Spring is in the air, and what better way to welcome the season than with a morning basket all about bugs and insects? This month’s theme will spark curiosity, encourage outdoor exploration, and provide plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning. I try to keep a few basics in my morning basket like read alouds, picture books, poetry, hands on activities, and memory work.
Daily Read Alouds
I like to have a few options when it comes to our daily read aloud just in case one of the options isn’t a good fit for us or if one of my children are having an especially hard time with understanding the story or language. Below are my top 3 choices for our daily read aloud.
Sting of the Wild by Justin O. Schidmit – Discover the fascinating world of stinging insects through the eyes of entomologist Justin Schmidt, the creator of the famous “Schmidt Sting Pain Index.” With humor and scientific insight, he takes readers on a journey exploring the power, purpose, and pain of nature’s tiniest warriors.
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl – When young James discovers a magical giant peach, he embarks on an unforgettable adventure with a group of quirky insect friends. Filled with whimsy, humor, and heart, this classic Roald Dahl tale celebrates courage, friendship, and the magic of imagination.
The Mysteries of of Spider Kane by Mary Pope OSbourne – When a band of talking crickets goes missing, a brave young fly named Leon joins the mysterious detective Spider Kane to uncover the truth. This charming and suspenseful adventure is full of friendship, bravery, and unexpected twists in the world of tiny creatures.
Picture Books
I will always keep picture books in our morning basket selections becuase they are fun to read and look at. Once of my favorite things about reading picture books is that the authors are usually very passionate about the subject and are able to touch on difficult or complex ideas in a way that a child can understand. Reading the same picture book every day for a week helps children notice new details each time. Here’s what’s in our March read-aloud rotation:
Educational Picture Books
The Bug Girl: Maria Merian’s Scientific Vision by Sarah Glenn Marsh – Discover the inspiring true story of Maria Merian, a 17th-century artist and scientist who defied expectations to study insects. Through determination and curiosity, she changed the way the world understood metamorphosis, making her a pioneer in both science and art.
Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter – Follow the incredible journey of Evelyn Cheesman, a trailblazing female entomologist who traveled the world to study insects at a time when women were expected to stay home. This beautifully illustrated biography celebrates curiosity, perseverance, and a passion for the tiny creatures that shape our world.
The Magic School Bus Explores the World of Bugs – Join Ms. Frizzle and her class on a wild adventure as the Magic School Bus shrinks down to explore the incredible world of bugs up close. Packed with fun facts and engaging illustrations, this book makes learning about insects an exciting hands-on experience!
Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen & Tudor Humphries – Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a butterfly? This fun and beautifully illustrated book takes kids on a journey from caterpillar to fluttering wings, making science feel like an adventure!
The Big Book of Bugs by Yuval Zommer – Turn your nature walks into mini science adventures with The Big Book of Bugs! This beautifully illustrated book makes it easy to answer your kids’ endless bug questions while sparking curiosity about the tiny creatures they find in the backyard. Perfect for hands-on homeschool learning and nature study!
What Bug Am I?: A Funny, Educational Story about Backyard Bugs. Bug Book for Kids with Insect Facts – Make insect identification a game with What Bug Am I? This interactive book turns backyard bug-watching into a fun guessing adventure, perfect for homeschool families who love hands-on learning. Whether you’re exploring outside or enjoying a cozy read-aloud, this book will have your kids excited to become little entomologists!
The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle – Eric Carle’s The Very Quiet Cricket is a sweet and simple story that little ones will love, especially as they wait for the magical surprise at the end! Perfect for homeschool families, this book introduces young learners to the sounds of nature while reinforcing themes of patience and perseverance. It’s a must-have for a bug-themed morning basket or a cozy bedtime read!
Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk – Miss Spider’s Tea Party is a charming story that brings a touch of whimsy to any homeschool bookshelf! This beautifully illustrated book isn’t just about bugs—it’s a sweet lesson in kindness, friendship, and seeing the best in others. Plus, if your kids enjoy this one, there are several other Miss Spider books to explore, making it a fun little series to add to your read-aloud rotation.
I like to use our morning baskets themes as a way to gauge the interest of my child for a specific topic. If my child shows interest in our topic I like to pick up a few “resource books” on the topic to keep growing our resource library and giving them material to dive deeper in a topic in their free time. I have compiled a few of the resource books I have been eyeballing just in case this theme piques one of my kiddos interest. You can view the list here.
Poetry Book
Incorporating Poetry in our morning basket is so fun. We will often read the same poems and my children like to write them down in their notebooks to share with family. I have often been blown away by what poems they are able to memorize.
Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman is an excellent choice to keep on hand as inspiration strikes. In March we plan to memorize the poem The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt for my 11 year old and A Bug in a Jug for my 6 year old.
Devotional Book
We like to include some devotional or bible study in our morning basket. I like to model and explain how important it is to start the day with God. It is a simple way I can introduce Jesus to the children and I love hearing their little explanations of how God created the tiniest insects on earth.
Indescribable: 100 Devotions About God & Science by Louie Giglio (Check for entries about insects and the wonders of God’s creation.)
Memory Work
We like to incorporate a mix of Charlotte Mason and Classical education into our home school and an easy way I weave in classical philosophy with our morning basket time is through our morning Latin Roots & Phrases memory work. Below are the Latin roots we will be memorizing for March.
Insectum – “cut into” (Latin root for ‘insect’)
Formica – “ant”
Papilio – “butterfly”
Sicut apes operamur – “We work like bees”
History or Science Facts for Memorization
Depending on my children’s interests we may also memorize history or science facts such as a life cycle of an insect, anatomy of an insect, or important dates or discoveries. Below are a few I have noted if they are wanting to dive a little deeper into memory work. For science the two options I am giving the kids are the lifecycle of a butterfly (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly) or the roles of ants in a colony (queen, workers, soldiers). For history I have two options for them to memorize. “Silkworms helped create the famous Silk Road.” – The secret of silk production, made from silkworms, was closely guarded in ancient China for thousands of years. The demand for silk led to the creation of the Silk Road, a major trade route connecting China to Europe or “Honeybees have been kept by humans for thousands of years.” – Ancient Egyptians were among the first beekeepers, keeping bees in clay hives over 4,000 years ago. They used honey for food, medicine, and even as an offering to the gods.
Hands-On Learning & Activities
Hands on learning though nature journaling, science experiments, games, and sensory bins are their favorite. I find that my kids absorb information so much better when we are all hand on deck tackling a project or learning a new game! Below are a few ideas I have on how to bring learning to life with hands on learning and activities!
Nature Study & Journaling
March where we live is nice spring weather and I plan on giving the kids lots of opportunities to go outside and observe insects, then draw them in a nature journal. The more times we incorporate nature journaling into our school day the more impressed I get with their observation skills and their desire to learn to sketch or draw.
While we are outside I am hoping we can compare different types of bug wings (butterflies vs. beetles vs. bees). Compare and Contrasting is a simple activity that often leads them down different rabbit trails which is why I love to have various resource materials on hand so I am equipped to let them explore answers to their questions.
Science Experiments
Having some science experiments available for a bug-themed morning basket has so much potential! We could raise caterpillars and observe their metamorphosis into butterflies, We could build an ant farm and watch how ants work together. Simply having some magnifying glasses and a shadow box to keep track of your discoveries can bring lots of questions and learning.
Art & Music
When we incorporate art and music into our morning basket time it’s more of a passive activity that is available such as listening to The Flight of the Bumblebee (classical music). We can also create a watercolor painting of butterflies or bees or craft a fingerprint bug painting. I like to keep various art supplies on hand as inspiration strikes!
Games & Fun Activities
When you have fun while learning something you are more likely to remember it! I like picking up a few on theme games to continue building our “gameschooling” collection. Just because we finish a theme doesn’t mean we can’t keep picking up games and keep the learning going especially if it’s a subject that my kids were especially interested in.
Bug Bingo – A fantastic addition to any gameschooling collection, blending learning and fun seamlessly! With beautifully illustrated bug species, this game encourages observation skills, scientific curiosity, and friendly competition—all while reinforcing nature study in an engaging way. Perfect for homeschoolers who love hands-on, educational play!
Bug Drawing Book – A must-have for any homeschool art collection! It’s a perfect blend of step-by-step instruction and creativity, helping kids (and parents!) build confidence in their drawing skills while learning about insects. Whether you’re incorporating nature study, adding an art component to your science lessons, or just looking for a fun hands-on activity, this book makes it easy to bring bugs to life on paper!
Rubbing Plates of true Insects – Bug rubbing plates are a fantastic hands-on addition to any homeschool! Perfect for nature studies, art projects, or sensory play, these plates let kids explore insect shapes and textures in a creative way. Pair them with crayons, clay, or even watercolor resist techniques for a fun and educational experience that brings the world of bugs to life!
Amber Dig Kit-Artificial Insect Resin – A bug dig kit is a must-have for little explorers who love hands-on learning! This excavation activity combines science and sensory play, letting kids uncover and examine realistic insect replicas while sparking curiosity about entomology. Perfect for unit studies, STEM activities, or just a fun afternoon of discovery!
If you’re looking for even more hands-on activities and STEM projects to explore the fascinating world of bugs and insects, I’ve put together a full list packed with engaging, educational fun! From games and art projects to science experiments and nature studies, these activities will bring learning to life in an exciting way. You can check out the full list here!
Copywork & Writing Prompts
One of the main things my son is learning right now is writing paragraphs so I wanted to incorporate some copy work for my daughter and writing prompts for my son. To keep on our bug and insect theme I am sharing a few of my choices below.
Copywork Choices
– Proverbs 6:6 “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!”
– How Doth the Little Busy Bee by Isaac Watts you can view the full poem for free here. My children truly get a lot of joy from memorizing poems and being able to recite them to friends and family. They each have a little notebook full of poems they have memorized.
Writing Prompts
I decided to incorporate writing prompts into our morning basket to encourage some more creative writing from my oldest. My daughter just will orally answer these questions and I ask probing questions to develop her story telling.
– “If I could be any bug, I would be a…”
– Write a letter to a butterfly asking what it’s like to have wings.
– “If I discovered a brand new bug, it would be called…”
– Write a letter to an ant asking what it’s like to live in a colony
– “If I were as small as a ladybug for a day, I would…”
This month’s morning basket is all about sparking curiosity and appreciation for the tiny creatures that play such a big role in our world. From reading engaging books to exploring nature, memorizing poetry, and getting hands-on with bug-themed activities, there are so many ways to bring this theme to life in your homeschool.
Whether you’re raising butterflies, journaling about ants, or just watching a ladybug crawl across a leaf, I hope this month’s basket encourages your family to slow down and observe the wonders of the insect world. Happy learning, and may your March be filled with curiosity and adventure—both indoors and out!