Make a Bug Hotel with Young Children

Get hands-on with your little ones by creating a bug hotel! Children will not only have a great time getting creative, but they’ll also learn about the importance of biodiversity and how they can help our tiny garden friends thrive. 

You will need…

An assortment of natural materials such as pinecones and sticks, bamboo cane pieces, straw bundles and a box to put it all in. The three pack of discovery boxes are perfect for this. You can forage for items in your outdoors too, such as decaying wood and dried out sticks!

Collect your materials together and spread out to see what you have.

Ask the children to fill the boxes with your chosen natural materials, creating plenty of spaces for the bugs to hide and make a home in. By offering a variety of different kinds of spaces in your bug hotel, you will entice more visitors to come along and visit.

Choose a nice, sheltered space for your bug hotel to live in your garden and keep sheltered from the rain. This will ensure that it lasts as long as possible.

Bugs that may be attracted to your hotel are ladybirds, solitary bees, beetles, lacewings, centipedes and more. Having a bug hotel in your garden will not only provide a place for the bugs to live but will also help young children learn all about the small creatures that live outdoors amongst us. Bugs are crucial for a healthy garden and by making a lovely bug hotel, you will be helping the bugs and the plants that are growing too.

For more outdoor activities, discover some of our favourite nature crafts for kids.

This article was kindly written by our Brand Ambassador Early Years Outdoor.