Kids love learning about insects! Who wouldn’t be intrigued by creepy, crawly, flying little creatures?! While some kids are easily spooked and others are just curious about six- and eight-legged bugs, they will all be drawn to this easy slime recipe! Create the basic slime recipe together for a little science lesson on mixtures, then stock it with a variety of toy insects for hours of exploration and learning.
Recommended Grade Level:
- Supply List
- Coordinating Activities
Insect Slime Ingredients:
- Green glitter glue (6 oz.)
- 1/2 T. baking soda
- 1 T. contact solution
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Plastic mat
- Toy insects
Insect Theme in Preschool
INSECT ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS
INSECT PRESCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE A GREAT WAY TO LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN, FROM THE TINIEST CREATURES TO THE LARGEST.
Hands-on activities are the best way to engage early learners in a variety of topics, from math activities to reading and science. This bug theme slime comes together easily and allows for plenty of sensory exploration.
Using a slime recipe that’s easy and quick to make is ideal. Children will love mixing the slime, green and gooey, as much as playing with the insects within it.
Learning about insects helps kids understand the world around them. Investigating the tiniest creatures helps students form important understandings about life, habitat, life cycles, and more.
Using the sensory bin to act as a vehicle to explore all kinds of themes makes learning engaging and fun for little ones.
In addition to creating the slime recipe with contact solution and glue, students can begin to work on other important skills while identifying insects:
- Can you describe the color/shape/other characteristics of the insect?
- Which one is the biggest/smallest/longest/fattest?
- Do some insects share characteristics?
- What body parts can you label?
What Can Preschoolers Learn While Making A Slime Recipe with Glue?
EASY RECIPE FOR SLIME
THIS EASY SLIME RECIPE WITH GLUE AND CONTACT SOLUTION IS WAY MORE THAN SOMETHING GOOPY TO PLAY WITH.
Mixing slime is an opportunity to learn a bit about science:
- Solution
- Mix vs. Separate
- Ingredients
- Soluble/Insoluble
Why Is It Important For Kids To Explore With Their Senses?
Children are naturally curious about everything around them. Sensory exploration helps activate the brain in multiple areas and create important pathways for future learning.
Because you can incorporate sensory play into virtually any topic, it is a great opportunity for kids to build background knowledge while engaging the senses.Background Knowledge
Oral language development is a crucial foundational skill for learning to read. Sensory experiences provide a natural way to encourage talking, new vocabulary, and social development.Language
Open-ended activities, like playing with slime, are a great way to engage kids with creativity and problem solving in ways they don’t soon forget.Creativity
Tactile experiences engage multiple areas of the brain, which then promotes thinking skills, memory, and observational skills as well.Brain Connections
How To Make The Insect Theme Slime
How to Make Green Slime Insect Theme for Preschool
Step One:
Protect the work surface with a piece of construction paper. Pour the glue into the bowl. This recipe requires a little more than 1/2 cup of glue.
Step Two:
Add the baking soda and stir well until combined.
Step Three:
Pour in the contact lens solution and stir until slime becomes stretchy. (Note: Your slime will feel sticky at first and it will seem like there’s too much saline solution. However, keep kneading the slime activators and it will get to the desired consistency! I did not have to add any extra solution to this recipe. You may also add food coloring if desired.)
Step Four:
When the slime and contact solution reach a desired consistency, it’s play time!
Step Five:
Add the plastic bugs and enjoy! Store slime in an airtight container.
Extend the Activity:
Insect Crafts
Insect crafts are a great way to display life cycles or insect characteristics. Crafts can teach about color, symmetry, or traits.
Scavenger Hunt
What better way to explore bugs than with a magnifying glass, jar, and an outdoor space! Kids love going on the hunt for bugs.
Sorting
After children extract the toy bugs from the slime, ask them to sort by color, shape, or characteristics. This encourages observation and language.
More Activities You’ll Love:
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Easy Bug and Butterfly Theme Lesson Plan for Preschool
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Butterfly Life Cycle Science, Math and Literacy K-1BUNDLE
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Kim StatenOwner and Curriculum Designer
Kim Staten is a mother of four children ages 20, 19, 16, and 12. Kim has taught at the preschool, kindergarten and early elementary levels for 16 years. With extensive experience working with special needs children, including her own children with special needs (Rett Syndrome, autism, anxiety, and ADHD), she creates hands-on curricula and activities that are great for working with children of all abilities in the classroom and at home. Hands-on, accessible activities are her passion.
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Preschool TeacherPreschool OwnerDaycare OwnerHomeschoolParentingToddlersPreschoolersSpecial Needs EducationSpecial Needs ParentingRett Syndrome
