Ant Craft for Preschoolers

This week we are learning about ants! My kids are obsessed with ants. Anywhere we go, they shout out when they’ve found an ant. And of course, they like to squish them!

To start our week of ants, we made a very simple ant craft. This craft teaches them that an ant has three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen), antennae, 6 legs, eyes, and mouth.

The ant craft requires only a few steps and supplies. Here’s what you need:

3 sections of an egg carton
4 toothpicks (if your child can’t handle toothpicks, you can use pipe cleaners)
black paint and brush
googly eyes
glitter glue
stapler

To begin, paint the 3 egg carton pieces with black paint. You may need to help your child hold the carton so it doesn’t slide around while he/she paints.

Then you will paint the toothpicks black.

After the paint dries, staple the three pieces together. A small stapler works best.

Then poke holes in the side for the legs. Break your 4 toothpicks in halves and have your child poke them into the carton. Also poke two holes on the head for the antennae. Glue on googly eyes and then draw a mouth with glitter glue (or whatever else you want to use!).

While making the craft, explain to your child that an ant has three body parts. The thorax (middle part) is the smallest part. The head is big and the abdomen (back part) is usually the longer part.