11 Creative Insect And Bug Crafts For Kids, With Images

Insects and bugs might not always be pleasant, but these arthropods are essential to the food chain. So, introduce them to the best insect and bug crafts for kids to teach them how relevant these crawlies are. Besides, your children might also develop an interest in learning about insect habits and bug catching, furthering their education and career in that relevant field.

Check out a list of the best insect and bug crafts here and try them with your children.

In This Article

11 Insect And Bug Crafts For Kids

1. Clay caterpillar craft

Image: IStock

You Will Need:

  • Green, black, and white clay

How To:

  • Provide your kindergartner some green clay and tell her to make small green balls out of it.
  • Press and join all green balls in a row creating a caterpillar.
  • Make two small balls out of white clay and smaller ones out of black clay, and place the black ones on the white on the green head creating the eyes of the caterpillar.

In her blog, Mom Learning With Baby, Kinshoo writes about all the fun learning activities she embarks on with her son, Darsh. She says she often has to come up with fun activities to keep her hyperactive toddler busy and entertained. Playing with Play-doh and making crafts is one of the ways she’s been keeping Darsh busy. She says, “We were reading the story of The Hungry Caterpillar and so he wanted to make a caterpillar. It was fun to make colorful balls and piece them together. We then made legs and attached all of them together (i).”

protip_icon Quick fact
Crafting activities can be a fun and creative way for children to express themselves and explore their interests. It can also help them develop fine motor abilities, eye-hand coordination, and problem-solving skills.

2. Woollen butterfly craft

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • Six medium-sized woolen balls dark pink in color
  • Light pink chenille stems
  • A pair of wiggle eyes
  • Small yellow and blue woolen balls
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • A red craft paper

How To:

  • Arrange six medium-sized pink woolen balls in a row on a red craft paper and paste them with each other and on the red sheet by using the glue. The row of pink balls forms the body of the butterfly.
  • Cut light pink chenille stems, and use them to create a pair of wings around the body of the insect as you see in the image.
  • Also, develop a couple of antennae by using small pieces of pink chenille stems.
  • Glue a pair of wiggle eyes on the first pink ball as the eyes of the butterfly.
  • Make small balls of blue and yellow wool and embellish the wings of the insect by pasting them in the wings’ space.

3. Clay snail craft

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • Green, blue, black, and white clay
  • Chenille stems
  • Scissors

How To:

  • Make the snail’s external shell by casting the green clay round. Place the green shell on the body of the snail.
  • Create small white balls out of white clay and stick them over the body of the snail.
  • Make small black balls out of the black clay and place them on the shell of the insect. You can also make eyes of the snail by using the black and white clay balls.
  • Cut small pieces of the chenille stem and stick them on the head of the snail as you see in the image and little creepy crawlies are ready!
protip_icon Quick tip
You can use leftover green clay and chenille stems to make trees and leaves. These can then be attached to the snail to add an interesting and natural element to the decoration.

4. Beaded dragonfly craft

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • White, blue, and black beads
  • Long threads

How To:

  • Thread the white beads through two similar length strings and tie these beaded strings horizontally adjacent to each other developing the body of the butterfly.
  • Thread in the blue beads through four loops of strings and create one wing of the insect using two circular beaded loops as you see in the image. Similarly, make the other wing of the insect with the help of another pair of circular loops.
  • Create the eyes of the butterfly by using two black beads.

5. Clay ladybug craft

Image: IStock

You Will Need:

  • Red, black, and white clay

How To:

  • Create an oval shape out of the red clay forming the red body of the ladybug.
  • Remove a bit of one of the narrow ends of the oval body and replace it with semi-circular shaped black earth developing the head of the insect.
  • Make small balls out of the black clay and place them on the red body of the bug.
  • Create four legs of the ladybug by using the black clay.
  • Make small circular balls out of the white clay and place them on the black head of the bug. Complete the eyes by placing two little black clay spots on the white eyes. This is one of the simple and quick bug crafts for toddlers to make using simple materials.

6. Button ant craft

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • Three black buttons such that one is oval, and two others are circular, and one button is the smallest.
  • Red thread
  • Needle
  • A black marker
  • Glue
  • White paper sheet

How To:

  • Use needle and thread and thread in the red string through the four holes of each button making a cross on each one of them.
  • Glue the smallest circular button on the white paper sheet, the medium circular button next to it vertically downwards, and the oval one next to the circular one in a row as you see in the image.
  • Draw the pairs of legs and antenna of the ant surrounding the button body of the insect by using a black marker.

protip_icon Point to consider
Give your child the freedom to explore their creativity and try new things. It can help them learn the value of autonomy and responsibility, as they can make decisions and see the results of their choices.

7. Bee craft from clay

Image: IStock

You Will Need:

  • Yellow, black, white, and orange clay

How To:

  • Shape five flat round balls out of the black and yellow clay such that one black ball is the broadest, two yellow balls and one black ball are a bit smaller than the widest circle, and one yellow ball is the smallest of all as you see in the image.
  • Arrange the clay balls next to each other in a row with the broadest in the middle and narrowest at the end as you observe in the picture. The round balls make the body of the bee.
  • Make the head of the insect by using a round black ball.
  • Shape the white clay flat in four pieces to create the wings of the bee as you see in the figure.
  • Create small legs and antennae of the bee with the help of black clay.
  • Shape two yellow and black clay balls and form a pair of eyes.
  • Add a smile out of the orange clay to complete the fun bee craft. This is one of the easy bug crafts for preschoolers to make using clay.

8. Paper cicada craft

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • Green square craft paper
  • A pair of wiggle eyes
  • Glue

How To:

  • Place the square green craft paper on the table with the green side downwards and its corners in the north-south directions.
  • Fold the paper into half horizontally making a green triangle.
  • Fold the right and left corners vertically upwards and make a green square shape with the corners at the top and bottom.
  • Now, fold the outer upper green ends down as you see in the image.
  • Fold the remaining top ends of the paper down.
  • Now, fold the right and left corners inside completing the cicada craft.
  • Glue two wiggle eyes on the upper part of the work.

9. Footprint butterfly craft

Image: IStock

You Will Need:

  • Pink paint
  • Little water
  • A big flat container
  • A white drawing sheet
  • Black sketch pen

How To:

  • Put the pink color in a big flat bowl and add a little water to it.
  • Now, guide your kid to draw the body, face, and antennae of the butterfly on the white paper using a black sketch pen.
  • Tell the kindergartner to place her right foot in the pink paint in the container and make a footprint on the left of the insect’s body with the toe outside creating one of the wings.
  • Tell your child to place her left foot in the pink paint and make a footprint on the right of the butterfly with the toe again outwards forming the other wing. This is one of the best insect crafts for preschoolers which can be made with the things around the house.

You may also try making grasshoppers and fireflies using the same craft idea.

10. Pompom chenille spider craft

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • One black hair pompom
  • Wiggle eyes
  • Glue
  • Orange chenille stems
  • Scissors

How To:

  • Use a fluffy black tuft as the body of the spider.
  • Glue a pair of wiggle eyes in the front of the pompom.
  • Use scissors and cut eight small legs of the spider out of the orange chenille stems.
  • Glue four pairs of legs with four legs on the either side of the spider using the glue. You can also try making a spider web with some wool.

11. Light up firefly craft

You Will Need:

  • Flameless LED tealight
  • Transparent or semi-transparent plastic easter eggs
  • Colorful markers
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Craft pipe cleaners
  • Googly eyes

How To:

  • Use markers to create designs on the easter egg that resemble a firefly.
  • Open the egg and put the flameless LED tealight in it. You can use glue to fix it in place.
  • Cut craft pipe cleaners in the shape of an inverted comma or a bug’s antenna and paste it on one side of the egg.
  • Stick two googly eyes below the antennas.
  • Create two small wings with the craft pipe cleaner and stick at the side of the egg.
  • Switch on the LED tealight before closing the plastic easter egg.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I make bugs out of recycled materials?

Cardboard, plastic bottles, thermocol, bottle caps, toilet paper rolls, wine corks, and egg cartons are some of the waste items that you can use to make bugs for your children. Colored pens, glitters, beads, paints, and googly eyes are some easily available craft accessories that you can use to make the bug more realistic and fun for young children.

2. How do I make a kids’ bug catcher?

You can make a bug catcher using cardboard, jars, bottles, and bowls. Accessorize with materials such as googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and clay. To make a jar-style trap, paint the lid red, poke holes, and outline it with black paint. Add googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennas to the jar, then attach the lid.

3. How can insect and bug crafts help children learn about different species?

Experimenting with making different insect-inspired crafts can help children learn about various insects we find in our environment and their habitats. Crafts are a great way for children to have fun while learning new information. Children get to learn about the insects’ features and anatomy as well.

4. How can insect and bug crafts enhance children’s creativity and imagination?

Crafts can boost children’s creativity and let them transform the visuals in their heads into reality. Children can take inspiration from books and the internet and try making their versions of bugs and insects arts. This process lets them explore their imagination in a productive way.

5. Are there any insect and bug crafts that can be made using natural materials found in the environment?

Yes, any insect and bug crafts can be made using natural materials like twigs, leaves, petals, sand, dry grass, and coconut shells. You may incorporate these materials to create an environment-friendly insect and bug craft.

6. How can insect and bug crafts be used to teach environmental awareness and conservation?

Insect and bug crafts are a fun way to make children understand the importance of insects in the food chain and environment. Along with crafts, children can also be shown videos and movies related to insects and bugs, expanding their knowledge and keeping them interested in learning more.

Insects and bug crafts for kids are easy ways to keep them occupied in their free time. Making crafts such as clay caterpillars, woolen butterflies, clay snails, beaded dragonflies, clay ladybugs, button ants, clay bees, paper cicada, footprint butterflies, and pom chenille spider using various materials and colors can help nurture the creative side of your children. It may also help your children learn the specifications and names of various insects and bugs. You may give basic instructions and let them use their imaginations to create the crafts.

Infographic: Beautiful Insect And Bug Craft Ideas For Children

Children love small and shiny things, so getting attracted to tiny and colorful bugs, from butterflies to ladybugs, is natural for them. So, use the beautiful and creative insect and bug craft ideas from the infographic below to help your little ones unleash their creativity while making crafts of their favorite creatures.

creative and easy to make insect crafts for children (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

Key Pointers

  • Bugs and insects play a crucial role in maintaining the food chain.
  • Craft activities offer a fun way to introduce kids to bugs and insects.
  • These activities enhance children’s fine motor abilities, eye-hand coordination, and problem-solving skills.
  • Crafting also provides an opportunity to teach children about the anatomy of insects and bugs.
Insect And Bug Crafts For Kids_illustration

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team


Let’s make a 3D Ladybug Craft! Check out this interesting video on how to make a fun and easy paper craft for kids. Unleash creativity and enjoy the artistic adventure!

Personal Experience: Source

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