Insects Printables and Insect Activities

Check out this Insects Printables and Insect Activities for Kindergarten! I am so excited to introduce teachers to the easy-to-use Insect Print & Play Pack. It is just so easy to use because you just print what you need and teach with these play-based FUN activities. This printable and playable pack is designed to be teacher-friendly and student-friendly.

Insect Printables and Insect Activities with Ease

Now, here are the teacher charts and student insect printables. I project the chart in the back and use the front one as my learning guide. Students can use the front printable for writing prompts to integrate the learning activities to see what they know about insects.

Here is how the chart looks projected in my class via a smart board. This also works great for virtual learning. This is an initial learning activity where I am learning what my students know and understand about insects from the start. This is a great time to read a book about insects.

Realistic Insect Images Upgrade

Then, we got busy sorting pictures on a pocket chart into which images are insects and which are not insects. This image shows realistic image cards. Then, we went through the chart we made together and sorted the images for this pocket chart based on what we know is true about what is an insect and what is not an insect.

Next, we used one of these printables to reinforce what we learned about insects. This puts the images in the hands of the students.

Insect Printables with Integration Ideas

One of the joys of teaching is that you can integrate science into reading and writing. I love to use our science activities and printables during our ELA time. What an ideal insect printables and insect activities integration! Here is a writing activity we used and love.

One thing I love to do is use the teacher chart and insect cards here too. These cards provide a great tool to help guide writers. You can check out some of our work below.

Where Do Insects Live?

Then, the next section in this pack covers where insects live. Let’s face it, as adults we know insects seem to live everywhere. And we don’t want them to live everywhere. Although it grosses us out, kids think it is cool.

Again, easy to use insect activity with easy-to-prep materials. Here are the teacher charts for this topic as well as the student printables.

We completed the chart together on the smart board and my students fill in the blank boxes to match it on their insect printable on the bottom.

Then, students could grab an insect card from the initial chart and we use that to drive our writing here. This student grabbed a bee card. Then they wrote, “Bees live in a tree or under a rock.”

Then we can use these sorting pieces for pocket charts

This activity is a conversation we have. We knew some “bugs” walked across water or needed water, but none lived in the water. In fact, my students said they only see dead bugs floating in the water. We also knew bugs were not on the sun or moon.

As a class, we thought of some great things. We also knew that insects lived almost everywhere. We thought maybe insects hibernated when it was cold. Therefore, my students did not think they could live in an igloo. And students commented that they have never seen insects living inside fridges either, thank goodness.

Was I happy with my learners’ thoughts and how they processed information? Absolutely. Was every thought 100% accurate? No, but learning is an evolution. As we read more books about insects and learn more facts, we can change the cards around.

Why Do We Need Insects?

There are so many good reasons why we need insects. You can see the pocket chart sorting pieces. This is harder for students to understand. Then we use the insect cards to talk about the way different insects help. Most insects help in more than one way.

Here are some great examples you can keep in mind while teaching on this specific topic:

1. Pollination: Insects like bees, butterflies, and flies help to pollinate plants by transferring pollen from one flower to another. This helps plants to produce fruits, vegetables, and seeds that we eat.

2. Decomposition: Insects like beetles, ants, and worms help to break down dead plant and animal material, turning it into the soil. This process is important for the health of the ecosystem.

3. Pest Control: Some insects like ladybugs and praying mantises are natural predators of other insects that can damage crops and gardens. Eating these pests, they help to keep our plants healthy.

4. Food: In many cultures around the world, insects are eaten as a source of protein. Some examples of edible insects include crickets, grasshoppers, and mealworms.

5. Scientific Research: Scientists study insects to learn more about biology, ecology, and the environment. Insects can also be used to test the safety of new chemicals and drugs before they are used on humans.

In general, the class is not sure which insects help keep plants healthy. Bees make wax and honey, so that was easy. But they also pollinate flowers. And MOST insects are food for others.

What are the Parts of an Insect Activity?

Next, this pack also has parts of insect pocket chart pieces and a printable.

Packet Organization

Here is an image of all the parts printed out, cut, and organized in my favorite… colored baggies. Each section in this pack is color-coded to make it easy to use, store, and use again! This is a huge help with the management and sorting of these insect activities.

Want an Insect Printable Freebie?

Lastly, I have a FREEBIE for you! Check out this free insect printable.