Make a Noise Like a Grasshopper
Materials Needed
- jumbo craft sticks
- plastic combs
Background Information
Grasshoppers have very strong back legs for hopping great lengths compared to their body size. Their front legs are used for holding on to grasses and other plants. The middle set of legs help them to walk.
Some male grasshoppers sing or chirp by rubbing their back legs across their front wings. Each species has its own song that is recognized by the female of that species. (A grasshopper’s ears are on its legs.)
Activity
If your site has a green space, take the children outside during August or September to hunt for grasshoppers. A plastic cage lined with grass and kept out of the direct sun is a good home for captive grasshoppers. The children can observe their grasshoppers for a few days and then release them.
Story
Grasshoppers by Cheryl Coughlan
Grasshopper by Karen Hartley (Heinemann Bug Books)
Activity
Let the child choose a craft stick and a comb.
Show them how to rub the stick against the comb’s teeth.
Take the children outside to a grassy area if possible and let them sing and hop like grasshoppers.
Activities provided by:
Fontenelle Forest
1111 N. Bellevue Blvd.
Bellevue, NE 68005
www.fontenelleforest.org
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Category: Group Activities
Iowa Early Learning Standards:
8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 11.2, 12.4, 12.5, 13.1, 14.3
Related Kindernature Resources: Other Resources:
