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Explore Insect Senses

Compare insect senses with your own!

AGE RANGE: pre-school to early elementary

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Aluminum foil
• Pictures of insects
• Pipe cleaners
• Beads (optional)
• Styrofoam balls (optional)
• Heavy paper Stapler (optional)

WHAT YOU DO:

1. Talk to your kids about antennaes -- and how they work for an insect. (Antennaes are very important sense organs for insects. Insects use their antennae for feeling, smelling, tasting, and sometimes hearing what’s around them.)
2. Have your kids make their own antennae to better understand how insects use theirs to sense what’s around them.
3. Cut two long (3x12”) and two shorter (3x10”) pieces of aluminum or you can also use heavy paper.
4. Use the longer pieces and twist into a headband or with the heavy paper staple one end together, measure the child’s head and then staple the other end for a perfect fit headband.
5. Using the shorter pieces of aluminum foil, have the kids twist and roll into antennae, remember to leave the ends flat. Wrap the flat ends around the headband.
6. Another option to aluminum foil antennae is to use pipe cleaners. The pipe cleaners gives the kids option of colors and adding “segmenting” by adding beads or attaching a Styrofoam ball on the end of the antennae.
7. When the antennae’s are complete have the kids wear them while you go on an insect hunt. Make sure to ask them some fun questions to get them thinking. Here are a few to get you started:
1. What are our five senses?
2. What parts of our body do we use for these senses?
3. Do insects have the same senses?
4. What would it be like to have antennae?
5. What would happen if you were in insect and you broke off your antennae?