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Painting with Bugs, literally!

20 October 2009 4 Comments

I think this was one of my kids favorite activities so far. We went outside to one of our flower pots by the pool where we can easily find bugs, frogs, geckos, etc. gathered a couple worms, grubs, a beetle and an earwig. Going on a bug hunt was fun! Then we dipped them in paint and watched them move.

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Supplies needed:

Half a dozen or so different types of bugs

Tweezers, paint covered bugs are slippery!

Different colors of water soluble paint – so the bugs can live through this experience.

Paper

What to do: drop an insect into paint, drop them on the paper and repeat with different bugs and colors.

Learning Opportunities:

Make predictions about which bugs would be the fastest. Were they? We predicted that the beetle would be the fastest. The paint, however, made the beetle really sluggish while the worms, if they were really wet, would move very fast across the paper. As they dried a bit they slowed down considerably.

Make a graph of the fastest bugs and their accomplishments, chart the fastest and the slowest bugs. Does the bugs speed change if you mix the paint with water or with oil?

Dip a bug in blue paint and drop it where there previously was a red or yellow bug trail, does the new bug’s squirming introduce new colors by mixing the paints?

How do the various bugs move? What does a worm do to move compared to a grub or a beetle? Can you see the foot prints of the bugs?

What does the bug do when touched? Does it curl up into a ball? Does it bunch itself up? Does it run? Does it freeze?

How are bugs different from animals? people? cars?

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Hope you enjoy exploring with paint and bugs!

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This activity is part of our insect/bug learning unit. For more activities click the link below:

4 Comments »

life laugh latte said:

Hi there,
Love the bug painting idea. So funny. I supposed you used the disclaimer that no bugs were hurt during this project:) lol Anyway, happen to go back a few posts and saw a new name…YOURS. We did a post on the t-shirt making for kids. Always happy to be a guest blog. So feel free anytime to use one of our ideas and send a shout out back to our blog. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you’ll come for a visit again sometime soon. Holly at lifelaughlatte.blogspot.com

# 21 October 2009 at 1:09 am

Heidi said:

Thanks for linking this up to the Homeschool Highlight Reel at Work & Play, Day by Day! I have never been over to your site before and it seems you have lots to offer. I will be back soon to visit again!

Thanks,
Heidi
http://www.notahomeschooler.blogspot.com

# 24 October 2009 at 8:00 am

Heidi said:

Sorry if this is a repeat! I thought I posted it, but I’m not sure so I’m reposting! Thank you for linking this project up to the Homeschool Highlight Reel at Work and Play Day by Day! It looks like I will be back to see more, you have a beautiful site here with many useful ideas. I hope you will participate again, I am sure many of my readers would be interested to see your sight!

Thanks,

Heidi
http://www.notahomeschooler.blogspot.com

# 24 October 2009 at 8:16 am

Finer Things Friday: Pumpkin Patch | The Finer Things in Life said:

[...] Audra @ Rediscovering Domesticity (Baby Sleeps!)44. Mother Hen (Busy Little Boys)45. Penny46. QuirkyMomma – Playing with bugs47. Bonnie (Fall [...]

# 25 October 2009 at 9:09 pm