- Make an ant habitat. Find an area that has lots of ants, scoop them up along with some dirt or sand, and transfer them to a purchased ant habitat or a clear plastic shoe box and punch air holes into the lid. Stuff cotton into the air holes and securely tape on the lid. Then cover the box with a dark cloth. Once a week, use an eyedropper to place a small about of jelly or honey mixed with water through one of the air holes. Remember to replace the cloth whenever you are not observing the ants.
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- Ants are insects that have 3 body parts (head, thorax, abdomen), 2 antennae and 6 legs. Some have wings.
- Ants have antennae, like many insects, to sense their surroundings. Do we have antennae? What do we use to feel and understand our surroundings? (5 senses)
- Like bees, wasps, and termites, ants live in groups called colonies. Each ant has a job to do to support the existence of the colony.
- What do the ants do in their environment? Explore books or your habitat to find this out, and discuss.
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- Draw the outline of an anthill plus a few tunnels for each child. The children make the ants living there. Talk about “rooms” for the eggs, the larvae, pupae etc; the queen’s room; the soldiers protecting the nest; the workers, bits of food etc.
- Finger print ants: dip fingertip in paint or stamp pad. Print lots of ants with 3 touching body parts. When dry, add 2 antennae, 6 legs on each. Do some multiplication: Here we have 3 ants, with 6 legs each. Let’s count and see how many legs altogether.
- Make ant headbands with 2 pipe cleaners for antennae.
- Create an ant with 3 sections of an egg carton.
- Playdoh ants with toothpicks and pipe cleaners etc for antennae and legs. Make and “environment” on a paper plate with dirt, leaves, bits of bead etc.
- Sing “The Ants Go Marching One by One”
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