Build and Learn Playdough Insects Science Activity -

It’s time for some fun hands on learning, creativity, and Sensory Play that both my kid’s (preschooler and toddler) and your kids can enjoy while they learn–what makes an insect an insect? We used playdough and other things we had around the house to build insects that are so cute and include a head, thorax, abdomen, and more…come check them out!

BUILD AND LEARN SCIENCE ACTIVITY: PLAYDOUGH INSECTS FOR HANDS ON LEARNING

Playdough Insects Science Activity

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Things we Discussed:

Although we often call spiders, pill bugs, and centipedes “bugs”, they are not classified as insects.

The legs and wings are connected to the middle section of the insect, called the thorax.

Anennae help insects to smell things around them.

Compound eyes see several images in each eye, unlike our eye that only sees one image in each eye.

Insects are classified by having:

3 body parts (head, thorax, abdomen)
3 pairs of legs
1 pair of wings (optional)
Compound eyes
1 pair of antennae
Exoskeleton
Read more about Insects from Ask.com

Supplies:

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Playdough (Here is our favorite homemade playdough recipe)

Cut up straws (legs)

Googly eyes

Cut up pipe cleaners (antennae)

Cut up foam craft sheets or thick paper (wings)

Directions:

Talk about each part of an insect, and create a playdough insect with the correct amount of body parts.

We started with the insects head, added eyes and antennae. Then we made the thorax and added legs and wings. Finally we made the abdomen to complete our insect. I think they turned out so cute! Once we made an insect together, the kids made their own.

I could see my daughter (age 4) count the amount of legs and antennae that she was adding to her play dough insect.

I gave my son (age 2) the correct amount of insect parts and he counted them (great one-to-one correspondence practice), then placed them on his playdough insect.