Hot summer days can often be lazy summer days, and if you are not careful, they can turn into boring summer days.  Sometimes, we have to be a little creative and plan an activity, and adventure, or a fun game to get those kids up and moving.  Now that the novelty of “No School” has worn off, adventurous boys may migrate back into the house and towards their electronics.  A summer scavenger hunt for kids is a good way to get your boys out of the house on a nice summer day and away from their electronic devices.   Now if we make that scavenger hunt a “Creeping, Crawling, Slinking Bugs Galore!” Scavenger Hunt – they’ll rush out the door faster than you can say “BEETLE”!

There are a couple of ways you can approach this type of scavenger hunt, and it will depend on your child’s age and comfort level.  For the insects listed, your kids can check them off of the list in one of three ways:

• Check It – After they see an insect, they can simply check if off of their list.  This way there is NO touching of any creepy-crawly creatures.
• Snap It – When they find an insect on the list, they can snap a picture of it.  Again, this way involves no touching or capturing of insects.
• Capture It – This way, your hunters can actually catch their prey temporarily, and release them after they take a moment to closely observe their find.  (If you’re boys are really into capturing bugs, see below for a simple guide to the best bug catching equipment for boys.)

NOTE:  Please advise your bug hunters to be wary of stinging insects.  We recommend that they do NOT try to catch bees, wasps, hornets, or any other venomous insect.  

Creeping, Crawling, Slinking Bugs Galore Scavenger Hunt

Download your printable Creepy Crawly Bug Scavenger Hunt List here.

____________        A fly

____________        A mosquito

____________        A grasshopper

____________        A june bug

____________        A cricket

____________        An ant

____________        A butterfly

____________        A moth

____________        A black spider

____________        A brown, white, or tan spider

____________        An insect with two wings

____________        A caterpillar

____________        An insect with four wings

____________        A centipede

____________        A slug

____________        An earthworm

____________        A grub

____________        An insect with hair

____________        A beetle

____________        A ladybug

____________        An insect with bright colors (red, yellow, green, blue)

JM Cremps has some of the best bug catchers and bug-catching equipment for kids.  Some of our favorites are the BugView Magnifier that allows your kids to get a close-up view of even the smallest of creatures.  It is easy to use, is kid friendly, and has 5X magnification.  Another favorite is a basic butterfly net.  It makes simple work of catching the insects that fly and will keep your troops occupied for hours!  Best of all, at less than $7, it makes the perfect birthday gift for any adventurous boy.

The Bug Book and Bug Bottle Bug Catcher is the perfect tool for your budding bug catchers.  The ingeniously designed plastic bottle is perfect for catching and viewing bugs and then releasing them unharmed.  It’s a bug catcher with a conscience!   The book that comes with the bottle has detailed information on 46 of the US’s most popular insects so your kids can easily identify their catch and learn to properly care for them.

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