Insect Encounters

During this unit we started noticing bugs everywhere, as you always do when you're studying something. It was fun to watch the children catching little bugs and making friends with them---even more than usual. :) We seemed to find an unusual amount of grasshoppers. Sebby was so pleased when this one hopped onto his shoulder!

I bought a few crickets at the pet store for us to observe. They didn't chirp much but it was still fun to watch them hopping around. When we were done, we let them go (I hope they were grateful not to be fed to a tarantula or something!).

Here is Junie's bee! She brought it inside to show me and I couldn't believe it wasn't stinging her! She said, "He wouldn't sting me; he LOVES me!" I guess he did. Although the little girls did get stung by bees at other times during this unit. (And it didn't dampen their enthusiasm one bit!) Luckily none of us are allergic, so it's no big deal. (We mostly feel bad for the poor BEES!) You dab some bleach on the sting and it takes the pain right out. Do you know that trick? I still remember my mom doing it to me when I was young and the pain going away like magic. It still works. I wonder why? I've never heard about it it anywhere else.

Praying mantis! We love these.

Children all congregated around some interesting insect or other.