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
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:
- Have your child use their fingerprints and ink to create dots for the bugs
- Decorate the fingerprints to decorate the fingerprints into bugs
- Cut out the bugs
- Draw a jar
- Cut out the jar
- Optional: Use the contact paper to laminate all of the bugs and jar
- 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
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:
- Draw a face and dots on the bottle caps with a sharpie marker
- Add googly eyes. You can either hot glue them or use double sided tape to attach them
- Hide the bugs around your yard
- Have your child find the bugs and collect them in the cup
Bug Swatter
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:
- Cut the shape of a fly swatter out of a paper plate
- Tape a popsicle stick to the fly swatter paper plate (I doubled up the plates because one seemed too flimsy)
- To create the bugs, blow up the balloons and decorate as desired with paper, tape, and a sharpie marker
- Enjoy hitting some balloon bugs with your homemade fly swatters!
Inspired by: Happy Toddler Playtime
Swat The Bug
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:
- Draw bugs on the cardboard
- Write letters in the center of the bugs
- Tape the cardboard pieces to the wall or lay them out on the floor
- Yell out letters and have your child swat the corresponding letter bug
Bug Catch
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:
- Use a sharpie marker to draw bugs on the plastic balls
- 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
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:
- Paint bug pictures on the rocks
- Place the rock bugs around the yard
- Have your child find the rocks and place them in the bug barn
I hope you enjoy these bug activities for kids!
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!
Thank you so much! I appreciate it!
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.
Thanks so much! I hope your daughter enjoys them!
This is such a cute idea! Definitely going to use this! ❤️
Thank you so much! Excited to hear that!
So much fun! We will be doing a bug theme in the upcoming weeks so we will definitely be doing some of these!
Perfect! I have a feeling we will be doing a lot more bug activities in the coming weeks.
These are little cute bugs! Bottle cap bugs are my favorite. I want to do it. Perfect for Spring.
Thank you! They are so easy to make!
These are such fun activities. My 4 year old will love this. That’s for sharing!
Love to hear that! Thanks!
I love the bottle cap idea so much!
Thanks so much!
Super cute bug games for kids! Love this!
Thank you!
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.
That sounds like a really fun idea!
I love these activities. My kids would love them and I plan to homeschool this next year so I’m saving this.
Perfect! Thank you!
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.
Thank you so much! I hope your kids have fun with them if you try them out!
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.
Great to hear! Thank you!
All of these activities are so cute. I need to try with my daughter.
Thank you! I hope your daughter enjoys them!
I love your creativity. Thanks for all these ideas! Can’t wait to do these with my daughters!
Thank you so much!
[…] to go along with the sensory bin so I made my own out of glass stones. My son is all about bug activities these […]