6 Insect Art Projects for Kids to Do on Their Own

Insects and bugs are always good for a hands-on learning opportunity. First, just encouraging kids to get outside and explore is a great way to do this. By flipping over a few rocks or logs, kids are sure to find a few bugs to get a closer look at. For kids who want another challenge or just something else to tackle, check out these bug and insect art projects.

At first glance, you might wonder how you can turn edible bugs or a ladybug made from a bowling ball into an educational lesson, but we assure you there are ways with these insect art projects. Take a look at these fun projects along with a suggested lesson with each one. Also, encourage your student or child to come up with their own learning or takeaway. This is the beauty of hands-on learning—there is not a “right” or “wrong” thing to learn. As a bonus, all these projects can be 100% completed by kids. Enjoy!

Learn about ladybugs with this bowling ball project.

This project is from our friends at Birds & Blooms magazine. They created the step-by-step tutorial for it, which you can find right here on their site. We also worked with them to create the above video. You might think bowling balls are hard to find, but we can assure you it’s not that hard. We picked up several from local thrift stores. For the lesson on this one, focus on ladybugs all the way. Have kids research this cool and unique insect and share little-known facts—like how not all ladybugs are black and red and not all have spots.

Insect art projects can teach symmetry for a math lesson.

Source: Mrs. Knight’s Smartest Artists 

Insects are the perfect lesson to talk about symmetry. Here’s an awesome creation made from one of Mrs. Knight’s fifth graders. This would make a great math lesson, helping students understand symmetry and then challenging them to create their own example. You can find lots of insect symmetry projects out there, so have students look around for one they want to tackle.

Make fingerprint insects and learn about insect parts.

Source: Homeschool Mastery Academy 

If you’ve never made insect fingerprints, then it’s definitely time. They are oh-so fun to create with little fingers. These tutorials from Homeschool Mastery Academy are the best, giving step-by-step instructions. Use this as an opportunity to learn about insect parts, which is a very common science lesson for all kids.

Create bug homes and discover animal habitats.

Our recent article about wildlife habitats features eight different homes your kids can make on their own. We definitely think these count as an insect art project. After you complete the home, personalize or decorate it. The lesson here is all about habitats. You can learn about habitats of all types, including ocean, forest, grassland, and desert. Encourage kids to pick a habitat to study and write or share about the animals that live there.

Encourage healthy snacking and learn about insect eyes.

Source: The Crafting Chicks

We can’t explain why bug snacks are so cute, but they are. The Crafting Chicks offer up several options for creating bug-like snacks in this article on their site. They are all fast and easy for kids to do on their own. As for a lesson rolled into this, have kids research insect eyes. Which insects have the best eyesight? Which insects have the most eyes? Do any insects have eyes in the back of their heads? There are so many fascinating facts to learn about bug eyes while you enjoy this snack.

Flapping insect art projects teach kids about flying.

Source: Teach Beside Me

Birds aren’t the only animals that fly. This cool project from Teach Beside Me is an awesome way to create your own flying insect. There’s a great built-in lesson for kids to learn about which insects fly, how far they can go, and so much more. Get the video tutorial for this one directly on the website; it helps show exactly how to make it one step at a time.

If you liked these insect art projects, be sure to check out these fun stick crafts kids can do.