As We Go- Bug House

This week is supposed to be about farm animals, but how can I resist an opportunity to explore something unrelated as it presents itself?  Isn't that one of the greatest reasons to homeschool... to let learning happen naturally?  

I think what I will do is supplement my beginning and end of week lesson plan posts with these unrelated activities.  I think it's a great way to prove what a gift homeschooling can be- an opportunity to learn as we go...

Bug House

Our experience really begins the night before... I found a grasshopper in the yard and caught it in a baby food jar to show Big Boy (who was busy NOT using the potty).  I set him free after bedtime.

In the morning I wondered briefly what the odds were of coming across him again... I should know by now that toddlers and babies are amazing at finding very small things.  "Green Bug" was enjoying the ride on the Cozy Coupe when he was spotted.

This time we went all out - not just a baby food jar anymore.  Oh, no.  Today we made a bug house.  

Big Boy helped make holes in the lid to let air in.  He filled his bug house with dirt and grass and a very little twig.

There was a worm in the dirt.  Why? Because worms eat dirt. What size is this worm? Small.

This reminded him of the time we found worms behind the swing.  A "biiig" worm behind the swing.  I'm pretty impressed with this display of memory... it was quite a while ago.  

Then we added "green bug."  

Last night's discovery of the green bug lead to Daddy and Big Boy's discussion of the bug's anatomy and probable diet.  I had been planning on doing a bug week... so I will have to nail down some more specifics in that regard.  We will definitely do more bug hunting in the future.  Such fun to make a "bug house" and get an up close look!