Garden Lessons: Bug hunt!

Welcome Circle

  • Welcome Circle

  • Are you afraid of bugs? If so, what kind of bugs are you afraid of?

  • What kind of bugs have you seen at your house, in the park, or at the garden?

  • Talk about some of the guidelines of “Bug Hunting” in the garden:

    • No one ever has to touch a bug they don’t want to

    • We don’t ask our friends to touch bugs if they don’t want to or put them in each other’s faces

    • If you see a bug but you don’t want to touch it, you can ask a friend or grown-up who’s more comfortable

    • We always treat our bugs and insects with respect. Ask the group: What does this mean?

      • Being gentle with them, releasing them at end of class, not leaving the jar in the sun, etc.



Part I: We’re Goin’ on a bug hunt!

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  • Everyone gets materials to make a “bug trap”:

    • rubber bands

    • paper/tissue paper

    • pencils (to poke holes in top)

    • Jars/cups

  • Optional: Decorate your bug jar

  • Offer other materials: Magnifying glass & a trowel for digging

  • Spend about 10-15 minutes finding bugs, insects, and creepy-crawlies. These can be spiders, worms, bees, caterpillars, flying insects like butterflies/moths, etc. 

  • You can collect more than 1 type of bug to keep in your “bug trap”



Part II: bug research

  • Every person gets a sheet of paper- make a poster about your insect you “caught.” Use magnifying glasses to examine it up close!  

    • For younger students: if you don’t have much time with younger ones to do a research project like this, encourage students to “dream up” a bug. Draw a picture of it: what is the name of your pretend bug? How many legs does it have? What colors is it? What are some facts about the bug?

  • You can use your phone, a tablet, or insect books to research 

  • Some things you could include in your poster:

    • A Drawing of what the insect looks like

    • Where you found it in the garden

    • What does it eat

    • How many legs it has

    • Where does it usually live (underground, on leaves, etc.)

    • Fun facts about the insect/bug

    • What “classification” the creature is: Arachnid, beetle, etc.


Closing Circle

  • Share your poster! What did you learn about your bug? Did you name it?

    • While student shares poster, encourage them to pass around their bug trap so all students can see the real version of the bug

  • Everyone release their bugs back into the garden

Supplies needed:

  • Mason Jars/clear cups

  • Rubber Bands

  • Fabric or paper with holes in the top

  • Magnifying glasses

  • Trowels/hand shovels

  • Paper

  • Pencils, colored pencils, markers

  • Books all about bugs

Teresa Woodard