We have been enjoying watching the insects in our outdoor space as they hop, fly, crawl and jump. As part of our study of insects, we decided to try out some of their signature moves! We did this in the form of a relay race for House Table teams. Kids started out with grasshopper hops, then dragonfly backwards-flying (the only insects who can), next was butterfly fluttering, then caterpillar creeping, and finally doing the water boatman "back stroke".
It was a lot of fun and helped us appreciate the challenges and benefits of these insect moves. We hope to instill in kids knowledge about this fascinating animal groups as well as respect for little creatures - a sentiment best captured by poet Christina Rosetti:
Hurt no living thing
Ladybird, nor butterfly,
Nor moth with dusty wing,
Nor cricket chirping cheerily,
Nor grasshopper so light of leap,
Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,
Nor harmless worms that creep.
Of course while we teach your children to respect nature and look at the insects like scientists, we will kill mosquitoes and biting insects. And in the arachnid family, ticks are on the Most Wanted list...
Check out the pictures below of our racers during different stages of the racing! Ask your child which insect move they liked the best. And if you see an insect with your child, take a moment to observe and admire it, and then leave it be.
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