Our natural environment is bubbling with life. Insects are unique in every way and diverse, coming in many varied shapes, forms and colors. And so are beetles! Did you know that ladybugs and fireflies are beetles too? We can explore one kind of beetles with this National Geographic video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veY5fyt66cg
Science
Exploring the woods is the perfect way to hunt for beetles. Let us look at different beetles you can find. https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/insects/world-beetles/
During your outdoors exploration, you might want to collect leaves and twigs to recreate many beetles or other bugs. You can find examples on this website: Nature Art Bugs Craft https://www.thecrafttrain.com/nature-art-bugs/
Remember the Insects Song on the tune of “Head and Shoulders” (Insects Week-General)
Language Arts
Another interesting insect book written by Eric Carle is called The Very Clumsy Click Beetle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LyxoMFY4Gc After viewing the book, help your child:
(1) to retell the story and
(2) focus on how the beetle shows perseverance. It showed courage to want to try and try again. Help your child to remember when he/she tried and tried again until he/she succeeded and how it felt to your child.
Trace and Color the Uppercase Letter B for Beetles https://twistynoodle.com/trace-and-color-the-letter-b-7-coloring-page/ (Review, remember to start at the top and jump back up for the 2 curves)
Trace and Color the Uppercase Letter F for Fly (Review, remember to start at the top and jump back up for horizontal lines) https://twistynoodle.com/trace-and-color-the-letter-f-coloring-page/
“10 Little Beetles“ Song (Tune of “10 Little Indians”)
One little, two little, three little beetles.
Four little, five little, six little beetles.
Seven little, eight little, nine little beetles.
Ten little beetles moving all around!
”A Fly is on my Toe” Song (Tune of “Farmer in the Dell”)
A fly is on my toe,
A fly is on my toe.
Hi-ho, just watch me blow.
A fly is on my toe.
Other verses: on my nose, on my head, on my ear, on my elbow, on my knee, etc.
“Shoo Fly“ Song
Shoo fly, don’t bother me, (3x)
I belong to somebody.
I feel, I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star. (2x)
Shoo fly, don’t bother me, (3x)
I belong to somebody.
“Freddy Flea“ Fingerplay
On my toe is Freddy Flea (touch toe)
Now, he is climbing up on me. (Cling fingers upwards)
Past my tummy
Past my nose
On my head where my hair grows (wiggle fingers on hair)
On my head is Freddy flea.
Now he is climbing down on me. (Climb fingers back down body)
Past my tummy
Past my knee
On the floor. There goes the flea (make fingers move away)
Other book: Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth is a silly alphabet book. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1naBC6jvjc
Math
May is a new month and your child needs a new calendar. Print this calendar set https://www.themailbox.com/magazines/may-calendar-setbr4-pages/may-calendar-set and have your child choose a pattern to follow for the new month.
For this Roll A Beetle math game, you need a dye and beetle body parts in construction paper. Each number you roll will give you a beetle body part. If you roll:
A 1, you get a body;
A 2, you get a head;
A 3, you get an eye;
A 4, you get an antennae;
A 5, you get a tail; and
A 6, you get a leg. I hope you have fun reconstructing a beetles!
Art
For this art project, you can use many different media on paper. You need (1) paper, (2) colored pencils/crayons/paint, (3) scissors, (4) glue, (5) clothespin, (6) eyes (googly or stickers), and black marker.
First, help your child to cut the oval out of paper, to color/paint and to divide, with a marker, the beetle body into three parts. Also help your child to glue the clothespin under the paper beetle, as well as the eyes. (See picture)
Another way would be have your child have fun with fingerpaint on paper. At the end of the play, have your child use a fork to make lines in the paint. Once the paint is dry, help your child to cut big ovals for the beetle’s body and divide the body with a marker in three parts. Help glue the eyes and clothespin. (See picture)
Small Motor Skills
My Insect Book https://twistynoodle.com/cut-and-paste-the-letters-f-l-y-coloring-page/
Trace the Fly Coloring Page https://twistynoodle.com/trace-the-fly-coloring-page/
Cut and Paste the Letters FLY https://twistynoodle.com/cut-and-paste-the-letters-f-l-y-coloring-page/
Gross Motor Skills
Play a game of “Simon says…” with your child using the beetle your child made as an art project above.
“Simon says: put the beetle on your head, jump with the beetle, run with the beetle, Put the beetle on your laps, etc.