Look for plastic ants at toy and craft stores.
Although most adults consider ants pests, preschoolers find them fascinating. Ants can lift up to 20 times their body weight and live together in highly organized colonies. They benefit the environment by eating dead organic matter. Spend a few days studying these social insects with your preschoolers. Use games, crafts and books to enhance learning.
Three-Dimensional Ant Crafts
Cut an egg carton into lengths with three segments to resemble an ant's body. Paint the egg cartons red or brown. Add pipe cleaners for legs and black dots for eyes.
Use play dough or clay to make three small balls. Join the balls with toothpicks to make the body of an ant, and add pipe cleaners or small sticks for the legs.
Painting Projects
Dip the children's thumbs in brown ink and make thumbprints on white construction paper. Add legs and eyes with a black marker. Add the ants to a diorama made from green paper to represent grass for a cute bulletin board or mural.
Cut circles out of brown construction paper. Glue three circles together to represent an ant's body. Paint the circles or glue coffee grounds on them to add interest.
Ant Snacks
Spread peanut butter or cream cheese on celery, graham crackers or a bagel. Add raisins to represent ants. Or, make marshmallow ants by pressing three small marshmallows together to form the ant's body. Add pretzel sticks for legs.
Ant Farm
Fill a clear or plastic jar with sand and add some ants from outdoors. Place a few small pieces of fruit or cracker crumbs on the sand for a food source. Mist the sand with a spray bottle filled with water. Secure a sheet of black construction paper around the bottle with a piece of tape. Cover the jar with a lid that has holes in it for air. Wait two to three weeks and then remove the black construction paper. The ants make tunnels that are apparent on the sides of the jars.
Tags: construction paper, ants make, black construction, black construction paper, body Paint, pipe cleaners
