Build a Bug House – Summer STEM

Connect with Nature in this fun backyard STEM project for kids. Building a bug house is an easy way to get children into nature and observing the natural processes all around us. Whether you are doing this in your backyard, at school or as a summer camp activity, building bug houses is an activity that allows kids of all ages to express their creativity and develop those early STEM skills. Whether you stick to a simple bug house or go all out and build a bug hotel for lots of little guests, this is one summer project your kids will be obsessed with!

Build a Bug House Summer Project for Kids

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It’s always funny to me the fascination kids have with bugs. From the time my kids were tiny they loved to watch ants marching in a line, finding “potato bugs” under rocks, and always kept a keen eye out for a lucky ladybug!

Insects are cool to watch out in the world, but they also play an essential role in our ecosystems. Building a Bug House or Bug Hotel is an amazing way to be able to observe bugs in their natural habitat. This is a hands-on STEM project that will get the kids outside building their own bug habitat and then outside again and again to watch their tenants in their everyday lives! By constructing a DIY Bug House, children will be using skills in creative problem-solving, engineering design, and scientific observation and at the same time they will be supporting your backyard insect populations which can protect plant life around you!

Why Build a Bug House?

Many people can get the ick from bugs, but the truth is bugs are vital to the health of our planet and ourselves. There are all sorts of insects, each with their own jobs, including keeping plants safe, pollinating flowers, acting as predators to unwanted pests, and decomposing organic matter into the soil. A bug house can provide shelter for beneficial insects, it will give them a sanctuary for rest, reproduction and survival. Beyond that it provides the perfect opportunity for scientific observation that kids love.

What Do I Need?

It’s simple – you need to just go for a walk in your neighborhood and do a little foraging for simple things you can find in nature. Think about what looks cool, what bugs might like, and whatever catches your kids’ eye.

Some ideas:

• Pieces of Bark
• Walnut Shells
• Pinecones
• Pine Needles
• Sticks
• Seed Pods
• Leaves

Look at how beautiful these look just collected on an old cookie sheet! Nature is beautiful.

What else?

You need some sort of a structure to put your foraged items in. This could be a box, an old can, an old basket, a broken pot from the garden, cardboard tubes, build a brick structure… really you just need something that will hold all of your items together so what you need is completely up to you and your kids.

If you build it…they will come!

Directions

Decide what size you would like your bug house. You can go with a smaller container for a little bug cottage house, or choose something much bigger for a hotel type of structure! Either way you will need to choose or build a container the size you want your build.

Next, find a spot for your bug house. Because of the organic nature of the house, it may be hard to move after it is built, so you may want to put it together where you want it to live! If you’re using a box or a can you could probably make it in the classroom and bring it outside after. You will want to choose a quiet, undisturbed area with some shade.

Pro tip: If you plant flowers near the house it will attract nectar loving bugs!

Now it’s time to get creative! Stack all of the material you found on your foraging walk. You want to make sure there are tight spaces for the little bugs to squeeze into. Bugs like dark cozy spots – that’s why you’ll often find them under rocks.

You can leave some bigger spaces near the top of your structure for bigger bugs. Kind of like you are building a but hotel to accommodate all types of bugs. I love pinecones for this because their triangular shape makes it easy to have some bigger spaces. Different bugs prefer different materials, so having a mix of textures and spaces will attract a lot of different insects.

Once your bug house is built, all that is left is to wait for your new residents to move in!

Observe and Record

Once the bug house is set up, encourage kids to go and check on it to see what insects move into their cozy house. You can use it as a learning opportunity to research different species and find out more about what they do! This is a great project to let them practice their drawing and photography skills as well!

Bug House Idea for Little Kids

Little Kids? No problem! If you’re looking for an even simpler version of this bug house for smaller kids, think of it like an old school terrarium for bugs. Cut a plastic bottle in half, fill the bottom part with natural materials and then slide the top back over the base. Make sure the cap is not on the bottle and put the bottle in a shady spot outside. Check back to see the bugs! This is an easy one for the little kids because you can see through the bottle for easier observation because the littles can have less patience for waiting and watching.

Extension Idea – Build an Ant Farm for your Classroom

A fun classroom project is to build an ant farm in your space. If it seems overwhelming, we brought in an ant expert who shared all of this tips for success with STEAM Powered Family. Learn how to build an ant farm for your kids here.

These bug structures are a fantastic way for kids to explore nature and learn valuable skills. This backyard STEM activity encourages curiosity, creativity, and environmental awareness and benefits your backyard garden. Encourage kids to get outside, build, observe, and discover the wonderful world of insects right in their own backyard or schoolyard!