Rock Insects

These make wonderful paper weights and could be great dad gifts!  We made these as a part of our insect unit.

Mexican Pebble Rocks make the best bugs! I found some of these wonderful stones at a landscape supplier. They are a nice size (palm size.)

I had the children begin by drawing their design in sharpie.  This is important for the painting step.

I had the children paint their rocks with acrylic paints.

We let the acrylic dry.  You can see the sharpie underneath the paint!

The details were added with paint pens.  So cute!

Fly Guy Math

This is a fun activity for math.  First, I taught the children how to draw Fly Guy.  He is a very simple figure to draw.  Next, I had the children draw bugs with Fly Guy.  They had to write a math sentence to go with their drawing.  The room was a peaceful quiet as they joyfully created Fly Guy.

Here's how to draw Fly Guy:

 Step One: Draw a good sized circle.

 Step Two:  Draw a backwards C for the other eye.

 Step Three:  Draw a long thin U for his body.

 Step Four:  Draw two dots for the eyes and a nose shaped like a water faucet.

 Step Five:  Draw a u for the mouth.

 Step Six:  Draw another u and add teeth!

 Step Seven: Add the legs - one is a line out with three little line toes.  The other leg is the number 7 with three little line toes.  Add an arm - curved line up with little line fingers.  Now, add the first wing which is an oval shape.

 Step Eight: Add the other arm curved line down with little line fingers.  Add the other wing behind the first - it is like a J shape.  Add a line on the first wing.

 Step Nine:  Add the antennae.  Two curvy lines with tiny dots on the end.

 Step Ten:  Now for the most important step!  You will add what artists call "hatching".   It is those straight lines along the edges of the eyes (see above) and around the body.  Add a few on the top of the eyes.   Ta Da!  Fly Guy!

Too cute for words!  Love Fly Guy!

In the Tall, Tall Grass

This was an art project in another kindergarten class in my school.  I altered only one thing.  The teacher had a pre-printed sheet of insects and animals for the children to color and cut out to put in the "tall, tall grass." (based on the book of the same title).   I kept the focus on insects and had my students draw the creatures.  

This is an easy project.

1. Provide each student with a large dark blue sheet of construction paper, a half a sheet of large green construction paper (cut length wise) for grass, a sentence strip or white strip for writing and a piece of white paper for drawing insects.
2. Have the students cut the top of the grass paper to form the grass blades.  Glue down on blue paper.
3. Glue white sentence to top of blue paper.  Write "In the tall, tall grass."
4. Draw and cut out insects and creatures to put in the grass.

Here are some insects to draw for the grass:

Addition Ladybugs

I saw this idea in the hallway across from my kindergarten.  Mrs. Goodroe was putting them out on display.  Love it!  I just had to do it as well.  We did this as a small group activity.  The children loved it.

 3 + 6 = 9

HOW TO DO THIS:

Materials:  white cardstock, sharpies, red crayons, green watercolor paint

•   Have the children draw a leaf that fills the page. 

•   Draw a ladybug on the leaf.  I draw and explain it so they can see it step by step - and they copy my actions.

1. Draw a circle for the body.  
2. Add a smaller circle for the head. 
3. Add antennae and eyes.
4. Add six legs.
5. Draw the wings. 

• Have each child roll a dice.  They draw that number of dots on one side of the ladybug.  Roll again and that number of dots goes on the other side.    Next, the student writes the two numbers as an addition sentence with the answer.  

• Color the ladybug red with crayons.

• Paint the entire leaf green.  Let dry and then cut the leaf out.

 5+3=8

4+4=8

4+4=8

Rock Bugs and Habitats

I love using nature in art making activities.  The key to making bugs out of rocks and found nature is using artist's heavy gel medium as the glue.  This is like a thick paste and will join the pieces together so the children can do all the work themselves.

Making a Rock Bug and its Habitat from Fairy Dust Teaching on Vimeo.

I put out a tray of things for the children to use in their bug making.

To make the bug's habitat, I purchased small paper bags at Michael's.  I prepared the bags by cutting a opening.  I had the children glue the bag to a small paper plate.  Then they glued on different materials to create a habitat.  

This is a tray of found materials (from my morning walk) to use in habitat making.

Model Magic Insects!

This is one of those all time favorite projects of the children.   Each child designs their own insect using model magic.  I buy it at Michael's with a 40 percent off coupon.   I give each child a bit of each of the four colors.   A box like the one in the photo will supply a class of 25.

I provide a tray of materials such as googly eyes, pipe cleaners, beads, jewels, and feathers.  I tell them that it has to have a head, thorax and abdomen.  The rest is up for grabs.  After they completed their insect, I had the children write about it.  What is your insect called?  Where is its habitat? 

STEP ONE:  Form the three main body parts.  

Designing an Insect from Fairy Dust Teaching on Vimeo.

STEP TWO:  Add six legs into the thorax.

STEP THREE:  Add eyes.  Continue to design to your liking - antennae?  pinchers?  wings?
Make sure the students add tacky glue to anything they attach to the insect.  Let the insect dry overnight.  

Designing an Insect - Adding Details from Fairy Dust Teaching on Vimeo.

One child created a baby insect.

Notice the little baby on this insect's back.

Another leg!

Insect is taking a test flight!

Insect Play Around the Kindergarten!

Sometimes in the middle of a life crisis, a little spark of creativity can eek in.  This week I have been dealing with my daughter's illness (numbness on the left side) and last night, fed-up, I took her to the ER.  On the suggestion of my daughter-in-law, I began video taping her symptoms with my iphone as documentation for the doctors.  Today, back at work, it occurred to me that I could document the children playing in my centers.  I wondered if could be valuable for you the reader.  My classroom is a very alive place and full of vibrant activity and while the photos can show one aspect - the actual experience has so many dimensions that a photo can never capture. 

This week we are exploring the world of insects.  Below are video clips of two areas of play that currently include insects.  The excitement is quite distinct!  Watching the videos (both are very short) you will hear the multiple stories and little insect dramas unfolding around the room!!


Playdough Garden from Fairy Dust Teaching on Vimeo.



Insect Play from Fairy Dust Teaching on Vimeo.

Drawing and Labeling an Insect

In the study of nature, it is such an easy and powerful activity to have the children draw and label the subject of current study.   This helps students own the information and remember it.  It is far more engaging than giving them a worksheet with lines to fill in the words to label a pre-printed insect.  Kindergarteners are very capable of drawing and labeling science illustrations.

The insect we drew today was an ant!  Here's how we did it!

Step One:  Place your paper landscape.  Draw an "sleeping" oval.  This is the HEAD.

Step Two:  Under the sleeping oval, draw a "standing" oval.  This is the THORAX.  

Step Three:  Draw an upside down "tear drop" under the thorax.

Step Four:  Add three legs to each side of the thorax.

Step Five:  Add ANTENNAE to the top of the head.  These are the feelers so make them curve down a little.

Step Six:  Add two eyes.  We are looking down on the insect so we will not see the mouth.  Add stripes to the abdomen.

Step Seven:  Label each part.  (I do this one at a time as some of the words are long and the children will need time to write them.)

We used markers to color our insects.