Observing backyard bugs close up brings kids eye to eye with the itsy-bitsy critters in the natural world around them. My kids have always been intrigued with the Cub Scout adventures that send them out to find, capture, observe and release worms, ants and grasshoppers.
If bugs are your school-age kids' latest fascination, here's a simple "bug house" to make for their wriggly friends:Remove the two lid pieces from a clear, quart-size canning jar. Cut a piece of fine screen the same size as the top of the jar. Place the cut screen over the opening of the jar and screw on the metal rim to hold the screen in place. If a screen is not available, stretch a piece netting or cheese cloth over the open jar, overlapping the edges all around, and screw on the metal rim.
When your child finds a caterpillar, for instance, your family can care for it until it changes into a chrysalis and later into a butterfly. If you do, remember to provide fresh leaves every day and to keep the "house" clean. Pick leaves from the plant where you found the caterpillar and mist with water. Add a few twigs to provide a place for the caterpillar to hang from as it changes into a chrysalis. When the butterfly finally emerges, set it free.
For more information, look for "Pet Bugs: A Kids' Guide to Catching and Keeping Touchable Insects" by Sally Kneidel (John Wiley & Sons, 1994). You'll learn where to find the bugs, how to catch and keep them, how they behave and which bugs not to handle.
Donna Erickson's new book, "More Prime Time Activities with Kids," is now available in bookstores. To order by mail, please send a check for $12.95 plus $2 shipping and handling (total $14.95) to Donna Erickson, P.O. Box 16188, Minneapolis, MN 55416.