Painting with Bugs Art Activity

We’re letting paintbrushes have the day off because today, we’re painting with bugs! That’s right – grab your plastic caterpillars, beetles, and butterflies because today, they’re the stars of the art show.

A child is painting with bugs by holding a green plastic grasshopper toy that had been dipped in green paint and presses it onto a white paper. The white paper sits in a shallow, blue tray.

How we introduce painting with bugs

Here’s how this art activity usually goes around these parts:

We set out paint and paper and share with our preschoolers that we’re about to do a painting activity.

As the kids look for and ask where the paintbrushes are, we say, “Oh, we aren’t painting with paintbrushes. Nope, not today. Instead, we’re using …BUGS!”

Cue: chaos. Confusion. Giggles. Questions. Excitement.

We reveal a handful of insect toys on the table, and it’s absolutely nothing but fun.

Related: Check out the biggest, best bug art of all: a GIANT 10-foot bug coloring banner full of all your child’s favorite bug buddies.

Six puddles of paint (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple) sit on a white paper plate. In each colorful puddle of paint is a plastic bug toy of the same color for painting with bugs.

Painting with bugs is the coolest

This project might look silly, but trust me, friend, it’s 100% worth trying.

Painting with bugs is not only an out-of-the-box art project but also a fabulous fine motor, science, and literacy activity.

This one is so good that I can’t think of a single springtime in the preschool classroom where we haven’t done this bug activity. I bet you’ll feel the same once you try it, too.

Looking for more bug and insect activities? Check these out:

Frozen Oobleck Insect Sensory Bin – Friends Art Lab
Insect vs. Not an Insect FREE Photo Sort – Friends Art Lab
Insect Ice Excavation – Friends Art Lab
Insect Math and Literacy Centers – Pocket of Preschool

Materials

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Bug and insect toys – we used the large class-sized set, but this adorable smaller set is another fave of ours
Paint – any kid’s paint works
White paper
Plate
Shallow tray – optional

Two photos: (1) a child is painting with bugs and presses plastic bug toys that has been dipped in paint onto a white paper, (2) a close up of a paper covered in colorful paint and two plastic insect toys sitting on top.

Directions

Add several small puddles of paint to your plate (we used the same-colored paint as the plastic bugs we have).

To each puddle of paint, add one insect.

Invite your child to lift the bugs from the paint, stamp them onto the paper, and observe the beautiful designs made.

Clean-up is a bonus second activity!

It’s easy to turn clean-up time into its own learning and playtime.

And it’s something we have the kids do (mostly) on their own.

Provide your child with one bucket of soapy water, one bucket of plain water, maybe a sponge or scrub brush, and invite them to clean their bugs and insects.

From washing bugs to washing rocks, this is right up a preschooler’s alley and makes painting with bugs a two-for-one activity.