Ants on a Picnic

Give each child a paper plate and a stamp pad.
Children draw food on their paper plate with markers and then make ants on the food by pressing their pinky to the stamp pad and creating three body parts for each ant. They can add features like legs and antennae using a pen. These look so cute when displayed on a checkered tablecloth on the wall.

Assess

follows oral directions

recalls information

Egg Carton Bees

Cut an egg carton into 6, two-section pieces. Fold the pieces so that the two sections come together to form an oval. Tape shut.
Kids can decorate by coloring stripes and cutting wings from tissue paper to tape on. Add squiggly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae if desired.

Assess

follows oral directions

Spelling Bees

Write words on flowers. Write one letter on each bee cutout to spell the words on the flowers.
Children take turns moving bees to the flowers to spell the word on the flower. For example if the word on the flower was "cat" you would need three bees, one with a "c", one with a "a" and one with a "t".

Assess

recognizes letters and simple words

Ant Trails

Paint a glue/water mixture onto a posterboard shapes like a cross section of an anthill. Sprinkle with a layer of sand and before the glue dries have the children take turns using their finger to draw ant paths in the sand. Allow to dry and then stick on ant stickers or cutouts.

Assess

draws simple shapes and forms

Ladybug Spot Counting

Cut out ladybug shapes from black construction paper. Cut out red wing shapes. Glue a number on each ladybug shape. Choose two wings and place a few numbers on each wing to add up to the number on the body. Attach the two wings to the body in such a way that when the wings are closed you cannot see the number inside.
Children add up the dots on the two wings and guess what the number on the ladybug is.

Assess

counts

recognizes numbers

Symmetrical Butterflies

Give children butterfly cutouts and have them decorate them so that the wings are identical or symmetrical (are mirror images of each other).

Assess

relates part to whole

understands position

Spider Maze

Draw a maze on a magnetized write wipe board. Or hang a maze drawn on paper on a refrigerator surface. Use a magnet with a spider picture on it to move through the maze.
Give each child a direction (up, down, left, right) to move the spider in and have them follow the directions to help the group move the spider out of the maze.

Assess

understands position and direction

Butterfly Stages

Divide a paper plate or construction paper circle into 4 sections.
Glue one antipasti or lentil in the first section for the egg, one spiral or cork screw pasta in the next section for the caterpillar, one shell pasta in the next for the chrysalis and one bow pasta in the last for the butterfly. Label each stage. Groups can create a larger version of this by providing a larger circle divided into more sections. Or each child can make one for themselves.

Assess

puts objects into sequential order

Bug Sorting

Sort bug toys by how they move, look, eat, what size they are, which is the children's favorites, etc.

Assess

sorts objects by attributes

describes similarities and differences

assists in graphing

Compost

Create a compost bin in your classroom by putting worms in dirt in a large plastic bin with air holes in the lid. Every few days add bits of fruit peel for the worms to eat.

Assess

uses senses and tools to observe

uses scientific words and phrases

Playdough Worms

Give each child some playdough. Show them how to roll the playdough on the tabletop or between their hands to make playdough worms. Instruct them to make different sizes of worms. If there is time also show them how to make balls with the dough. They can put 2 or three ball together to make insects or spiders with their dough. You can provide small sections of pipe cleaners to use to connect the dough together and to make legs with.

Assess

rolls dough

picks up small objects

Ladybug Spots

Children use hole punch tools to make black dots from construction paper. Then they can glue the dots to ladybug bodies cut from red construction paper.

Assess

uses tools

picks up small objects

Bug Eyes

Cut egg cartons into 2 section pieces (you should get 6 from each carton). Make a hole in each section for eyeholes.
Provide sequins for the children to glue onto the outsides to create compound eyes.

Assess

picks up small objects

Butterfly Pins

Use eyedroppers to drop different colored water onto coffee filters. After they dry, take each filter, squeeze it in the middle so that it looks like a bow tie. Clip the middle with a clothespin. Decorate the clothespin to look like a butterfly body and the coffee filter is the wings.

Assess

picks ups and manipulates objects

Caterpillar to Butterfly

Have children choose 10 beads to string to make a caterpillar. Tie off the string. Then give them a butterfly cutout to decorate with the same colors they used for their caterpillar.

Assess

manipulates small objects

draws pictures

strings beads

Butterfly B's

Cut out upper case B's from stiff paper or matt board. Fold plain paper in half and show the children how to place the B with the line of the B on the fold of the paper.
Children should trace the B. Then, with the paper still folded they cut out of the B. When they open the paper they will have a butterfly shape formed by the two B's they cut out at the fold. Then they can decorate it.

Assess

cuts with scissors

draws detailed pictures

Feet Butterflies

Have children take their shoes and socks off and step into a pan of paint. Then help them press their feet onto paper with the heels together to form a butterfly. Later, when the paint is dry, cut out the feet and decorate them as butterflies to hang around the room. You can put the children's names and birthdates on them and use them for your birthday display for the month.

Assess

adjusts to new situations

tries new things

Spider Web Marble Paint

Cut a piece of black construction paper to fit inside a shallow container (such as a pie pan).
Dip a marble into white paint and then place in the middle of the black paper. Tilt the pan enough to allow the marble to roll across the paper creating lines. The marble can be dipped into the paint again to add more paint. Before the paint dries, add a small paper spider to the finished web.

Assess

coordinates hand movements

Bug Factory

Put out lots of materials in the art center, as well as some books about bugs to inspire children to make bugs.

Assess

demonstrates self-direction

makes informed choices

Web Creation

Use a large ball of yarn to make a spider web by weaving the yarn in and out of chairs or climbing structures. Kids get a kick out of getting tangled in each other's webs!

Assess

self-directed

Bug Place Mats

Place a bug stickers in the middle of each page of paper.
Have the children use markers to draw a habitat around the bug so that he has all the things he needs.

Assess

predicts what others might need or want

examines situations from other perspectives

Window Butterflies

Add a teaspoon of dish soap to paint.
One child at a time paint the kids' hands and help them print their hands on a window with the thumbs overlapping. Use a cotton swab or small paint brush to paint black eyes and antennae.

Assess

works as a member of a group