May 21, 2019 by ppearls No CommentsLesson Plans

Bugs!

Why didn't they let the butterfly into the dance?

Because it was a mothball!

Hope you enjoyed your biweekly dad joke! Before I get in to the activities of this week, I wanted to thank you for sticking with me. I have no experience in blogging or social media, so this has all been a learning curve. I really struggled finding a pace for creating and promoting content that wouldn’t sabotage the life I was trying to build for our family. You’ll notice content is a bit slower, but I hope you’ll find that it is much, much richer.

Above all, my priority is Vicky. As much as I want to devote every Sunday to churning out content, I didn’t create Piedmont Pearls to slowly hate it. I didn’t design these activities to dread them. So it’s important to find a balance. Thank you for coming along on this journey with us!

Okay…so bugs. I thought as a Florida girl, I knew what bugs were. I have seen my share of palmetto bugs. I survive every lovebug season. I have been bitten by every mosquito every born. I mean, I’m a pro, right?

Then I moved to North Carolina. No one warned me. Not my realtor, not my friends, not even my two good friends who had called this state home for several years (I’m looking at you Natacha and Dinah). No one told me how many bugs here would try to recolonize my house every spring. It’s a battle. One that I was wholly unprepared for. As it stands, Vicky currently has 6 mosquito bites on her little booty. Luckily, I don’t think she’s noticed. And wasps? Just consider our front porch their annual convention site!

So, bugs. As far as spring/summer themes go, this is probably one of the most fun. There is so much investigation you can do, especially outside. I mean, I know we all do this for our children and their enrichment, but it totally helps it we enjoy it too! I did some research, recycled some craft supplies, and put together a very toddler friendly week (or two) of activities for y’all! Most of the activities can be scaled up or down for little and big kids alike.

Mr. PiedmontPearls working on our poison ivy, while Vicky hunts for bugs.

Supplies Needed

contact paper
poms
construction paper
fake bugs (I used Melissa and Doug’s. It’s a steal at under $7!)
black beans
fake flowers (or real ones if you have them!)
painters tape

The Plan

Reading: Quick as a Cricket

I found this one at our local library. Shoutout to Gaston County Library. They are amazing!

Nursery Rhyme/Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

I mean, what else would I pick for this theme!?

Focus Words: Bugs

Sensory Activity: Bug Bin

I had big intentions to make a coffee-based dirt recipe that I had found at MyBoredToddler but as soon as it came time to make it, I found we were out of flour! So, I had to improvise and reuse the black bean filler we had used for our Easter sensory bin earlier.

I reused the flowers, butterflies, and dragonflies that I had purchased from the Dollar Store for our Hungry Caterpillar module. I purchased these cute plastic bugs from Melissa and Doug, and lined one of the bins with a piece of insect felt I had found at Michael’s awhile back. I liked the contrast!

The whole thing took about 8 minutes tops! And she loved it. I love that the black beans are just the right size and consistency that she would have to work on it for a minute if she wanted to eat it. Makes my life a little easier.

Gross Motor: Bug Yoga

I found this lovely idea from Pink Oatmeal. She combines an exploration of insects with kid-free yoga. Vicky really got into this. Although I couldn’t power through several moves in a sitting, generally after breakfast we could experiment with one or two. Even the family dog got in on the fun!

Vicky and Monkey attempting the Dragonfly pose.

Fine Motor: Make your own caterpillar!

I found my inspiration at Moments with Miss. She laid out contact paper, sticky side out, on a wall at toddler level. She handed her toddler poms and let them try to fill in the bug outline. I decided to take it a step further and try to make a stained glass of sorts, propping the pieces up with painter’s tape. I cut up several pieces of different colored construction paper and showed her how it would stick to the paper. Most of the time she was just interested in holding the little colorful pieces of paper, but we did get several on the contact paper. I’m leaving it up for the rest of the week and I hope she’ll keep going back!