Transformations

As The Nest serves children growing up in an urban environment, we try to connect with nature whenever possible, whether it’s finding a worm at the park or raising ladybugs from larvae in the classroom. 

This month we read fiction and non-fiction books about ladybugs. We learned that insects have six legs and, therefore, ladybugs are insects. The children used their math skills to sort out insects and spiders (with eight legs), and again to count the number of insects they collected. 

We watched the ladybugs change from larvae, to pupae, to the familiar beetles. Last week there was one beetle on Tuesday and by Wednesday there was six! This week they were too many, and too fast, to count.

Larvae

Pupae

The children made observational drawings of each stage of the ladybug's development. We used books, ladybug puzzles, and our own ladybugs, to help our drawings be accurate.

Adult Beetle

To add color to the drawings, Ms Gluckow introduced liquid watercolor paints. 

Although we take care of the ladybugs by feeding them soaked raisins and putting water on their sponge, they really need to live, and fly, outside. On Friday we will walk to Stevens Park and find a good place to release the ladybugs.