Bug Activities for Preschoolers

For some, bugs are: CREEPY. CRAWLY. ICKY. 

But, they are everywhere! And bug play is a great way for preschool age children to explore nature right in their own back yards. So Rachel invited her friend and former co-teacher Tracy to join her for a quick tutorial on how you can use bugs in a preschool setting - with and without having to get too up close and personal with your new insect friends.

Rachel and Tracy get down with two different kinds of bugs: Bess Beetles and Tobacco Horn Worms, which Rachel acquired from a great company that can send you bugs that are native to your local habitat.

Some great tips for working with bugs:

•  Break out a magnifying glass to look at the bugs details and build vocabulary (it's green, it has a tail, etc.)
• Think up fictional stories about the bugs' lives
• Let the children do research on the bugs and report back to you as bug experts
• And so much more! 

P.S. Looking for bug "sources"? Here are a few websites Rachel has bought from in the past:

• http://www.carolina.com/living-organisms/insects/10568.ct
• http://www.insectlore.com
• http://earthsbirthday.org/bugs <-- This one will tell you which bugs are local to your area.

Why You Should Try Cross-Curricular Teaching

How does cross curricular teaching work in an early childhood classroom? Students from Columbia College Chicago produced this video at a YMCA preschool exploring how teaching across subjects works for early learners, and why it's important for building school readiness. 

When children learn out in the world, they use all their senses, so why not put all five senses to work in the classroom too? Cross-curricular teaching creates a connection between all subjects through a common theme, giving kids an opportunity to learn multiple subjects without even realizing it.

For example, in a cross-curricular lesson plan, there might be a letter of the week -- let's say, "I" for "insect." Children would count the body parts, legs, and antennae of different insects to learn math skills. For vocabulary, they would learn the names of the body parts. Then for art, they would get creative making their own bugs.

Cross-curricular teaching ties all the subjects together, and makes it easier to learn through repetition. It's one more method for you to try out with your little learners, at home or in the classroom.