Bug I Spy Game {Free Printable for Kids}

This free printable bug I spy game for kids is a perfect way to work on a variety of skills!

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As much as I don't like bugs, my kids love them. 

My oldest, J, especially loved all of the tent caterpillars that always take over the entire city in the spring. He'd let them crawl up his arms and along his hands. 

Me, on the other hand? I can barely handle ladybugs. They freak me out for some reason.

But thankfully the bugs on this free printable bug I spy game are super cute and don't freak me out. I mean it's hard to be grossed out by bugs when they are smiling all adorable at you, right?

So whether your child is #TeamBugsAreAwesome or #TeamEwwwBugs, this I spy game is tons of fun for little ones.

I Spy Games are Versatile!

I spy games are tons of fun and great for kids of all ages. You can use them with toddlers or preschoolers or even preteens and teens. I know that lots of people have even used my I spy games with elderly people and those with dementia.

What I love about I spy games is how versatile they are, even beyond appealing to various age groups. There are lots of different ways to use them (there's a section below with some ideas) and they can also be used in different settings.

For example, I spy games are perfect to use as a quick boredom buster activity at home when the kids are saying, "I'm bored!" Or to keep kids busy while you're cooking supper.

They can also be used in the classroom as part of a learning center or included in a specific lesson or unit. You could also use them as filler activities for those kids who finish their classwork quickly.

You could also print off a bunch of the I spy games, package them up into a binder, and create a busy book for road trips or plane rides. You could even laminate them first (here's the laminator I use and love) or put them into sheet protectors and use a dry erase marker so that the book could be reused over and over.

I spy games are also a great activity to use in speech or occupational therapy since they can be used to target a variety of skills, which we'll touch on in the next section.

The Benefits of I Spy Games for Kids

There are lots of benefits to playing I spy games like this bug themed one.

For instance, they're great for developing visual tracking skills and improving visual discrimination. After all, these printable games require kids to visually scan through the objects, compare and contrast them, and find all the ones that are the same.

Then there's obviously the math benefits. I spy games are a great way to practice and develop math skills such as sorting, counting, comparing, etc.

You can also work on fine motor skills using I spy games. You might cross off items, cover them in play dough, or use tongs to place pom poms to cover the items (see the next section for other ideas for how to use I spy games).

Furthermore, you could work on handwriting skills with I spy games. After all, there is an answer sheet to record your answers and kids can practice writing numbers or drawing tally marks.

Playing I spy games with your kids is also a great way to work on speech and language skills. You could target articulation and vocabulary for instance. All of my I spy games include written words to accompany the images to aid in comprehension, especially for hyperlexic learners.

I spy games can also be a great way to work on executive functioning related skills and working memory.

See, lots of benefits! Now, let's take a look at some different ways to use this I spy game.

How to Use this I Spy Game

The most obvious way to use this I spy game is to simply print and play (you'll be able to download your copy below). Just grab a pencil, start counting, and record the number of items you found on the answer key (write the number or use tally marks, if you'd prefer). 

Maybe you also want to cross off or circle items on the game sheet with a pencil as you find them.

Another option would be to use bingo dabbers or dot markers. You could also use pom poms or counters to cover the items as you count. You could even pair pom poms with tongs or tweezers to target different fine motor skills.

You could also laminate the I spy game first to make them reusable. Simply use dry erase markers to cross off the items as you find them and fill in the answer key. 

You could also use play dough instead of dry erase markers to cover the items on the laminated game sheet. That way you add an additional sensory component.

Finally, you can go digital by playing this I spy game right on the computer or tablet. You can also pull it up during a Zoom meeting, teletherapy session, or similar using the screenshare function. Then use the annotate tool to cross off the items.

Download the Free Printable Bug I Spy Game

This bug I spy game has three pages: a game sheet, a page to record the answers, and an answer key. Both the answer sheet and answer key include the image as well as written words to describe the object.

To get a copy of this I spy game, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

 

Want More I Spy Games?

You'll find even more themes in the I spy games bundle!

Click here to get your copy of the I spy games bundle

Giant Sticky Yarn Spiderweb Craft

Looking for a simple spiderweb craft for Halloween? Try this giant sticky yarn spiderweb craft for kids!

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When it comes to kids' crafts, I always prefer simple ideas that are are more open ended and play based.

And this giant sticky yarn spiderweb craft is no exception. It allows for kids to design their own spiderwebs, engage in a little storytelling as they place their spiders, build some fine motor skills, get a little sensory input, and get creative with their designs.

Plus, this craft ends up making a wonderful decoration for Halloween.

So, if you are looking for the perfect non-spooky Halloween craft for kids, then you'll want to try this simple idea. Let's take a closer look at what you'll need to make your own.

A version of this post originally appeared on the CBC Parents website.

What You'll Need for this Giant Sticky Yarn Spiderweb Craft

For this Halloween craft, you'll need a few items that can be easily found at the dollar store. In particular, you'll need:

• Clear contact paper - You can find this at Dollarama under the name of vinyl book protectors. It's what we use for all of our contact paper projects.

• White yarn or string - The yarn will be used to make the webs.

• Scissors - To cut the warn into pieces.

• Plastic spiders - We used colorful ones as that's what we had on hand, but the traditional little black ones will look really great too.

• Tape - You'll need this to hang up the contact paper while making the webs. Simple scotch tape will do the trick.

To set up this activity/craft, simply tape the contact paper, sticky side out, to a window (or wall, if you'd prefer). Then set out the rest of the materials nearby. Alternatively, you could try this craft on the light table for some added sensory input.

Depending on your child's age or abilities, you could also start things off on the web by cutting some pieces of yarn and adding them, alongside a spider or two, to the contact paper.

Time to Make Some Giant Sticky Spiderwebs!

Before my boys made their own spiderwebs, we first looked at some photos of spiderwebs for inspiration. This step is completely optional, but my boys enjoyed looking at the photos and using them as inspiration for their spiderweb designs.

My boys started cutting the yarn and positioning it onto the contact paper, carefully arranging it into a spiderweb design.

Adding pieces of yarn, bit by bit...

Stopping occasionally to experiment with adding (and eventually removing) some spiders...

Until they created a large spiderweb.

Once they were happy with their spiderweb design, the boys added some colorful spiders.

Since the spiders that we used are translucent, they really pop on the windows.

After adding some spiders, the boys decided to add some more yarn to their spiderwebs. Which makes sense given that the web kind of ended abruptly as you can see...

Here's how the finished spiderweb looks like from the front or inside the sunroom where they are hanging.

And here's how it looks from outside. I think they'll look really great at night with some lights shining through them.

Didn't this giant sticky yarn spiderweb craft turn out great? I think so! It looks really cool hanging up in our window.

Kinetic Sand Spider Activity

Looking for spider activities for toddlers and preschoolers? This kinetic sand spider activity is a great way to develop fine motor skills and encourage sensory play.

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Kinetic sand is a great material to use to work on fine motor skills and even more fun to build with. From kinetic sand potato heads to this simple kinetic sand rainbow, the possibilities are endless. There are so many ways to get creative with kinetic sand!

And these kinetic sand spiders are one such example of how you creative you can get with kinetic sand.

While I'm not a spider person (like at all!), these kinetic sand spiders turned out so cute! And, more importantly, the kids had fun.

So grab some kinetic sand and a couple of basic craft supplies and give this kinetic sand spider activity a try.

What You'll Need for this Preschool Spider Activity

Like all of our kinetic sand activities, you don't need much in terms of materials. Here's what we used for this kinetic sand spider activity:

• Kinetic sand - This sparkly black kinetic sand would be ideal for this activity!

• Black pipe cleaners, cut in half

• Googly eyes - Any size works really.

You can set out all the materials as is and see what they create on their own. Or you can set the stage for making spiders by creating the spider body first.

Making Spiders with Kinetic Sand is a Great Fine Motor Activity!

First, you need to roll the kinetic sand into a large ball. Pack it tightly so it holds its shape.

Then simply let the kids decorate with pipe cleaner legs and googly eyes. You might have to remind your kids to press the materials in gently because if you press too hard, the ball of kinetic sand may break apart. But that's okay if it does. You can simply squish all the kinetic sand back together and start over.

Your kids can add the pipe cleaner legs by poking them into the side of the kinetic sand ball. One leg, two legs...six more to go!

Keep adding eyes and legs until the spider is complete. Ta da! Isn't it cute?

At this point, the kids might try playing with and moving the finished spider around. It's a bit fragile. After all, an eyeball popped off this spider during play.

But the good news is that the kids can always build and rebuild as many spiders as they'd like. Maybe they try building a different sized spider the next time around. Or maybe they bend the pipe cleaners into new poses before adding it to the kinetic sand. There are lots of possibilities here.

What do you think? Will you be giving this kinetic sand spider activity a try with your kids? It would make an awesome Halloween activity even.

F is for Flight of the Bumblebee (The ABCs of Music for Kids)

Music activities for kids inspired by "The Flight of the Bumblebee."

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"The Flight of the Bumblebee" is one of those amazing pieces of classical music that a lot of people can quickly identify.  And if not, they can probably hear how it sounds like a buzzing bumblebee.  However, a lot of people think it is a stand alone song.  It's not.  It is an interlude for an opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov called The Tale of Tsar Saltan.

That's all fine and dandy, but most toddlers and preschoolers aren't going to care that it's from an opera.  So here are some suggestions of how to study "The Flight of the Bumblebee" with little kids, including two free printables!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

1. Combine music and art to make this adorable bumblebee craft.

You can see how we made this craft here.

Here are some other cute bee crafts that you could try making while listening to the music:

• Paper Plate Bumblebee (Teach Preschool)
• Bumblebee Craft (Teach Preschool)
• Free Printable Bumblebee Craft (Learn, Create, Love)
• Queen Bee Handprint Craft (Craftulate)
• Paper Plate Bumblebee (Craftulate)

2. Make a composer craft stick puzzle using an image of the composer, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. 

I used an image of Rimsky-Korsakov that I found here.  I also wrote the composer's name on the edges of the craft sticks to add a literacy component.  However, the literacy component is optional.  I made this puzzle the same way that I did the greeting card puzzles.

3. Explore the sound of bees with this simple buzz basket activity.

Read this bee book about a bee who loses his buzz.  Then have the kids use their ears to pick out what makes a buzzing noise.

4. Fly some pool noodle bees to mimic the music.

The boys and I flew our pool noodle bees around while listening to a recording of "The Flight of the Bumblebee" from this cd.  I encouraged the boys to mimic the music while flying their bees (e.g., flying high when the music went higher, matching the tempo of the song to how fast they flew their bees, etc.).

You can also do this activity using a bee pouch cap finger puppet (from Lalymom) or while wearing a bee headband (from Things to Share and Remember).

Or try playing a game of "Freeze, Bees!" using the pool noodles bees.  Ashley of Momma Doo shared this adorable Freeze, Bees game.  Simply fly the bees around when the music is playing, but stop when the music stops. 

5. Make a bee themed craft stick and write some song inspired words in the salt tray.

Since J is reading, I offered him some of my printable Flight of the Bumblebee music word cards and set up the salt tray.  The words range from music to opera to bumblebee.  They're words that relate to the type of music and or title and composer of the song.  Then using the bee themed craft stick (I just colored stripes and a face onto a yellow craft stick), J practiced his writing and reading skills.  I also played a recording of "The Flight of the Bumblebee" from this cd while he drew in the salt tray.

You can download the free printable here.  There are simple and more complex cards included to accommodate different ages and abilities.

If you have a younger child, then you may wish to encourage them to write letters with the bee stick instead of the words.

I would have loved to use cute bee cards like Suzy Homeschooler did here.  Or, as an alternative to a salt tray, try this sight word smack (also from Suzy Homeschooler), using the music words instead of sight words.

6. Trace bumblebee flight patterns using this free printable.

Grab the free printable and encourage your toddler or preschooler to trace the bee's flight patterns.  You can again pair this activity with a recording of "The Flight of the Bumblebee" from this cd.

After J traced all the lines, he wrote the word "bumblebee" on a piece of paper.  And this was from memory since the word was no where in sight for him to copy!

Be sure to grab the free printable here!

7. Explore tempo and learn about different instruments by watching YouTube videos of "The Flight of the Bumblebee."

After watching the suggested videos, encourage your child to find the corresponding instrument using either the instruments from the Symphony in B or the Instruments Toob from Safari Ltd.  Doing so will help your child learn to identify particular instruments and their sounds.

• Guitar version.  This particular video is a good video to explore tempo as he is a world record holder for the fastest guitar player and plays "The Flight of the Bumblebee" at progressively faster speeds.
• Trumpet version
• Flute version
• Piano version.  Please note that there is a clip of a pole dancer at the beginning of this video.  And the kids might particular enjoy this version as it's played by a kid!

8. Listen to "The Flight of the Bumblebee" while exploring some bee themed sensory activities.

If you have a younger child, perhaps a baby, then some of the above activities may not be age appropriate.  Well, you can always play "The Flight of the Bumblebee" (I suggest this cd) while they try one of these bee themed sensory activities:

• Beehive Pretend Play with Baby (House of Burke)
• Honey Bee Sensory Bin (Sugar Aunts)
• Bumblebee Felt Board Play (Rockabye Butterfly)
• Bee Sensory Bin (The Good Long Road)

Return to The ABCs of Music for Kids page.

Painting to Music Bumblebee Craft for Kids

Have you tried painting to music before? Well, this adorable bumblebee craft is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers and was inspired the classical song Flight of the Bumblebee.

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With my piano background and my passion for teaching music, I love to do music inspired activities and crafts with my kids. And we've done quite a few over the years already.

Recently, we did a fun preschool and toddler Flight of the Bumblebee music study. We ended up making these painted sheet music bumblebees, which I think are totally cute.

So whether you're looking for Flight of the Bumblebee ideas for kids or a craft for a preschool insect theme, you're going to love this painting to music bumblebee craft. It's great for kids of all ages, even toddlers and preschoolers.

Bumblebee Craft for Kids: What You'll Need

Here's what you'll need for this simple bee craft:

• Sheet music from Flight of the Bumblebee - You can grab a copy here and pick anything you'd like (I went with a piano version)

• A recording of the Flight of the Bumblebee - Here's a recording of it on YouTube

• Black & yellow washable paint & paint brushes - To paint the bee's body

• Scissors - To cut out the bumblebee's body

• Vellum - For the bee's wings

• Brad fastener - To attach the bee's wings to the body

• Googly eyes - So our little bees can see what they're doing

• White craft glue - To attach the eyeballs to the bee's face

• Sharpie permanent marker - Because every cute little bee needs a smile on its face

Set out the sheet music, paint, and paint brushes for your kids. Next, turn on some Flight of the Bumblebee music to set the mood and then you're ready to paint a cute bee or two.

Making Adorable Little Bees While Painting to Music

It's so interesting, to me at least, to see how J and K approach an art project like these painting to music bee crafts. They approach things so differently. J, for instance, in true hyperlexia fashion, started off by painting out the words "The Bumble Bee."

He also wrote "the waters" and the number 33 onto what will eventually be the body of this little bee project. He later picked up speed, painting the sheet music like crazy. Perhaps to match the music he was painting to? I'm not sure. Yet, somehow he stayed almost completely clean and paint free. Not sure how he managed that!

K, on the other hand, got reeeeeally messy while painting his bumble bee craft. He's a toddler, what else can I say.

The Finished Bumblebee Crafts

Once the paint is dry, it's time to finish off these little bumble bees. 

First, I cut out bumblebee shapes from their paintings. I then cut out two wings out of vellum for each bee. Then I fastened them to the bee body using a brad fastener, which means the wings can rotate. Then I drew a smile with a black Sharpie and glued a googly eye onto each bee.

Here's K's adorable bumble bee craft.

And here is J's finished bumblebee craft. You can sort of see the number 33 still on its body.

Other Simple Crafts for Kids You'll Love

Easy Suncatcher Tulip Craft for Kids

Abstract Window Art for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Washi Tape Flower Pot Craft for Kids

Building Spiderwebs on the Light Table

I know that I've been posting a lot of light table activities lately, but the boys have really been enjoying the new light table.  And I can't really blame them.  Playing on the light table is fun.  Plus, I have been finding a lot of cool materials for them to play with, including some colorful spiders.  So we built some spiderwebs in this simple Halloween themed light table activity for kids.

Spider Themed Light Table Activity for Kids

I found some colorful spider string lights at the dollar store recently.  Each string of lights cost $2.  I wasn't planning on hanging spider lights around my house as I don't really like spiders that much.  Instead, I wanted to pull the spiders off of the individual lights so that they could go on the light table.  And it worked like a charm because they look pretty cool on the light table.

I placed some cut up pieces of yarn on the light table along with the spiders so that the boys could build some spiderwebs.  You could also have your child help cut up the yarn for some good scissor practice.

J initially used the yarn to make letter spiderwebs for the spiders.  You can see his letter C below.

K used a blob-and-go kind of approach.  He grabbed a handful of yarn, placed it on the light table, and put a spider on top.  Voila!  Instant spiderweb!

K also enjoyed adding multiple spiders to one web.

Then J started using the entire light table to make a really large spiderweb for all of the spiders to happily live and play on.

This activity was such a fun way to introduce spiders to the boys.  And it makes a great activity for Halloween since that's coming up pretty quickly!

Other Ideas You'll Love

100+ Light Table Activities for Kids

Kinetic Sand Spiders

Spider Sensory Play on the Light Table