BUG JIGULARS - Find some bug molds and make some jell-o jiggulars.

BUG GRUB - Mix peanuts, raisins, dried fruit, fruit snacks, m & m's in a bag that they cannot see through. Tell them you have been collecting bugs for weeks for us to eat. Let them feel the bugs before they eat them. (Have one bag as a feelie bag and individual bags to give each child.

BUG SALAD - Ingredients: canned peach halves, lettuce, raisins, maraschino cherries cut into slices, chow mien noodles, cream cheese (preferably whipped), carrot curls. Supplies: vegetable peeler, toothpicks, and small paper plates. Directions: Place one peach half on a lettuce-lined plate. Attach raisin eyes, maraschino cherry mouth, and chow mien noodle antennae with small dabs of cream cheese. Place carrot curl legs around the peach half body. To make carrot curls, use a vegetable peeler to peel wide strips from the carrot. Roll up each strip; fasten with a wooden toothpick. Place the curls into a bowl of ice water for several minutes. (Drain the curls and remove toothpicks before placing them around the peach half.)

Edible Bugs and Spiders

This can be used as a unit culmination activity It not only results in something to eat, but will enable you to assess which children understand the basic information about insects and spiders. Can each child create an insect with 3 body parts, 6 legs and 2 antennae? Can each child create a spider with 2 body parts and 8 legs?

Peanut Butter Play Dough

This makes enough for about 12 students.

1 Cup peanut butter

1 Cup white corn syrup

1 1/4 Cups nonfat dry milk

1 1/4 Cups powdered sugar

Mix ingredients and knead together.

For legs and antennae use licorice laces or toothpicks. For eyes use raisins, chocolate chips, or other candy decorations.

How to Make - It would be advisable to do this in small-supervised groups. Prepare the children by asking them to think about what they have learned about insects and spiders: How many body parts? How many legs, etc.? Instruct them to make one interesting insect and one spider. Tell them that before they can eat their creations, they must show the teacher what they made.

TASTY LADYBUG COOKIES - Ingredients: round sugar cookie (store bought or home baked), pink frosting (white frosting dyed with a small amount of red food coloring), miniature chocolate chips, six pretzel-stick halves or thin licorice strings. Supplies: small paper plates or napkins, knife. Directions: Ice the sugar cookie with pink frosting to make the ladybug's body. Press chocolate chips into the frosting for the ladybug's spots. Attach three pretzel-stick legs on each side of the cookie for the ladybug's legs. Serve on a paper plate or napkin.

JELL-O LADYBUGS - Red Jell-O in small bowls, use black olives for spots. One whole one for head. Serve on a leaf of lettuce.

A LADYBUG A DAY - Supplies: plastic knives, sharp knife (adult use only). Ingredients: red apples, peanut butter, raisins. Preparation: Cut the apples in half Cut each half in half again. Give each child two pieces. Let the children stick their two apple pieces together with peanut butter. These will make the ladybug's wings. Cut the raisins in half, give each child several halves. Have the children put spots on the apple wings by sticking dabs of peanut butter to the raisin halves and sticking the raisins onto the apple wings. Use black lickerish as antenna.

Admire the ladybugs-and eat away!

LADYBUG FREEZE - Supplies: rounded ice cream scoop, sturdy paper plates, plastic spoons. Ingredients: strawberry ice cream, chocolate chips, black licorice shoestring vines. Preparation: Cut the licorice into 1" (2.5 cm) pieces. Give each child two pieces. Cut additional licorice into pieces about 4" to 5" (10 cm to 12.5 cm) long. Give each child one. Give each child 12-16 chocolate chips. Scoop the ice cream into balls. Give each child a scoop of the ice cream on a plate. Let the children decorate their ladybugs by laying the long strip of licorice down the middle of the ice cream to create ladybug wings. Then insert the two short pieces of licorice at the head to make the antennae. Finally, the chocolate chips can be used to make spots by inserting them in the ice cream wing areas, pointed down. Eat and enjoy! enjoy!

GUMMY BUGS

LADYBUG CAKE - This cake will take a bit of work, but the children will love the results!'

Supplies: 1.5 quart (1.3 liter) oven-proof bowl, aluminum foil, mixer, waxed paper, mixing bowl, scissors, knife, jellyroll pan or cookie sheet, long toothpick, double boiler, cooling rack, stirring spoon, cardboard, oven and stove Ingredients: I package pound cake mix (16 oz./500 g), 2 cans white frosting and I can dark chocolate frosting (16 oz./500 g each), red paste food coloring, black licorice shoestring vines, black licorice coins, 2 white candy wafers, 2 black candy gumdrops, 1 red fruit chew candy, 2 Scooter pies. Preparation: Mix the pound cake according to the box directions. Pour it into the oven-proof bowl and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the bowl and cool completely. Cut out a cardboard circle (the diameter of the cake) and cover it with foil. Cut a slice from one side of the cake, leaving exposed a section about 2.5" (7 cm) square. Place the cake on the cardboard, and transfer it back to the cooling rack. Line the jellyroll pan or cookie sheet with waxed paper and place the cooling rack with cake over the paper. Put the white frosting in the top of the double boiler and add red coloring. Heat it over simmering water, stirring occasionally. When the frosting is the consistency of heavy cream (about 5 minutes), pour it slowly over the cake. Reheat the frosting that has landed on the jellyroll pan or cookie sheet as necessary so that the frosting eventually covers the entire cake (except cut flat area). Let the cake and frosting stand for a few minutes to set. Press a strip of licorice down the middle of the cake to make the ladybug's wings. Press the licorice coins into the wings to make the spots. Let cake and frosting stand until dry. Cut .5" (1.25 cm) from one circular end of each Scooter* pie. Attach the pies with chocolate frosting, and cut across the bottom to make them flat. This will be the ladybug's head. Spread some chocolate frosting over the exposed part of the cake. Attach the ladybu!
g head and cover it entirely with frosting. Press on white candies for eyes. Attach the gumdrops with frosting to the eyes to make pupils. Cut the fruit chew in half. Roll half into a ball to make a nose. Place it on the head. Shape the other half into a mouth and attach it. Cut two strips of licorice and attach them to the top of the head for feelers. If desired, use licorice to make eyelashes, as we)].

Some insect ideas compiled from many sources by: Sheila Smith