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Likeable Ladybug
(God's Animals)
by Sandra Harris

Unlike most insects, the ladybug is liked by most people. What makes the ladybug so likeable? Learn about being a good friend while studying ladybugs, making a ladybug snack and other activities.

Characteristic: Consideration of others

Bible Verse: Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 10:12

Concepts:

The ladybug is really a beetle. Her real name is “ladybird beetle.” She is less than half an inch long and has a small head, short legs and gauzy underwings. The upper wings are polka dotted. They can have red, black, white or yellow spots on red, orange, yellow or black wings. The United States has red or orange ladybugs with black spots.

The ladybug lays her eggs near aphid or scale colonies. The larva feed for about three weeks, eating hundreds of aphids or scales. One ladybug can eat 100 plant-eating pests per day.

During the winter, ladybugs hibernate under stones or in buildings. Like skunks, some ladybugs can give off an unpleasant odor when disturbed. They might also “play ‘possum” or pretend to be dead when they are frightened.

Unlike most bugs, ladybugs are liked by people. They don’t sting, they don’t bite, and they don’t annoy people. And, they are thought of as helpful because they eat the bugs that people, especially gardeners, don’t like.

The Bible tells us to honor other people above ourselves. We can honor others by being considerate of them: by not teasing or annoying them but by trying to be friendly and helpful.

Center Activities

Science: Put some ladybugs and plants in a large glass jar or aquarium/terrarium for children to observe. Provide magnifying glasses. Or go on a nature walk to look for ladybugs.

Dramatic Play: As children play, watch for opportunities to praise them for any action or comments that honor others. Dress up as a bum or a very old person and enter their play. How do they treat this character? Encourage the children to take turns dressing up and role playing various people (doctor, garbage collector, person with a disability, etc.).

Craft: Giant Ladybug

Materials: one paper plate per child, red or orange paint, black paint, paint brushes, cotton balls or circular pieces of sponge, ½-inch wide strips of black construction paper, glue

Procedure: Have children paint the paper plate red or orange. While the paint dries, examine the spot patterns on ladybugs (real or photographs in a book). Have children dip cotton ball or piece of sponge in black paint then print spots on the red paper plate. Paint a large oval spot near the edge for the head. When paint dries, glue six black paper strips onto the plate for ladybug legs.

Note: If you live outside the U.S., choose colors representative of the ladybugs in your area.

Story Time: The Ladybug’s Lesson

Enrichment Ideas:

1. At clean-up time, pretend to be ladybugs flying from one task to another.

2. Snack: Ladybug Apples. Serve each child half of a red, orange or yellow apple with the peeling left on. Let children attach raisin spots and black gumdrop head using cream cheese or peanut butter.

3. Have a Thank-You-for-Being-My-Friend Party (see story time skit). Have each child make a ladybug badge or bookmark to give to someone else in class. (If class size is large, wrap the gifts up, put them all in a basket and hand them out randomly so no child is left out.) Help children decorate the room for each other. Sing “As I was Walking Down the Street.” Play a few non-competitive games, like Tape the Spots on the Ladybug (variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey). Serve lemon cupcakes with orange icing and raisin spots; add licorice strip legs if desired.

4. Learn about other kinds of beetles. How are they all alike? How are they different?

5. Look for pictures of other animals that begin with “L,” like lion, leopard, lynx, llama, lobster and loon.

6. Practice saying “please” and “thank you” at lunch time. If children have mastered these, add a few more table manners to learn (using a napkin, passing food, chewing with mouth closed, keeping elbows tucked in, etc.). Discuss how simple manners like these show consideration towards others.

7. Look for these books about ladybugs at your local library or bookstore:
The Grouchy Ladybug, Eric Carle, 4-8
Ladybug, Ladybug, Ruth Brown, baby – preschool
The Ladybug and Other Insects, Pascale De Bourgoing, 4-8
Are You a Ladybug? Judy Allen, 4-8
Ladybug’s Birthday, Steve Matzger, 4-8
The Lovable Ladybug, Becky Freeman, 4-8
Ladybug, Ladybug: Count with Me, Annie Horwood, baby – preschool
The Very Lazy Ladybug, Isobel Finn, 4-8
Ladybug at Orchard Avenue, Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, 4-8
A Ladybug’s Life, John Himmelman, 4-8
Eye Spy a Ladybug! Melinda Lilly, baby - preschool
Butterfly Bangles and Ladybug Beads (Make Your Own Jewelry Set) , Barbara Feldman, 9-12 (if you’re homeschooling, here’s some crafts for the older kids to encourage them to participate in this lesson). Note: I try to list 1-2 books each week for the older kids. This is the only one I’ve found so far for ladybugs (if you stretch the imagination a little!). But I’m sure you can find more if you look under "beetles."