The Ladybug Themed Activities were a lot of fun and the kids had a blast! They loved making paper plate ladybugs, learning about the life cycle of a ladybug, eating apple ladybug snacks and taking part in lots of fun and engaging Math & Literacy Centers.
Ladybug Themed Activities
Creative Space
Play dough, stamps, scissors, lacing beads and cards, puzzles and blocks are set out for the children to choose from, and get creative during this 30 minute period.
Ladybug Themed Circle Time
Every day during Circle Time we do the morning routine, which includes the Calendar and ‘Number, Color, Shape and Letter of the week’. We then read a story, sing a few songs and do a group activity.
On every Monday we change the ‘Classroom Helpers’ Classroom Jobs. Each child has a name card on a popsicle stick, and they get to choose their job of the week.
Ladybug Themed Circle Time Activities
Activity 1: Weekend News
Every Monday morning each child gets a chance to talk about their weekend and what they did. The children then draw a picture in the ‘weekend news’ journal, and the teacher writes down what they have said.
Activity 2: Have you ever held a ladybug?
Print out the Pictograph and the ladybug pictures. Hand out the ladybug pictures. Children color these and write their names in the space underneath. During Circle Time, ask the children if they have ever held a ladybug. Ask them to come and stick their ladybugs under either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on the pictograph.
Activity 3: Ladybug Balancing
Put some rice in a red balloon and draw ladybug patterns on it. During circle time, stick some masking tape on the ground (around a meter long) and let children walk, tiptoe, hop or walk backwards on the masking tape while balancing the ‘ladybug’ on their heads.
Activity 4: Save the Ladybug Relay Race
I found this awesome idea over at Queen of Theme Party Games. Head over there for some more fun ideas. In this game, the teacher will paint some buttons red, with black dots on them, and place them all over the room. Give each child a plastic spoon. Cut out a big leaf out of green construction paper and place this somewhere in the classroom. Now let the fun and games begin. Children find the ‘ladybugs’, put them on their spoons and take them back to the leaf. Have fun!
Activity 5: Ladybug, Ladybug, Where’s your spot?
Another awesome idea from Queen Theme Party Games. Choose one child as the designated ladybug. The child turns their back on the other children and close their eyes. One of the other children sneak up and take a spot. The child goes and sits back down with the others and hides the spot under them. Then all the children chant, Ladybug, Ladybug, what will you do? Someone took one spot, now let’s go see who!. The child who is the ladybug then turns around and gets three chances to guess who took it. If they guess right they get to be the ladybug again, if they guess wrong the person who took it gets to be the next ladybug.
Ladybug Themed Songs
Sixteen action songs and rhymes all about Ladybugs to get those bodies moving and grooving. Click on the image to head over to the post.
Ladybug Themed Books
Twenty-six of the best story picture books that are perfect for a theme all about Ladybugs. Click on the image below to read what these books are about.
Ladybug Themed Literacy Activities
Activity: Sequencing Activity
This Grouchy Ladybug just wants to fight! He meets all sorts of insects and animals on his journey, until he finally realizes that fighting isn’t all that fun. In this Grouchy Ladybug sequencing activity, your little learners will learn the names of lots of different insects and animals. They will also learn how to read an analog clock.
How to teach reading time on an analog clock:
Children should be able to read the hour and half hour markers on an analog clock by the age of 6. They should be able draw the corresponding times as well. Always remember though that all children develop at a different pace.
For a step-by step guide on teaching time to younger children, go over to this post at mathgenie.com.
The Grouchy Ladybug Sequencing Activity
What You Need:
- Sequencing Activity Sheets (clock and booklet)
- Pin Fasteners
- Scissors
- Glue
- A stapler
How to use this resource:
Read The Very Grouchy Ladybug or watch the read-aloud on YouTube here. Talk about what the ladybug ate and which animals and insects he met on his journey.
Show the children an analog clock and explain to them that the short hand on the clock points to the hour, and the long hand points to the minutes. Move the short hand and ask the children to tell you what time it is.
Prepare the booklets beforehand. Simply print out and staple together. Hand out the activity sheets with the clocks on them. Ask the children to look at an analog clock and copy the numbers in the correct places on their clocks and then to color the pictures.
Help the children to fasten the top part of the clock (with the arrow and ladybug on) with a paper fastener. And it’s time to start reading!
Start at 6 o’clock. The children open their books on the page of the Yellow Jacket. Ask them to ‘read’ the words out loud while pointing to it with their fingers. Then ask them to trace the word and color the picture. Continue like this until all the pictures have been colored and the words have been traced.
Center: CVC Words Center
Cut out and laminate the pictures. During center time, the children look at the pictures on the ladybugs, sound out the words and then put the correct wings on the ladybugs. When they are done, the children write the CVC words in the spaces provided.
I Get Grouchy Too! Class Book
CAsk the children what makes them grouchy while everyone is sitting on the mat. Hand out the pages of the ‘We get grouchy too!’ book. Children draw whatever makes them grouchy. The teacher asks them what they drew and write this underneath the pictures. Assemble the book, put the cover on, staple it and rad it to the kids. When you are done, it goes into the Library. The kids love coming back to these books.
Ladybug Themed Math Activities
Center 1: Ladybug Addition
Cut out and laminate the 20 ladybug addition cards. Cut out the black dots and laminate. Children look at the number of dots on the ladybug’s wing and add more dots on the other wing while counting on to ten. Once they get to ten, they count the number of dots they added and complete the addition sum.
Center 2: Trace the Numbers
Trace the numbers with whiteboard markers.
Center 3: Matching Cards
Simply cut out the cards and laminate. Give each child 4 cards, shuffle the rest and place it face down in the center. Children take turns to pick a card up. If they can match that card with one of theirs, they put it down in front of them and place one of the cards in their hands back on the pile. The child with the most pairs at the end wins.
Activity: Memory Game
Place the cards face down in the center of the circle (two different sets). Children move clockwise and pick a card up from each set. If the cards match, they keep them, if not, they put them back in the same place, face down. Continue until there are no cards left. The child with the most pairs win.
Ladybug Themed Art
I found this activity over at housingaforest.com. You will need paper plates, black yarn and red and black paint. Click on the image to head over to their blog for full instructions.
Ladybug Themed Science
Cut out and laminate the colored pictures. Stick them on the board in the correct order. Children color and cut out the black and white pictures and paste it in the correct order in the circle. Stick the circle on a paper plate. Hand out two half circles cut out of red paper. Use a hole punch and a split pin to connect all the pieces. Stick black dots on the ladybug’s wings.
Ladybug Themed Snack Idea
I found the idea for these Apple Ladybug Snacks over at allrecipes.com. You will need apples, raisins, pretzel sticks and peanut butter. Put these all together as seen in the picture, and enjoy!
Click on the images below to download the Ladybug Themed Math & Literacy Centers, Printables and Activities.
