This month the Virtual Book Club for Kids is reading books by one of my favorite nonfiction children’s authors, Gail Gibbons. Earlier this month I shared some ideas for using books by Gail Gibbons to inspire a little summer learning. Today I’m excited to share the activities we did for this theme.
For your convenience this post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Although we love many of the books by Gail Gibbons, it was very easy to choose Ladybugs as our book for this month. We’ve always been fans of ladybugs. Tinker’s first birthday was even a ladybug theme. (I couldn’t help but add a couple pictures of her party at the very end of this post, if you’d like to take a peak. She’s grown so much! )
Earlier this spring we also found tons of ladybugs around our home. We’ve been collecting, observing, and releasing them ever since. If you aren’t able to find ladybugs nearby, you can also order live ladybugs online. We did this for Tinker’s birthday, and all of the kids enjoyed it.
Ladybug Small World
We created a simple ladybug small world after reading the book a few times. Then we used the small world for pretend play and to retell main facts about ladybugs and the ladybug life cycle.
Materials
- Ladybug Life Cycle Stages 4-Piece Set
- Miniature ladybug toys
- Leaves (real and fake)
- Fake red flowers
- Twigs
Ladybug Invitation to Create
One morning I also set up this invitation to create. The kids used glue and the materials below to create different collages. I always enjoy seeing their creations!
Materials
- Card stock
- Tissue paper squares
- Red jewels
- Assorted ribbon pieces
- Small pompoms
- Confetti
Get a Full Week of Insect Theme Learning and Play
Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.
This set includes active hands-on learning ideas and the following printables:
1) Editable Name Bug Activity
2) Counting Insect Parts Diagram and Math Activity
3) Here is the Insect Emergent Reader (3 Variations)
4) Uppercase and Lowercase Alphabet and Hand Lens Letter Cards
5) Insect Life Cycle Recording Sheet
6) Insect Counting Puzzles (3 Variations)
7) Insect Patterning Cards
8) Insect Roll and Graph Games (2 Versions)
9) Insect Build A Word Mats
10) Lightning Bug Numbers Counting Activity
11) Insect Size Sorting Activity
12) Insect or Not an Insect Sorting Activity
Get Your Copy
Home Preschool Insect Theme Lesson Plans
Preschool Classroom Insect Theme Lesson Plans
Now that we’ve shared our activities with you, we’re excited to see what you came up with! Please link up your Gail Gibbons inspired posts to the blog hop linky below.
- Link up only posts inspired by Gail Gibbons’ books that share book inspired crafts, activities, recipes, etc. Any other posts will be deleted.
- Visit other blog posts on the linky and comment on or share the ones you love!
- Add our Virtual Book Club button to your post if you’d like.
Stop by and check out some of the other blogs that participate in The Virtual Book Club for Kids. Toddler Approved – Rainy Day Mum – Adventures in Reading with Kids – 3 Dinosaurs – Royal Baloo – The Educators’ Spin On It – Inspiration Laboratories – Pleasantest Thing – Edventures with Kids – Two Big Two Little – Playing With Words 365 – Kitchen Counter Chronicles – Outlaw Mom – Mommy and Me Book Club – Crafty Moms Share – No Twiddle Twaddle – The Good Long Road – Ready. Set. Read 2 Me – Reading Confetti – Mama Smiles – Juggling with Kids– Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas – Creekside Learning – Creative Family Fun – The Usual Mayhem – Teach Preschool – PlayDrMom – CraftoArt – Here Come the Girls – Being a Conscious Parent – Smiling like Sunshine – Crayon Freckles – Train Up a Child – Smile Play Learn – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom – Coffee Cups and Crayons – Having Fun at Chelle’s House– Love, Play, Learn – Juggling With Kids – Motherhood on a Dime – Growing Book By Book – This Reading Mama
If you are looking for more book-related activities to try now, check out the Virtual Book Club for Kids Pinterest Board.
Looking Ahead to Future Virtual Book Club Authors
More Math and Science Activities with Fizz, Pop, Bang!
Fizz, Pop, Bang! Playful Science and Math Activities is designed to bring hands-on fun to math and science play. It’s full of engaging and powerful learning opportunities in math and science, shared through ideas that incorporate art, play, sensory learning and discovery, for a whole-brain approach.
It includes 40 educational projects and 20 printables including a set of build-your-own 3D shape blocks, engineering challenge cards and a range of math games.
Learn more about Fizz, Pop, Bang! or you can buy it now!
I love your ladybug activities – Pinned and featured…http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2013/06/kids-co-op-eric-carle-activities-bug-fun.html
Thank you so much!
I’ve already pinned these awesome ladybug activities! What a fun way to extend Gail Gibbons’ book. Thanks so much for sharing at Stress-Free Sunday!
Thank you! We loved learning more about ladybugs 🙂
Super cute ladybug play! Featured you at Mom’s Library; thanks fro sharing!
Thanks for the feature!
You always have such wonderful activities and play/explore invitations. I’ve already pinned this post so I can try out some of your ideas with my next insect unit. Thanks for linking up with Stress-Free Sunday!
Thank you, Mary Catherine! I hope your kiddos have fun with some of these activities.
I need to start leaving out invitations to create for my son. I think he would love them. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing post on Read.Explore.Learn. I will be sharing this post.
We’ve been doing more invitations lately, and we are all loving them. It is always interesting to see how the kids utilize the materials. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing so many fun ladybug themed ideas with the Virtual Book Club for Kids! Can’t wait to create them with my daughters!
My pleasure to share! We love Gail Gibbons.
So many fun ladybug ideas! Looks like so much fun.
Thank you!
The birthday party looked adorable and I love the open-ended invitation to create! My kids also love ladybugs and would be a big fan if this activity!
Thank you…we had fun with the birthday, and invitations to create are quickly becoming a favorite around here.