For this week’s summer nature study, we’re going on a bug hunt!

What’s great about this is that you don’t have to go far to go on a bug hunt.  A simple trip around the backyard will provide you with a variety of creepy crawlies to check out and explore, as long as you slow down and really look.

My daughter was thrilled to find these “rainbow beetles” shortly after we started our nature walk.  A quick peek in one of our bug books verified that they are really Japanese Beetles.

My little scientist enjoyed watching these colorful bugs for quite a while.

Our next find was actually right on our back porch.

I loved watching my 6 year-old turn to the picture index in the back of his beetle identification book to locate its name.  I have to say it was a new one to me, but he remembered seeing its picture there before.  Kids have amazing memories!

When going on a bug hunt, don’t forget to keep an eye out for evidence that bugs are around!  You might find chewed up leaves on a plant, a mound of dirt from an ant hill, or even an exoskeleton!

This cicada exoskeleton led to a whole discussion of how many insects molt and change over time as they grow.  We even had to stop exploring for just a bit to find some pictures online of a cicada molting. That’s the great part of a nature study — there are always more questions that come up and you get to discover those answers together.  Sometimes those questions lead to a mini unit for us in homeschool.

Finally, we found several of these brown beetles during our bug hunt; they are my son’s favorites.

After using our magnifying glasses to get a closer look, counting their legs (6) and reviewing their body parts, he decided he had to keep a couple overnight as “pets.”

My kids are always keeping bugs as pets for short periods of time.  They used to get my good storage containers out to do so, which always made me so happy.  (Note the sarcasm in that statement.)  I have finally come up with a solution:  I poked holes in lids of several old, clear, plastic Ziplock containers.  I wrote “bugs” on the sides with permanent marker and stuck them in the lower kitchen drawer next to the good containers.  Now they grab these to use for bug homes instead.

Looking for a different alternative?  Amazon has tons of bug houses for your nature explorer to use, some even come with their own magnifying glasses.

Other items that you may want to take on your bug hunt:

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• Do an Ant Observation
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The post Nature Study: Going on a Bug Hunt! first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Me?  I prefer the kid crafts when it comes to bugs.

If you can relate, here are some cute bug crafts both you and the kids will love.

Bug Crafts

Just click on the blue words to open a new page with the craft directions.

Water Bottle Lightning Bug —  This light-up bug craft is perfect to use as a nightlight for camping trips.

3-D Paper Ladybug —  Your child will love this adorable ladybug craft.

Bottle Cap Bugs —  These little bugs are cute and fun to play with.

Fingerprint Fireflies —  This simple firefly craft is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. 

 Circuit Bugs — Kids will have fun learning about circuits while making these glowing bugs. 

 Paper Plate Ladybug  —  Perfect bug craft for preschoolers. 

Walnut Bugs — What a cute way to use walnut shells! 

Plastic Egg Firefly —  Just like its namesake, this insect craft really lights up.

 Clothespin Caterpillar/Butterfly — This simple craft can be used as treat bags for a party. 

Pom-Pom Spider — There is nothing scary about this fuzzy spider.  

 Button Bugs  — Perfect for helping little ones work on buttoning skills.

Plastic Spoon Dragonflies — You’ll never look at plastic spoons the same way again.  

Buzzing Mosquito Craft — Did I mention it really buzzes? 

Beaded Dragonfly  —  Your child will love creating these beautiful dragonflies.

No matter which of these bug crafts you try with your child first, they’re guaranteed to make you smile.

The post Cute Bug Crafts first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

So when I found I Love Bugs! at the library, I knew we had to check it out. 

After reading the book, several times, we set out for a bug hunt.

Now, usually we find some good bugs.  This time around, though?  Nothing but ants (not my favorite, by the way).  I decided it was a good day to pull out the little bags of plastic bugs I had picked up in the dollar section of dear Target.

The kids were thrilled!

I had them count the legs of all the plastic insects, and we talked about how true insects have 6 legs.Of course the spiders and scorpions in the bug kits had 8 legs, which led to a brief discussion about how they are arachnids. (Did you know scorpions fall in that category?  I didn’t know they were related to spiders until we read one of the bug identifying books we have.)

Speaking of bug identifying books, we pulled those out next.Flipping through the pages we matched our plastic bugs up to  the ones in the books.  So cool that our kit came with a rhinoceros beetle!  We also figured out that we had a plastic cicada.

We’ve made some toilet paper tube bugs; I’m thinking some more buggy crafts will be in our future!

Are your little ones into bugs?

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