During this month at RisingOaks Early Learning | Saint John Paul II, the preschoolers in our classroom have consistently shown a keen interest in discovering buds and insects, such as worms, ladybugs, potato bugs, and spiders. They even mentioned spotting a daddy long legs during outdoor time. To further nurture their curiosity and extend their learning experience, the preschoolers have actively participated in insect and bug activities in various ways. These activities include exploring nature with magnifying glasses outdoors, creating bee and beehive crafts, playing a guessing game to locate hidden insects, and rescuing insects from a spider. For the guessing game, we prepared a board and insect cards. Before starting the activity, we discussed insect movements, identified different body parts, and counted the number of legs each insect has by examining the cards. I concealed the insect cards under differently coloured felt sheets on the board and encouraged the preschoolers to guess where the insects were hidden. They showed great excitement when they successfully guessed the bugs and wanted to play repeatedly. This activity helped them enhance their memory skills and concentration, thereby boosting their cognitive abilities. The guessing game not only stimulated their thinking but also encouraged conversation, ultimately fostering their problem-solving and reasoning skills. Additionally, the preschoolers enjoyed engaging in a bug-related imaginary session in the classroom. I created a spiderweb on the wall using duct tape, with the sticky part facing outwards. I informed the preschoolers that bugs were stuck on the spiderweb and that the spider was going to eat its prey. The children enthusiastically placed bugs and insects on the sticky spiderweb and tried to remove them using tweezers. Naomi pretended to be stuck by putting her mouth on the web and requesting help, while others used their hands. Dominic, Jackson, and Everly used the spiderweb as a road, driving their toy cars with their hands, while others focused on using tweezers. They enjoyed touching the sticky web and had fun with the activity. This hands-on experience allowed them to explore and interact with different textures, such as the sticky web, stimulating their sensory development. It also helped them learn about nature and insects in an enjoyable way, while developing their fine motor skills through the use of tweezers.
