From butterflies to beetles, this Charlotte Mason insects study will help your kids connect with nature through hands-on activities!
Discover the Fascinating World of Bugs with Our “Insects” Curriculum
Ready to turn your homeschool into a hub of curiosity and wonder? Our Charlotte Mason-inspired Insects curriculum invites your children to slow down, observe, and delight in the tiny world of bugs—all while building habits of attention, narration, and nature study.
With gentle lessons, rich literature, and hands-on exploration, Insects guides your family through the lives of beetles, butterflies, ants, and more. Your kids will learn to identify common insects, understand their roles in the ecosystem, and appreciate the beauty of God’s design in even the smallest of creatures.
Whether you’re raising future entomologists or simply want to spark awe in your nature walks, Insects is a perfect fit for spring and summer learning. Pour some lemonade, grab your nature journals, and step into the world of wings, legs, and antennae—you never know what tiny discoveries you’ll find!
Insects Tea Time Snacks & Reading
One of our favorite activities included in this curriculum is a section of bug-themed tea time recipes, sure to please even the pickiest eater! These fun, hands-on recipes are simple enough that the whole family can enjoy making them together, crafting delectable treats such as Peanut Butter Bumblebees and Layered Edible Soil, and you will be sure to create memories together you will never forget!
- Peanut Butter Bumblebees
- Lady Bug Caprese
- Layered Edible Soil
- Insect Fossil Peanut Butter Cookies
Here is a close-up look at the four recipes we have in store for you! Each recipe comes with an insect-themed reading selection so that you can enjoy it over tea and a story- the perfect cozy learning experience!
Add a Bug Poem to Your Tea Time:
In this curriculum, we have selected several insect-themed poems for your family to enjoy together, accompanied by copywork sheets of each poem for ages ranging from primary through high school! Here is a sample of one of our favorite pieces:
On the Grasshopper and the Cricket
by John Keats
The Poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the Grasshopper’s—he takes the lead
In summer luxury,—he has never done
With his delights; for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills
The Cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,
The Grasshopper’s among some grassy hills.
Explore Nature with the 200+ page “Insects Morning Time Session”!
Explore the wonders of God’s creation with our beautifully crafted “Insects Morning Time Session!” This 200+ page guide has everything you need to study insects through creative, hands-on learning activities.
Inside, you’ll find:
- 4-week Calendar with each subject scheduled on it
- Prayer and scripture memorization
- Copywork selections from Maker of Heaven and Earth, Proverbs 6:6-11, Proverbs 30:24-28 and Matthew 6:19-21, Forgiven by A.A. Milne, On the Grasshopper and the Cricket by John Keats, Fireflies by Edgar Fawcett, The Butterfly’s Ball and the Grasshopper’s Feast by William Roscoe in primary, elementary, cursive, and a notebook sheet for high school students (and moms)
- Memory Work: Prayer and scripture memorization of Maker of Heaven and Earth, Proverbs 6:6-11, Proverbs 30:24-28 and Matthew 6:19-21
- Living Books recommended reading list
- Artist & Picture Study: Maria Sibylla Merian, with four printable art pieces
- Composer Study: Classical Insect-Themed Music, with four music pieces (+ listening links)
- Hymn Study: All Things Bright and Beautiful, with sheet music and listening links
- Folk Song Study: Ants Go Marching, with sheet music and listening links
- 4 Teatime Recipes: Insect Fossil Peanut Butter Cookies, Lady Bug Caprese, Peanut Butter Bumblebees, & Layered Edible Soil
- Two Fairy Tale Teas, a Storytime Tea, and a Fable Teatime: Japanese Fairy World, “The Fire-Fly’s Lovers” by William Elliot Griffis, Fairy Tales from Brazil, “How the Brazilian Beetles Got Their Gorgeous Coat” by Elsie Spicer Eells, Through the Looking Glass, Chapter III “Looking Glass Insects” by Lewis Carroll, “The Bee and the Butterflies” by Aesop
- Shakespeare: Letters on the Natural History of the Insects Mentioned in Shakespeare’s Plays, by Robert Patterson
- Handicraft: Origami Insects
- Art Lesson: Maria Sibylla Merian-Inspired Lifecycle
- Nature study: Insects Nature Study
- And more!
Ready to get outside and explore the world of insects? Get your guide today and let your adventure begin!
Try This Insect-Themed Art Lesson!
Learn how to create a life cycle of a Luna Moth inspired by the work of the famous etymologist, Maria Sibylla Merian! Get out your colored pencils, turn on some music (like our insect themed classical selections), and enjoy this art lesson, perfect for nature journaling!
Maria Sibylla Merian-Inspired Lifecycle by Olivia Gratehouse.
Enjoying your art lesson too much to stop? Grab these lessons from the Masterpiece Society to keep the fun going!
Living Books to Explore Insects in Your Homeschool
From crickets to caterpillars, check out these living books to dive further into the study of insects- Charlotte Mason style!
Picture Books
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Rise and Shine)
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle (Eric Carle’s Very Series)The Very Busy SpiderThe Very Quiet Cricket Board BookThe Very Lonely Firefly (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2)A Butterfly Is PatientThe Honeybee (Honeybee and Friends)Are You a Dragonfly? (Backyard Books)A Beetle Is Shy (Sylvia Long)
Elementary & Middle Grades
Charlotte’s Web: A Newbery Honor Award Winner (Trophy Newbery)Grasshopper on the Road (I Can Read Level 2)The Cricket in Times Square: Revised and updated edition with foreword by Stacey Lee (Chester Cricket and His Friends, 1)Best of Dickens: The Cricket on the Hearth (Illustrated)James and the Giant Peach: The Scented Peach EditionThe Marvelous Land of Oz (Illustrated): The 1904 Classic Edition with Original IllustrationsThrough the Looking Glass (Illustrated Classics): Illustrated by John Tenniel
Science Books
The Backyard Bug Book for Kids: Storybook, Insect Facts, and Activities (Let’s Learn About Bugs and Animals)What is Pollination? (Big Science Ideas)Animal Pollinators (First Step Nonfiction ― Pollination)Caterpillar to Butterfly (National Geographic Kids Explore! Readers, Level 1) (National Geographic Kids Readers)National Geographic Readers: Great Migrations ButterfliesBees (National Geographic Kids Readers, Level 2)Life Cycle of a Ladybug (Pogo Books: Incredible Animal Life Cycles)The Fascinating Bug Book for Kids: 500 Startling Facts! (Fascinating Facts)The Weird and Wonderful World of Bugs: A Book About Beetles, Butterflies, and Other Fascinating Insects
We hope this curriculum inspires your family to take in the intricacies of God’s creation!
So, if you’re looking for a way to bring joy, wonder, and meaningful learning to your homeschool days, Insects is a beautiful place to begin. It’s more than just a study of bugs—it’s a chance to cultivate curiosity, connection, and a lifelong love of nature. We can’t wait for you to explore the tiny miracles hiding in your own backyard!
“It may be that the souls of all children are waiting for the call of knowledge to awaken them to delightful living.”
-Charlotte Mason
Pin Me!
