Ladybug Crafts for Kids

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Ladybug Rock Creatures Craft for Kids - Also try making other insects, spiders,  and bugs using the same techniques.

What you will need: Smooth Beetle Bug shaped rocks (we got ours from a  landscaping company), Red Paint Black, Pipe cleaners for antennas (Chenielle stems) glue movable eyes (any size you want to use), Clear spray paint (if you are going to use them outside)

What to do:

1. Wash the rocks removing all dirt particles let dry.
2. Paint and let dry.
3. When completely dry spray with a clear spray paint if you are going to use them outside.
4. Glue on antennas and eyes.

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Ladybugs with Movable Wings Craft for Kids

What you will need: Black and red poster board, oval movable eyes, something for the nose and mouth, two paper fasteners (the shorter ones), pipe cleaners and pompoms for the antennae, and glue.

What to do:

Print out the free (Large file or small file) and cut out.

1. Draw the outline of the pattern on black poster board and cut out.
2. Cut the head off the pattern and trace onto red poster board. 
3. Cut the red circle in half to form the wings. Cut out small circles from the black poster board and glue to the wings.
4. Position the wings on the body and poke holes through the wings and body in the place indicated on the pattern with something sharp.
4. Poke paper fasteners through the holes so that  the wings will move up and down. Glue on mouth, eyes, nose and antennae.

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Paper Ladybug Craft for Kids

What to do:

1. Print out the ladybug pattern onto red or yellow paper (Large file or small file) and cut the pattern out on the solid lines. Also cut the solid white line on the face.
2. Draw spots on the ladybug, then glue the pattern together at the darts. To assemble, glue the darts so that the solid-line sides of the darts overlap to cover the dotted-line sides of the darts (See diagram).
3. Have your children cut out six legs and antenna to glue onto the body. To finish, glue on two googly eyes to the face.

 

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Vedalia, The Helpful Ladybug - Printable Book

In the early 1890's California farmers discovered a serious problem with their citrus trees. Tiny little creatures called cottony cushion scale were destroying their trees. The cottony cushion scale had inadvertently been imported from Australia. Australian farmers didn't have a problem with the insects because they had a natural enemy, the Vedalia ladybug beetles. Australia sent hundreds of ladybugs to California to help the farmers control the cottony cushion scale. Within two years the ladybugs had eaten enough cottony cushion scale to save the farmers' trees.

"Vedalia, The Helpful Ladybug" is a children's story based on this real life event. Vedalia, clumsy little ladybug, wants more than anything to follow God's teaching and to be helpful, but she never seems to get things right no matter how hard she tries. One day she discovers a newspaper article that tells about the problem in California. She realizes that she can help the farmers. She and her family become one of the over 500 ladybugs that are sent to California to help save the farmers' trees.

This book is available to members only. Go to the Book Printing Page for directions and links.

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Helpful Ladybug Activity and Color Sheet - This activity sheet can be used for many purposes:

1. Reward Poster - Have your children color in a spot each time they accomplish a task. This activity sheet was designed to go along with the printable book, "Vedalia, The Helpful Ladybug." The activity sheet can be used to help your children learn to be helpful. Each time they do something to help others, they can color in one spot on the ladybug.

2. Writing Numbers and Counting - Have your children count the ladybug's spots as they write numbers on each spot.

3. Review Numbers, Letters, or Words with a Matching Game - Help children learn their numbers, letters, or new words with a matching game. Cut small circles the same size as the ladybug's spots from card stock. Write letters, words, or numbers on the circles. Make enough copies so that you have a set for each child. Write matching letters, numbers, or words on the ladybug sheets. Place the circles facedown on a table in front of your children. Have your children take turns turning over a circle. The children should place the circles they turned over on top of the matching spot on their ladybug pictures. If they already have a circle covering the matching spot, they should turn the circle back over and try again on their next turn. The child who covers all his circle first wins.

4. Review Numbers, Letters, or Words Bingo Game - Write letters, numbers, or words in the spots on the Ladybug Activity Sheets. Use different combinations of letters, numbers, or words on each sheet. Write all the letters, numbers, or words you have used on the activity sheets on small circles cut from card stock. Put them all in a bag or box and mix them up. Pick one at a time out of the bag and call out the letter, number or word written on the circle. The children should place a marker such as a button on the spot on their ladybug with the matching letter, number, or word. If they don't have that letter, number, or word on their ladybug, they do nothing. The child who covers all his or her spots first wins.

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The Grouchy Ladybug Learning Activities

1. "The Grouchy Ladybug" Ordinal numbers Activity - Read "The Grouchy Ladybug" by Eric Carle. Tell your students to try to remember the order in which the grouchy ladybug visited each animal. After you have read the story, give each child a set of animal cards (Pictures of all the animals in the story - Patterns available on the Members Only Section) and see if he can place them in order. Or you can give each child one animal from the set. Read the story again so the children can check their answers. Then have them place the ordinal number cards next to the matching picture. If you have older children, have them write the names of the animals on a sheet of paper in order.

2. Make a puppet skit - Glue pictures of each animal in the story onto craft sticks to make puppets( Patterns available on the Members Only Section) Have your children make a puppet skit about the grouchy ladybug.

3. Make Ladybug snacks - Spread strawberry jelly on rice cakes to make the ladybug's body. Place raisins or chocolate chips on top for the spots.

4. Compound Word Bugs Game - Write the following words on cards: Lady, fire, yellow, walking, june, grass, bumble, wolf, cut, ear, swallow, butter. Write these words on a differnt color of cards: Bug, fly, jacket, stick, bug, hopper, bee, spider, worm, wig, tail, fly. (A pattern is available to members only.)

Mix the cards up and place one color on one side of the table and the other color on the other side of the table. Have your child try to match up a card from one side to a card from the other side to make compound words. Once your child knows which words go together play a concentration game. Turn all the cards over and take turns turning two cards over at a time. If they match, the player gets to keep them. The player who gets the most cards wins.

Draw compound bugs - Use the cards from the Compond Word Bug Game above. Mix up the cards and have your children pick two cards from each color group. Have them put them together to make a new type of bug, and draw a picture of the new type of bug.

5. Play a match game - Make ladybugs from red and black poster board.  Draw spots on the ladybugs so that you have two cards with the same pattern on each. Let the children help you match up the ones that look the same.

Memory Games - Make all the ladybug cards look different and play a memory game. Write math problems on half the cards and the answers on the other half. Have your children play concentration. You can also use these cards to review vocabulary words or any other things you happen to be teaching.

6. Play "Fly In and Out of the Window Little Ladybug" - Have the children stand in a circle holding hands. Pick a child, or more than one child if you have a lot of children, to be the ladybug. Keep singing the following song over and over until the "ladybug or ladybugs" find their way back to their place by weaving in and out of the children's arms around the circle. "Fly in and out the window, fly in and out the window, fly in and out the window little ladybugs." (Sent in by Nancy Foss)

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Ladybug Salad

What you need: Cherry tomatoes for wings, Raisins for feet and spots, Dates for head and body, Carrot slices for antennas

To Make:

1. Wash cherry tomatoes and carrots.
2. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Use one half of the  tomato for the wings. Slice the half tomato almost in half again lengthwise,  but leave it connected at the top. Clean out the seeds with a  spoon.
3. Stuff one date inside the tomato wings. Spread the wings a  little so the date shows through.
4. Place 6 raisins under the body to form the feet.
5. Cut one raisin in half and place half a raisin on top of each wing to form spots.
6. Cut off the end of a date to form the head of the bug and place on the body.
7. Cut very thin slivers of carrot for the antennas. Poke two holes in the date head where the antennas should be and shove a carrot sliver into the holes.
8. Place head on the body.

If you would like to know how to make the caterpillar and bumble bees for this salad go to the Cooking Page.

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Ladybug Cards or Invitations

What you will need:  Green paper, different colors of paper for the flower, red paper for the ladybug, markers, paper glue, and stamps.

What to do: 

1. Make your own leaf pattern as shown in the picture or print out the patterns. (Available to Members Only.)

2. Cut the leaf pattern from green paper, the flower pattern from different colors of paper, and the ladybug from red paper.  Draw black spots and a head on the ladybug.  Glue the flower to the center of the leaves, and the ladybug to the flower. Fold the leaves over the flower to make an envelope. Secure with ladybug stickers.

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Bug Pencil Toppers - You can make these as prizes or use them in the goody bags.  For directions go to the Bug and Insect Page.

Ladybug Candy Holder - Place these cute little ladybugs on each plate on a piece of lettuce. You can find directions for this craft on the Valentine’s Day Craft Page

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Ladybug refrigerator magnet craft with matching note papers - The ladybug magnet is made by pouring plaster of Paris in a plastic spoon mold. The head is a black pompom. The directions and pattern for this craft are available to members only.

 

Ladybug Posters from AllPosters.com .

New Ladybug Art Print Morrow, Anthony Buy at AllPosters.com

Mini Bugs IV Art Print Harding, Sophie Buy at AllPosters.com

Lucky Bug Art Print Marrott,... Buy at AllPosters.com

Butterfly and Ladybug Art Print Rafuse, Will Buy at AllPosters.com

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