Mini Beast Hotel

LESSON 4

Children practice creativity and care as they design and build bug hotels that support mini beasts.

The book Bug Hotel by Clover Robin
Photographs of bug hotels (optional)
Materials to construct a bug hotel (sticks, bark, leaves, moss, pinecones, seed pods, stones, flowers, straw)
Cardboard pieces or small boxes
Glue

Materials

Preparations

Create an invitation space with the book and photographs of bug hotels.

Collect a variety of natural materials for constructing bug hotels.

Determine whether children will build individual bug hotels or work collaboratively on a larger structure.

Create opportunities for children to connect previous discoveries with a meaningful building experience.

Support children's planning, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.

Encourage children to share ideas, questions, and theories throughout the design process.

Foster care, curiosity, and appreciation for the living things that share our world.

Objectives for Teachers

Children explore the habitats and needs of mini beasts.

Children express their ideas through designing and building bug hotels with open-ended materials.

Children use their observations and discoveries to design spaces that support living things.

Children develop care and respect for the natural world through thoughtful design.

Objectives for Children

Opening Invitation

Practice singing the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” with the actions you came up with.

At night consider saying the “Bedtime” poem to your child.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Bedtime Poem

(at bedtime you can use a finger to draw the star, the sun, the moon on your child's back)

A star for you to wish on,
A sun so warm and bright,
A moon for you to sleep on,
Happy dreams,
A kiss goodnight.

Collect and Connect

Gather together and revisit the discoveries from the past few days.

You might ask:

What places have we discovered where mini beasts live?

What have we noticed about the spaces they choose?

What might a mini beast need in a safe place?

Allow children time to revisit photographs, drawings, or previous creations as they reflect on their observations.

Then introduce today's invitation.

You might say:

"Over the past few days we've been noticing the tiny creatures that share our world. We've looked closely at where they live, the materials they use, and the amazing things they build.

Today, I wonder what kind of place we could create that might welcome them."

Activity Flow

Begin by gathering around Bug Hotel by Clover Robin.

Before reading, wonder together:

What do you think a bug hotel might be?
Who do you think might visit?
Why would someone create one?

Read the story together, pausing whenever something captures children's attention. Invite them to notice the different spaces, materials, and mini beasts throughout the book.

After reading, return to your wondering. You might ask:

What did you notice about the bug hotels?
Which mini beasts might enjoy a place like this?
What materials did you recognize?
What ideas would you like to try?

Bug Hotel Invitation

Invite children to design and build a bug hotel using natural and open-ended materials.

Some children may wish to sketch an idea before they begin. Others may prefer to gather materials, experiment, and allow their ideas to develop through the building process.

Children may choose to work independently or collaboratively, creating a small bug hotel of their own or contributing to a larger shared structure.

As they build, they might wonder:

Where might a mini beast like to hide?
What materials would help create a cozy space?
How could we make different spaces for different creatures?
What might happen if we stacked, tucked, or layered these materials?

Encourage children to revisit the book, previous observations, and earlier creations for inspiration.

Reflection

Gather together and share bug hotels.