Have your child roll the dice and put as many bugs on the jar as the number they rolled.

Inspired by: Toot’s Mom Is Tired

Bug Hunt

Bottle cap bug hunt kids activity

This activity was very quick and easy to throw together. We made these little bottle top bugs close to the beginning of quarantine when I was going through a huge Cherry Coke obsession and we had tons of red bottle caps. 

What You Will Need: 

Bottle caps, googly eyes, sharpie marker, hot glue gun or double sided tape, cup

Directions:

  1. Draw a face and dots on the bottle caps with a sharpie marker
  2. Add googly eyes. You can either hot glue them or use double sided tape to attach them
  3. Hide the bugs around your yard
  4. Have your child find the bugs and collect them in the cup

Bug Swatter

Bug balloon kids game

This activity ended up being more like balloon baseball than “keep the balloon in the air” activity that I had imagined…but we still had a lot of fun.

What You Will Need:

Balloons, marker, paper, paper plates, scissors, tape, popsicle sticks

Directions:

  1. Cut the shape of a fly swatter out of a paper plate
  2. Tape a popsicle stick to the fly swatter paper plate (I doubled up the plates because one seemed too flimsy)
  3. To create the bugs, blow up the balloons and decorate as desired with paper, tape, and a sharpie marker
  4. Enjoy hitting some balloon bugs with your homemade fly swatters!

Inspired by: Happy Toddler Playtime

Swat The Bug

Swat the bug kids letter learning activity

My three year old actually learned most of his letters from watching the show Alphablocks when he was two, but this is a fun way to practice what he has learned. 

If you look closely, you may notice that I forgot the letters “i” and “q.” I’m going to blame “mom brain” on that one. 

What You Will Need: 

Cardboard, marker, fly swatter, tape

Directions:

  1. Draw bugs on the cardboard
  2. Write letters in the center of the bugs
  3. Tape the cardboard pieces to the wall or lay them out on the floor
  4. Yell out letters and have your child swat the corresponding letter bug

Bug Catch

bug catch kids ball and net activity

My mom gave this bug net to my son but we were not having any success catching any actual real, living bugs, so I created a game instead. 

What You Will Need: 

What You Will Need

Plastic balls, sharpie pen, bug net

Directions: 

  1. Use a sharpie marker to draw bugs on the plastic balls
  2. Throw the balls to your child and have your child catch the balls in the net (or you can have them throw the balls to you and you can catch them in the net).

Rock Bug Hunt

rock bug hunt activity for kids

This activity ended up being a double activity.  First, it was the bug hunt that I had planned. And also, as I was painting the rocks at nap time, my mom joined in and we ended up having a bug painting competition. 

This activity was inspired by my son walking around with a bunch of plain rocks in his bug barn. 

What You Will Need:

Rocks, acrylic paint, paint brush, bug barn

Directions: 

  1. Paint bug pictures on the rocks
  2. Place the rock bugs around the yard
  3. Have your child find the rocks and place them in the bug barn

I hope you enjoy these bug activities for kids!

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Jennifer
2 years ago

This is one of the cutest toddler/preschooler activities I’ve ever seen. I’ll be trying this one with the littles in my life!

Rupali Paul
2 years ago

O what a lovely list of bug activities. So creative. I will try atleast a couple from these with my toddler. I am sure she will love it. Thanks for sharing.

Mindy Jones Blog
2 years ago

This is such a cute idea! Definitely going to use this! ❤️

Rachael
2 years ago

So much fun! We will be doing a bug theme in the upcoming weeks so we will definitely be doing some of these!

Charina Rasing
2 years ago

These are little cute bugs! Bottle cap bugs are my favorite. I want to do it. Perfect for Spring.

Nathania
2 years ago

These are such fun activities. My 4 year old will love this. That’s for sharing!

J Cherry
2 years ago

I love the bottle cap idea so much!

Michelle Latinovich
2 years ago

Super cute bug games for kids! Love this!

Katie
2 years ago

I am loving all of these ideas. Especially with the letters, I’m thinking of making that a hide and seek game with individual letter bugs.

sarah
sarah
2 years ago

I love these activities. My kids would love them and I plan to homeschool this next year so I’m saving this.

Ivan M. Jose
2 years ago

These are great ideas! I’m constantly on the lookout for new activities for my kids and these look like something that I’d want to do myself.

Monica Simpson
Monica Simpson
2 years ago

Ok these little games are all so adorable! I especially loved the swat the bug letter game. I even think my kids now, they’re a bit older, would love some of these.

Danielle
2 years ago

All of these activities are so cute. I need to try with my daughter.

Alexandra Michelle
2 years ago

I love your creativity. Thanks for all these ideas! Can’t wait to do these with my daughters!

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[…] to go along with the sensory bin so I made my own out of glass stones. My son is all about bug activities these […]

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