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!
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:
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.
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More Insect Activities by A Little Pinch of Perfect
Spring Play Dough Mats (Including bugs)
More Fun Insect Themed Ideas
(Affiliate Links-Please click on pictures for more product information)
Have a great day!
Love, Katie & the Kiddos
Love, Katie & the Kiddos
Jen Altman says
April 24, 2015 at 5:57 pmThanks for sharing at workbox wednesday, I have pinned to my insects board!
Katie says
April 25, 2015 at 4:46 amHi Jen, Thanks so much for visiting and the pin!!! 🙂