You have come to the right place if you are looking for fun, engaging and exciting Creepy Crawlies themed activities to do with toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Our activities are used by teachers, moms, dads, child care providers and more!

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Creepy Crawlies Arts and Crafts

Ladybugs
Paint the bottom of a paper bowl red. Stick black paper circles on it (for the spots). Add paper legs and head. Pipe cleaners can also be used for the legs.

Valenpillars
Set out various sizes of hearts cut from red, pink, black, and white construction paper, including some with the centers cut out. Let the children glue a number of hearts together in a row, with only the edges touching to make valenpillar bodies. Then let them glue on eyes and feelers from black construction paper.

Bug Catcher
Materials:
Oatmeal Container
Glue or tape
Screen or netting material
Yarn

Directions:
Use oatmeal container with lid. Cut large “window” in side and glue or tape screen or netting to inside over hole. Punch two holes in sides to add yarn handle.

Bug Puppets
Materials:
Paper lunch bags
Glue
Construction paper
Crayons or markers

Directions:
Use paper bags and have kids cut large circles for sections in bug and glue to paper bag, add face antennae, whatever. Also can make caterpillar puppet on tongue depressor with pom poms glued on, add wiggle eyes or buttons, and antennae.

Rock Bugs
Materials:
Small rocks
Glue
Pipe cleaners
Paint
Misc. supplies

Directions:
Paint small rocks to look like ladybugs or other bugs. Use pipe cleaners for legs on spiders, overhead transparencies or sheet protectors for wings, tiny beads for big bug eyes.Put a small piece of magnetic strip on the back if desired.

Bug Eyes
Materials:
Egg cartons
Markers or paint
Pipe cleaners

Directions:
Cut the bottom of the egg carton so there are two cups to each section. You can get 6 on a 1 dozen-egg carton. Cut the bottoms out of each section for eye holes. Let kids paint them or use markers on them. They can also glue feathers and sequins on them. Use pipe cleaners for antennae. Punch holes on the sides and attach pipe cleaners, form pipe cleaners to fit around their ears.

Butterflies
Materials:
Construction paper, wrapping paper, or wallpaper scraps
Popsicle sticks or straws
Crayons
Scissors
Stapler or tape

Directions:
Fold paper in half. Cut out butterfly wings; add about an extra inch where the body would be (on the fold). Be sure you don’t cut the fold. Color as desired and glue a Popsicle stick where the body would be.

Clothespin Butterfly
Materials:
Tissue paper (5 inch square)
Clothespin
Pipe cleaners
Markers

Directions:
Make a butterfly by pinching opposite edges of tissue paper in the middle and inserting it in the clasp of the clothespin. Wind a piece of pipe cleaner around the top of the clothespin for antennae. Draw a face on the clothespin with a marker. You can add a magnet to the back too.

Bug Fingers
Materials:
Old gloves
Pipe cleaners
Scissors
Hot glue
Misc. craft supplies

Directions:
Cut the fingers off the gloves, they will be the bug’s body. Glue on pipe cleaners for legs, wiggly eyes, pom poms for noses, and feathers on back. Or decorate as desired. Makes cute finger puppets.

Dot Butterfly
Materials:
Construction paper
Paint
Q-tips

Directions:
Cut out a large white butterfly. Glue a black strip of paper in the center on butterfly. Let children use a Q-tip to dip in paint and “dot” the butterfly wings with color.

Feet Butterflies
Materials:
Construction paper
Paint
Glue
Markers or crayons

Directions:
Have children take off shoes, dip feet into shallow pan of pastel paint. Step onto a piece of paper so feet are going outward from the heels together. When dry, add antennae with markers.

Dragon Fly
Materials:
Paper towel roll
Construction paper
Tape
Markers or crayons

Directions:
Use a paper towel tube and have children decorate a piece of paper (yellow) that fits around the tube. Then tape it. Trace hands (2) and tape one to either side of the tube near the top. Add eyes – large (oval shaped – flat on bottom), so that they are sticking up above the top of the tube. It’s really cute. Looks like it’s clapping its hands – it’s actually flapping its wings.

Caterpillars
Materials:
Construction paper
Glue
Markers or crayons
Pipe cleaners

Directions:
Cut out circles of colored construction paper. Glue circles together side by side slightly overlapping. Add legs and feelers from pipe cleaners. Draw on face.

Pom Pom Caterpillars
Materials:
Pom poms
Glue
Markers or crayons
Pipe cleaners

Directions:
Glue three middle size pom poms together. Glue on eyes and feelers. For fun you can put magnetic tape on back for magnet.

Wax Paper Butterflies
Materials:
Crayons
Wax paper
Scissors

Directions:
Shave crayons and place between a sheet of wax paper on newspaper. Cover with another piece of wax paper. Press iron for a few seconds, cut into butterfly shape.

Paper Plate Lady Bugs
Paint a paper plate red. Cut out back wings (a circle then cut it in half). Punch holes in connecting corners of wings. Now paint or color some black spots on the ladybugs and then use brads to fasten the wings onto the ladybug. Don’t forget to give her a face.

Egg Carton Butterflies
Take egg cartons and cut them apart so that there are three bump sections. Cut a slit in each side of the middle section. On the front section draw a face; add a pipe cleaner for antennae. Cut heart shapes for wings. Let the children decorate the wings as they wish. Stick the point of the hearts into the slits to attach the wings. Add a string through the carton above the wings and hang.

Spider Webs
Materials:
Cardboard
Black Yarn
Tape

Preparation:
Cut an 8 inch square piece of cardboard for each child. Cut slits 1 inch deep around the sides, about 1-2 inches apart. ;Cut yarn into 6-foot lengths.Tape the end of a piece of yarn on the back of each card and pull it through one of the slits.
Activity
Let the children cross the yarn back and forth over the fronts of their cardboard squares, attaching it through the slits. Slits can be used more than once. Have them continue until the yarn resembles a spider web.

Spider Hats
Use dark tag board strips to form a crown like hat. Kids attach 8 wiggle folded paper strips for legs, and wiggle eyes.

Make Your Own Ant Farm
Take a large peanut butter jar (empty and cleaned) and place a baby food jar upside down inside it. Fill the peanut butter jar with sand. Make some holes in the top of the jar with a nail or screw. Add a little honey or jelly every few days, along with a little water. Now gather up some ants from outdoors. After you’ve closed the lid, be sure to stop up the holes with cotton so the ants don’t get out. Now, remember to keep a cloth over the jar whenever you’re not observing it. This way the ants will make really cool tunnels right near the sides, instead of hidden deep to avoid the light.

Caterpillars
Cut egg cartons in half the long way. Have children use pipe cleaners for antennae, and add wiggly eyes. Use paints, markers, or crayons to decorate.

Butterflies
Have the kids crumple up only the middle of the tissue paper and twist a pipe cleaner around the middle. Attach some yarn or fishing wire and hang from the ceiling or lights.

 

Creepy Crawlies Games and Activities

Flannel board Activity
Large felt cutout of a ladybug – circle shape with a head shape added, all one piece. Thin black magic marker line down the middle and wiggly eyes. Also 10 black felt spots.

Ladybug facts
Ladybugs can be red or yellow with black, red, white, or yellow spots. There are about 150 species of ladybugs in the U.S. In winter, 50 to 100 ladybugs hibernate together.

 

Creepy Crawlies Recipes and Snacks

Edible spiders
Use a pear half for the body, licorice string for the legs, raisins or other small food for the eyes.

 

Creepy Crawlies Songs, Poems and Finger Plays

Pretty Ladybug
(Tune: The Muffin Man)
Ladybug has 1 black spot,
1 black spot, 1 black spot;
Ladybug has 1 black spot,
Pretty ladybug!

 

 

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