We moved to Chicago from Los Angeles 2 years ago. I am originally from Chicago, but had been away for years and had forgotten all about playing with bugs as a child during summers! In Los Angeles we didn’t have Fireflies or Pill bugs to catch, so our first summer here was quite a thrill. Last year the neighbors and Penelope all made bug playgrounds out of recycled materials and filled them with rocks, sticks, grass and a bits of berries. This year, Penelope made a Bug playground at Forest Camp and we have been using it to catch bugs all summer. It is so fun to watch the girls look closely and explore how bugs interact in their space, and then carefully put them back into their natural environment.

Tools for the trade:

1. Any recycled box- we used a plastic pastry container that contained bread rolls and a plastic mushroom box

2. Pick some grass, twigs, leaves and rocks.

3. Pipe cleaners, bottle caps.

The how to:

Have the kids design their playground however they wish. It is so fun and interesting to hear why an object is in a specific place. They were so thoughtful in putting them together.

Go on a bug hunt and enjoy!

Can you see the Pill bug climbing up the ramp in the photo above? There are also Pill bugs nestled in the grass in the lower playground. So much fun!

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