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Ladybug unit for preschoolers

22 Comments Preschool

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A number of months ago the kids and I did a ladybug unit. In fact, we did these ladybug activities before I had started this blog. Since I have recently posted lots of insect-related activities and ideas, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the activities we did to learn about ladybugs. Hopefully some of these ideas will be useful for others who would like to do a ladybug unit with their kids.

Note: For more insect resources, activities, and printables, please see my Insects Unit Study page. 

Ladybug unit for preschoolers with books, science, art, sensory, and other activities for learning about ladybugs || Gift of Curiosity

Raising ladybugs

The unit started with purchasing this Insect Lore Ladybug Land. We sent away for our live ladybug larvae and were thrilled when our ladybug larvae arrived in the mail. I honestly did not know anything about the ladybug life cycle at the time, so I learned along with the kids as we watched our ladybugs in their habitat.

Raising ladybugs in a ladybug habitat || Gift of Curiosity

The kids helped provide water for the ladybugs using the provided pipette.

Raising ladybugs in a ladybug habitat || Gift of Curiosity

And we spent over a week watching our larvae wander around the habitat getting bigger and bigger.

Raising ladybugs in a ladybug habitat || Gift of Curiosity

I didn’t get any good pictures of them going into their pupa stage, but we did get to witness them hanging upside down as they turned into pupas.

And of course, we got to witness them emerging from their pupas as full fledged adult ladybugs.

Raising ladybugs in a ladybug habitat || Gift of Curiosity

Raising ladybugs in a ladybug habitat || Gift of Curiosity

After several days, we released the ladybugs into our backyard.

In case you missed the post, this year we have raised butterflies and silkworms, which you can read about here.

Looking for aphids

As part of our studies, we learned that ladybugs like to eat aphids. Of course, our rose bushes get plenty of aphids at some times of the year, so the kids used the magnifying glasses from their Learning Resources Early Science Explorer’s Set to search for aphids on our rose bushes. We managed to spot a few, although not as many as we have sometimes seen at other times of the year.

Looking for aphids || Gift of Curiosity

Ladybug sensory bin

I love creating sensory bins, so of course I put together one to go along with our ladybug theme.

Inside the bin I used split peas to create a lovely green base, to which I added some silk flower petals and some ladybug buttons.

Ladybug sensory bin || Gift of Curiosity

I provided the kids with some cups, tubes, measuring spoons, and some magnifying glasses and tweezers from our Learning Resources Early Science Explorer’s Set. This kept them entertained for a very long time.

Ladybug sensory bin || Gift of Curiosity

Reading about ladybugs

Of course, we also read books about ladybugs. I particularly enjoyed two non-fiction books with real photos that we read dealing with the ladybug life cycle:

A Ladybug Larva Grows Up (Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers: Life Cycles)

and

Lady Bug (Life Cycles)

And we also enjoyed these two books as well:

The Grouchy Ladybug

and

Are You a Ladybug? (Backyard Books)

 Ladybug themed art projects

As part of our ladybug studies, we did two ladybug-themed art projects – one more successful than the other.

Our successful project was this ladybug thumbprint activity. I had the kids color their thumbs with red ink and then stamp them on a piece of paper. We then drew heads and spots on their thumbs to make ladybugs.

Ladybug thumbprint art project || Gift of Curiosity

Our not-so-successful 🙂 project was one in which we painted rocks to look like ladybugs.

The activity started out promising.

Ladybug rocks art project || Gift of Curiosity

But the rocks ended up looking more like big blobs, since the colors ran together when we failed to let the red paint dry all the way before adding the black paint. Lesson learned!

Ladybug rocks art project || Gift of Curiosity
And that is what we did to learn about ladybugs!

More resources for learning about Ladybugs

More ladybug posts from Gift of Curiosity:

  • Ladybug do-a-dot printables
  • Books about ladybugs

Other insect printables from Gift of Curiosity:

  • Insects Printables Pack
  • Insects Do-a-Dot Printables
  • Insects Anatomy Game
  • Insects Grid Games
  • Ant Printables Pack
  • Ant 3-Part Cards
  • Ant Do-a-Dot Printables
  • Bee Do-a-Dot Printables
  • Bee Sudoku
  • Butterfly Do-a-Dot Printables


For more insect resources, activities, and printables, please see my Insects Unit Study page and my Insects & Bugs Unit Study Pinterest board. 

Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Unit Ideas: Insects & Bugs on Pinterest.

Products mentioned in this post:

Filed Under: Arts and Crafts, Preschool, Insects, Science Tagged With: insects, ladybugs

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Reader Interactions

22 Comments

  1. Tara from The Magnolia Barn

    June 4, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    We are learning about ladybugs this week and I should have planned and purchased one of these Ladybug Lands. We’ve been reading so many books though and I had no idea ladybugs went through similar stages to butterflies. I love learning with my girls. We’ve been enjoying your insect printable pack by the way..so cute!

    Reply to this comment
  2. Stacie

    June 4, 2013 at 7:30 pm

    Wow I didn’t know you could watch the lady bugs grow like that. Definately going to have to do this with my daughter who LOVES ladybugs.

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie

      June 5, 2013 at 1:11 pm

      It was sooo cool! It was a great project that our WHOLE family got invested in to for a couple of weeks!

      Reply to this comment
  3. Shaunna @ Fantastic Fun and Learning

    June 5, 2013 at 2:28 pm

    Great activities! I really like your sensory bin.

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie

      June 5, 2013 at 2:44 pm

      Thanks! The sensory bin was simple, but my kids always play with them for a long time.

      Reply to this comment
  4. Julie

    June 7, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    We love the Grouchy Ladybug and watching ladybugs has to be the best way to learn about them. My friend did this and some ladybugs escaped and soon her house was full of them. I’m glad you were able to release them. They are so good for gardens.

    Reply to this comment
  5. JDaniel4's Mom

    June 8, 2013 at 4:35 am

    What fun! I love all the different types of learning in this post! Your sensory bin is wonderful. I have shared this post.

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie

      June 8, 2013 at 6:41 am

      Thanks for sharing our ladybug activities.

      Reply to this comment
  6. Gena

    June 9, 2013 at 1:31 pm

    What a great unit study! I love all the activities!
    –Gena

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie

      June 9, 2013 at 1:59 pm

      Thanks Gina! I always have fun coming up with the ideas for the activities.

      Reply to this comment
  7. pinkoddy

    June 10, 2013 at 9:16 am

    Wow that is amazing, and what an experience, I didn’t even think about rasing ladybirds – thank you for linking up with Motivational Monday

    Reply to this comment
  8. Crystal

    June 11, 2013 at 7:27 am

    I love all the extension activities you have done for this unit, something for everyone! Thank you for linking up to Mom’s Library.

    Reply to this comment
  9. Carla

    June 11, 2013 at 8:08 am

    This is a fabulous unit study!! My kids love ladybugs–I think we’ll be doing at least one ladybug unit every year for quite a while! I’m so glad you linked this up at Teach Me Tuesday at Preschool Powol Packets!!

    Reply to this comment
  10. Hannah

    June 11, 2013 at 4:27 pm

    Your ladybug activities are great!

    Reply to this comment
  11. Valerie

    June 13, 2013 at 4:44 am

    Very nicely done! Love the fingerprint ladybugs. Thought of doing something similar but had no washable ink pads! 🙁 Ended up using some pages from your Insect package by the way! 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply to this comment
  12. Sugar Aunts

    June 13, 2013 at 6:56 pm

    We will be featuring your post on a HUGE list of Rainy Day Summer Play activities on Share It Saturday this weekend! We will be sharing with all of our followers on our social media sites (including group boards and communities!!) Thanks for sharing with us at Share It Saturday!
    Colleen at http://www.sugaraunts.com

    Reply to this comment
  13. Carrie

    June 14, 2013 at 11:40 am

    How fun!! I think we may try this next year! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!

    Reply to this comment
  14. Ticia

    June 15, 2013 at 6:30 am

    You know, I think I used those same ladybug buttons on a dress I made.

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie

      June 15, 2013 at 6:47 am

      I bet the dress was really cute!

      Reply to this comment
  15. Jennifer

    June 15, 2013 at 3:06 pm

    Thanks for linking up Monday Kid Corner Weekly Linky Party. The next party goes live tomorrow and this week’s theme is SIDEWALK CHALK.

    Reply to this comment
  16. Holly B.

    September 20, 2013 at 4:33 pm

    We just finished our ladybug prints. They are adorable!

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie

      September 20, 2013 at 4:35 pm

      That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing how you are using some of the ideas you’ve found here!

      Reply to this comment

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