Ladybug On the Move: Extension Activities

Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Bringing the Sunshine about an art project you can play with inspired by Good Dog, Carl, and I’m excited to welcome Kris from Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers to wise owl baby:

There’s nothing quite like enjoying a good book with a child. That enjoyment can be made even more special with extension activities that help the story come to life for him or her.

One of my kids’ all-time favorite books (and mine, too!) is Ladybug on the Move, by Richard Fowler. We discovered this gem during our local library’s story time when my oldest (now almost 17) was a preschooler.

Part of the fun of this visually-appealing book is the die-cut ladybug that is included. She comes out of her little clear pocket on the front cover so that she can take the journey in and through – literally – the pages of the book with the reader.

Ladybugs – and insects, in general – are such a high-interest topic with kids that it’s easy to come up with lots of fun related activities to move the story off the pages of the book. First, explore facts about real-life ladybugs with your child using a book such as Are You a Ladybug, by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries (the whole Backyard Books series is incredibly well-done).

Enjoy some fun and tasty ladybug snacks together, such as:

·         Ladybug cupcakes

·         Ladybugs on a stick

·         Apple ladybug snacks

Enjoy making ladybug-themed crafts:

·         Variety of ladybug craft ideas

·         Adorable ladybug rock (be sure to scroll down to look at the ladybug salad idea)

·         Ladybug paper plate puppet

·         Ladybug (or insect) sensory box (this links includes lots of other great ladybug-themed ideas)

You can even order live ladybugs to observe for a little while or catch your own and observe them in a ladybug habitat.

Have you done any fun ladybug crafts or enjoyed any unique ladybug snacks lately? Do you have any great resources for more ladybug extension activities?

Visit Life Your Way to see all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants!