A Bug's Life: Educational Activities and Games for 2 to 5 Year Olds

Let's face it, kids love movies, but it's been proven that they should watch no more than 2 hours of TV a day. So why not combine their love of a movie and activities that will help them learn and grow? Following are suggestions for the movie A Bug's Life released in 1998. These activities would also work well for preschool classes and party games for this age group.

Watch the movie

Let your kids watch the show while you prepare the activities for the rest of the day or attend to other responsibilities.

Rhyme Activity

Teach your child this rhyme. Its fun and it will help them learn counting skills.

The Ants Go Marching

The ants go marching one by one,
Hurrah, hurrah.

The ants go marching one by one,
Hurrah, hurrah.

The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck his thumb.

And they all go marching down,
To the ground,
To get out of the rain.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

(Continue with the same words only changing the number and the line after "The little one -- "

Two: tie her shoe
Three: climb a tree
Four: shut the door
Five: take a dive
Six: pick up sticks
Seven: pray to heaven
Eight: shut the gate
Nine: check the time
Ten: say "The End!"

Caterpillar Ride

In the movie, smaller bugs ride on Heimlich a large caterpillar. Your child can pretend they have a caterpillar for their favorite toys to ride on. You'll need at least one box, some duct tape and a rope. Remove the lids of the boxes or fold them to the inside. If you have more than one box, use duct tape to tape them together. Attach rope at one end. Help your child get passengers (stuffed animals and other toys) to ride the caterpillar. Let them pull their caterpillar around the house.

Take a Walk

Take a walk and stop to let your child see the miniature world of bugs around them. Watch for ladybugs, grasshoppers, ant hills, and caterpillars. Be sure not to touch the bugs, just watch.

Read a Book

There are a lot of incredible books available to go along with the A Bug's Life. Pick one you think your child would enjoy and involve them while you are reading. Ask them questions about the pictures and story. Following are a few suggestions of books to read.

• The Bugliest Bug by Carol Diggory Shields and Scott Nash
• I Like Bugs (Step-Into-Reading, Step 1) by Margaret Wise Brown and G. Brian Karas
• On Beyond Bugs: All About Insects (Cat in the Hat's Lrning Libry) by Tish Rabe and Aristides Ruiz
• How Many Bugs in a Box? (Mini Edition): A Pop-up Counting Book by David A. Carter