Firefly Art Activities & Suggested Books for Preschoolers
These preschool firefly activities make perfect summer craft projects. They can also be worked into a preschool unit about insects or bugs. Young children will have lots of fun making their very own fireflies.
Craft Stick Firefly
Use a craft stick and tissue paper to make this easy firefly craft.
Materials
Craft sticks, one per child
Two large and two small tissue paper ovals, per child
Wiggly eyes, two per child
Yellow or glow-in-the-dark paint
Paintbrushes
Small pieces of pipe cleaner, two per child
Glue
Procedure
Show the children how to paint the bottom inch of the craft stick with the yellow or glow-in-the-dark paint. When it dries glue the four ovals on the back of the craft stick to make the wings. Then on the front glue the wiggly eyes on the top part of the stick (the unpainted end) and glue the pipe cleaners to the top to make antennae. You can also let the children decorate the bodies of the fireflies with markers of you want. When the fireflies are finished, you can use them to make a really cute bulletin board display.
Suggested Books and Accompanying Art Activities
Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges
Fireflies are collected one by one in a jar and then released when their lights begin to fade in this fun counting book. Children will practice counting from one to ten and then back down to one again as they listen to the story. For an easy math activity give each child a piece of white paper in the shape of a jar and ten yellow snap cubes to use as firefly counters. Then they can move the “fireflies” in and out of the jar as you read the story. When you are finished, let them glue their jars to a piece of black paper and choose how many fireflies they want to put in their jars. Let them use gold star stickers to make fireflies and stick them on their jars.
The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle
Children will love this story about a lonely firefly searching for friends as he flies towards each light he sees. For an easy art activity give the children a picture of a firefly to paint with watercolors or cover with tissue paper squares. When they are finished, cut them out and hang them from the ceiling to fill your classroom with these bright insects. Try some of these other preschool firefly activities for The Very Lonely Firefly, too.
Fireflies in the Night by Judy Hawkes
Use this nonfiction book about fireflies to teach your students some interesting firefly facts. After reading it, make a chart of some of the facts in the book and let the children choose one to illustrate. Then bind the pages into a class book that preschoolers will love looking at again and again.
These activities are sure to light up your summer theme or insect unit. Preschoolers will have lots of fun learning about fireflies and making their own firefly art projects.
