Earth Day Recycled Bugs

Spring into Earth Day this month with projects that remind us to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Help the environment by re-using craft materials such as shipping boxes, paper towel rolls, and egg cartons in your projects and feel great about your part in helping our Earth!

Keep the conversation going and help your kids develop strong language skills, creativity, and confidence!

All our projects come with curated theme-based activities at do at home:

	STEM
	Book Recommendations
	Fun Moves
	Yummy Bites
	Word Bank

Recycled Bugs

Create some adorable recycled bugs!

Materials:

Cardboard from any box
Multi-colored yarn or string
Any colored paper, can be white
Pipe cleaners
Markers, buttons, glitter- whatever you have at home

If you need a starter arts & crafts set or a refresh on your current art supply, this is a great set for all your craft adventures!

Directions:

This fun recycled bug craft is truly a time for you to get creative! Use a shipping box or any other cardboard to make your bugs – a great way to re-use and recycle!

As with any of our projects, make it your own and be as creative as you like!

Have an adult help cut out a “bug” shape (i.e. circle, triangle, oval) in a size that is roughly 4×6 inches long from a box.
Cut notches about ¼ of an inch deep all around the cardboard shape. You can decide how much space you’d like in-between each notch – there’s no right or wrong way to do it!
Tie a good-sized knot on the end of your first color of yarn. Take that end and place it in a notch. Weave the yarn through the notches in a pattern of your choice.
Create eyes by gluing button eyes or simply draw.
Use the pipe cleaners to make the bug’s antennae or legs.
Use colored paper and markers to decorate the bug with further embellishments such as extra legs, a face, or wings.
These recycled bugs are extra special, because there are no other bugs like yours!

STEM

Bug Classification

Recommended materials

Net
Magnifying glass
Shovel or a spoon
Notebook
Pencil

First discuss with your child about the different ways to group insects. Your answers might include number of legs, body parts, insects with wings, or hard shell or ones that sting or bite. Make a chart in a notebook and get ready to go outside for a little exploration.

Once you are outside, turn over rocks or branches to look for insects. When they find an insect, have them observe it closely, using a magnifying glass if they need to see it close-up. If there are any flying insects, use the net to catch and observe. Gently release the insects when you are finished.

Use the shovel to dig and find any other insects.

Make sure you are classifying all your findings in your notebook. Once you are back home, you can organize your findings by a bar graph to see the most common insect and the least common insect found.

We love this bug catcher kit by STEAM LIFE

Book Recommendations

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle

Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin

Fun Moves

Sing the tune of “The Ants go Marching One by One” and march away!

To make it more interesting, create a map on paper to follow, or place items on the ground (pillows, buckets, etc.) and make small obstacles to march around. For example: march over the pillow, march around the bucket, and so on!

Yummy Bites

Snails and Caterpillars

Word Bank

Insect: a very small animal with a hard covering over its body. Most kinds of insects have a body that is divided into three parts. Most insects also have three pairs of legs and one or two pairs of wings. Insects are arthropods. Bees, ants, butterflies, beetles, and flies are kinds of insects.

Compound Eyes: an eye made up of several simple eyes, as is found in most insects.