I invite you to download the Build the Ant learning printable. Create a DIY Parts of the Ant puzzle or use this download to set up a fine motor exercise for your students. This can be a handy addition to your resources if you plan to explore insects and invertebrates in your classroom.

About Ants
Ants are small and incredibly hard-working insects that can be found all around the world. They belong to the family of Formicidae and can vary in size from less than 1mm to over an inch long depending on the species.

Ants live in organized colonies that can range from just a handful of ants to millions of individuals. They work together in an incredibly efficient system where each ant has its own specific task. Some ants are responsible for caring for the queen, others for gathering food, and some for maintaining the colony’s infrastructure.
Ants are incredibly intelligent and communicate with one another using a complex combination of pheromones and touch. They leave trails of pheromones that guide other ants toward food sources, away from predators or to communicate information about their nest.
Ants have a varied diet that can include everything from plants and seeds to other insects and even carrion. They are uniquely adapted to carry and transport food back to their colonies in an orderly and efficient manner.
Ants are significant to the ecosystem as they play a vital role in the decomposition of organic matter, and they help to disperse seeds and aerate the soil. Ants also act as prey for other animals such as birds, mammals, and reptiles.
In conclusion, ants are fascinating insects that are vital to the health of many ecosystems around the world. Their hardworking nature and cooperative behavior serve as an inspiration for humans to work together and accomplish great things.
Ant Hands-On Activities for Children
- Insect Sorting: Provide children with a variety of plastic insects and sorting trays. Encourage them to sort the insects by size, shape, or color.
- Ant Farm: Give children the opportunity to observe an ant farm and learn about ant behavior and habitats. You can purchase an ant farm kit or create your own with a clear plastic container, sand, and ants. Creating your own ant farm is easy and affordable. Start by finding a clear plastic container with a lid. Fill the container with a layer of sand, at least 2-3 inches deep. Add a few rocks and twigs for the ants to climb and nest on. Next, catch some ants from your yard or local park and place them in the container. Be sure to poke a few holes in the lid for ventilation. Observe the ants as they tunnel and build their home in the sand. Remember to feed them small crumbs or bits of fruit and sugar water. Enjoy watching their fascinating behavior!
- Life Cycle of an Ant: Using picture cards or a book, teach children about the life cycle of an ant. Discuss the stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
- Ant Maze: Create a maze using cardboard or construction paper. Children can guide a toy ant through the maze and learn about directions and navigation. To create a maze using cardboard or construction paper, start by drawing the outline of the maze on a piece of paper. Then, use a ruler to measure and cut the cardboard or construction paper into walls and pathways for the maze. Glue the walls and pathways together and allow them to dry. Finally, place a toy ant at the entrance of the maze and have children guide it through, learning about directions and navigation as they go. This simple and fun activity promotes problem-solving skills as well as spatial awareness.
- Ants in a Jar: Place a few ants in a clear jar with a lid. Punch holes in the lid for air and provide children with a magnifying glass to observe the ants up close. To observe ants up close, follow these simple steps. First, find a clear jar with a lid and punch holes in it for air. Next, look for a few ants and carefully place them in the jar. Ensure that the lid is secure, and then provide children with a magnifying glass to observe the ants. This activity can be a fun and educational way to learn about ant behavior and anatomy while safely observing them in their natural habitat.
- Ant Hill Excavation: Create an ant hill using sand and soil. Provide children with spoons and other excavation tools to dig and explore the ant hill. To create an ant hill, mix sand and soil together in a mound shape. Use a spoon or other excavation tool to hollow out tunnels, chambers, and entrances to create a realistic and exciting environment for children to explore. You can also add small sticks or pieces of leaves to mimic the appearance of an authentic ant hill. Encourage children to observe and identify any ants they find, and discuss the ant’s role in the ecosystem.
- Ant Anatomy: Using a poster or model, teach children about the anatomy of an ant. Discuss body parts such as the head, thorax, abdomen, and antennae. Explain how each part plays a different role in the ant’s body, such as how the head contains the ant’s brain and sensory organs to help it navigate its environment. Also, highlight the antennae, which help the ant communicate with other ants and sense its surroundings. Encourage the children to ask questions and explore the model to gain a deeper understanding of the anatomy of an ant.
- Ant Colony Role Play: Assign roles to children such as queen, worker, and soldier ants. Provide props such as hats and costumes for added fun. Encourage the children to act out their roles and mimic the behavior of ants. The queen can lay eggs, the workers can gather food and build the colony, and the soldiers can protect the colony from predators. This is a great way to teach children about the importance of teamwork and the various responsibilities of different members of society.
- Ant Tracing: Provide children with ant tracing sheets and encourage them to trace and color the ants. This activity can help with fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Ant Printable
This printable with cartoon-like images is perfect for pre-k and kindergarten students who are in the process of mastering their paper-cutting skills. It contains pieces for cutting with thick and clear lines.
The child is invited to build and label the ant. There are color and black and white printouts available in this download. Feel free to use pages that are best suitable for your young learners.
Print the color version. Cut and laminate the individual pieces and labels. Present the poster with parts of the ant. Children who can read can build the ant using pieces and paste labels in the correct boxes. There is also an option to match the word to the word if you prefer this challenge.
If the child is willing, he or she can then use a blackline version to color, cut, and glue pieces to build the ant onto one of the posters and then trace or copy the labels.

This resource contains Parts of the Ant poster, color and blackline cut-out printouts, and student Parts of the Ant posters for labeling.
Here is what’s included:
- Parts of the ant poster with labels
- Parts of the ant poster without labels
- Color cut-out printable
- Blackline cut-out printable
- Parts of the ant poster for tracing labels
- Parts of the ant poster for independent writing
As you can see, you might decide to utilize this resource in many ways.

Bugs and Crawling Creatures - Children's Books and Learning Resources
Butterfly Unit Printable Hands-on Activities for the Montessori Classroom
Collection of butterfly themed printable hands-on activities. This resource would be a helpful addition to learning activities in the Montessori classroom. The pack contains cards, posters, student booklets, coloring pages and features real photos and true-to-life images. Some cards were made to match figurine toys. Pre-reading, reading, fine-motor, writing, sequencing, vocabulary.
Color Cards for Sorting with Insects Montessori Nature
Six sets of insect color cards (green, yellow, black, blue, red, and brown)
Animals Pollinators 3 Part and Information Cards Montessori Nature
Animal pollination is such a crucial part of learning about the plant life cycle and the importance of tiny creatures that inhabit the planet. You can incorporate this resource into your Insect, Pollination, or Plant Life Cycle Units.
Dragonfly hands-on activities. Montessori Nature
Dragonflies have such a unique life cycle from a nymph, molt transforming into a gorgeous dragonfly! This set of resources is a wonderful addition to the Insect and Life Cycle Units.
Dragonfly hands-on activities for preschool and lower elementary students.
Parts of a Honey Bee 3 Part Cards and B&W Student Booklet
Montessori cards with 12 parts of a honey bee and b&w student booklet for tracing and independent writing.
Spider Life Cycle 3 Part Cards and B&W Student Booklet
This resource is a very accurate presentation of the spider life cycle as it contains real-life photographs of every stage. The students can also practice handwriting and independent writing with the b&w student booklet for coloring and labeling.
Insects Minibeasts Bugs Toddler Picture Cards Matching Activities Editable
Twenty picture cards for toddlers containing animal photographs of bugs, insects and minibeasts.
These gorgeous picture cards are specially designed for little toddlers with rounded corners and clear and visually appealing photographs
Insects and Crawling Creatures - Fine Motor, Cutting, Pin Poking, Coloring
Insects and Crawling Creatures fine motor learning activities are a perfect addition to Spring and Summer Units. Children often get fascinated with little bugs and insects they can spot every day outdoors during the warm spring and summer seasons. This brings a perfect opportunity to engage their little fingers to develop fine motor and exercise finger muscles.
Types of Butterflies - Color Identification Clip Cards Montessori Printable
Clip cards with sixteen different types of butterflies.
Insects and Crawling Creatures Preschool Pack
Insects and Crawling Creatures learning activity pack for preschool children aged 3-6. The invertebrate animals-themed activity pack contains printables to create a wide range of hands-on experiences for young children.
Insects and Crawling Creatures - 3 Part Cards - Information Cards
Three-part cards and information cards with 27 different types of Insects and Crawling Creatures – invertebrate animals that young children often find fascinating.
Beetles Bingo Activity - 20 Different Bingo Cards Montessori Printable
Have your students learn to identify 19 different kinds of beetles with this fun Beetle Bingo activity. With 20 bingo cards, this game can be done with large and small groups of students.
Honey Bee Life Cycle - Nature Curriculum in Cards
Two sets of Honey Bee Life Cycle activities with student worksheets and Honey Bee 3-part Cards
Insects and Crawling Creatures Printable to go along with Safari Toob Animals
Animals included in the printable – caterpillar, dragonfly, centipede, grasshopper, housefly, ladybug, spider, honey bee, cockroach, scorpion, praying mantis, ant, and butterflies.
Insects and Arachnids Vocabulary 3 Part Cards Editable Montessori
Three-part cards are an excellent tool to help interactively learn new vocabulary and spelling. Classified cards can be used to enrich the child’s vocabulary, to develop reading, writing, and classification skills while broadening the child’s knowledge of the world. Create bilingual/multilingual cards for the students in your minority language with ease.

Big Book of Bugs
Big Book of Bugs—the up-close and personal book for young entomologists and all curious kids who are fascinated with bugs. Look right into a spider's eye and get tangled in its web! Marvel at the stunning pictures of teeny tiny creepy crawlies blown up to extraordinary sizes. Engaging annotations provide buggy facts and figures. Larger than life photographs of these bugs include locusts, caterpillars, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, ants, praying mantises, and more!

Are You A Ladybug? (Avenues) (Backyard Books)
Beginning with its title question, "Are you a ladybug?", this accessible book is perfect for reading aloud and tells young readers how they would experience life if they were a ladybug.

The Backyard Bug Book for Kids: Storybook, Insect Facts, and Activities (Let's Learn About Bugs and Animals)
Crawl into the wonderful world of bugs—a fun photographic adventure for kids ages 3 to 5
Take your child on an educational adventure bursting with the kinds of colorful photographs you need in bug books for kids.
The Backyard Bug Book for Kids has everything you’d want in bug books for kids: a story, pictures, and activities combined. Introduce your little one to the types of bugs they’re likely to see during their day, then help them remember what they’ve learned with fun, on-the-page challenges.

Everything You Need to Know About Bugs
Everything You Need to Know about Bugs is an interactive read that any child interested in insects will love! This interactive read is full of fun insect facts, an insect identification guide, and key information about recognizing bugs and creepy crawlies all around. Identify bugs you might see in the backyard or camping, and find out about bugs you've never heard about before — it's all in Everything You Need to Know about Bugs, your complete bug and insect resource.

ABC Bug Book for Kids
From ants to zebra spiders, there’s a bug for every letter of the alphabet! Meet a huge variety of our many-legged friends with this colorful book made just for toddlers. They’ll dive into awesome trivia about bugs—like what they eat and where they live—all while learning their letters.

Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Insects: Find Adventure! Go Outside! Have Fun! Be a Backyard Insect Inspector!
This fun, photo-filled, and fact-packed guide to insects will make kids stop and look for all kinds of these crawling and flying creatures right in their own backyards. From bees to beetles, walking sticks to inchworms, kids will learn how, where, and when to spot these animals all over the United States (and how to keep a safe distance when necessary).

The Bug Book
This fun rhyming story lists all the bugs you can imagine—creep bugs, climb bugs, sticky-slime bugs! Discover the vast world of insects in this photo-filled book.

The Fascinating Bug Book for Kids: 500 Startling Facts! (Fascinating Facts)
Have you ever wondered how many bugs there are on Earth? Or which ones can fly the highest? The Fascinating Bug Book for Kids is packed with 500 incredible facts about insects, arachnids, crustaceans and other creepy crawlies for hours of exploration. Find full-color pictures that uncover life as a bug, alongside trivia about termite towers, beautiful butterflies, cool cocoons, and more.

The Buzzy Bee Book for Kids: Storybook, Bee Facts, and Activities! (Let's Learn About Bugs and Animals)
Buzzy Bee, reporting for duty! With this book on bees, kids can follow along with a honeybee and explore everything that happens inside a beehive and beyond. They’ll see amazing photos, learn what makes bees so unique, and learn all about the jobs bees do to keep the hive happy and healthy.

Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)
A beautifully illustrated, informative book for children introducing them to bugs that creep, crawl, bite, fly, and more
From moths and beetles to worms and spiders, the world is crawling with fascinating bugs. The Big Book of Bugs is the first fact-filled book for children to explore the vast array of creepy-crawlies that share our Earth.

Learning About Insects (The Natural World)
This beautiful and simple label book introduces young readers to the names of different insects and their body parts.

Bugs A to Z
An essential A to Z bug book for young readers.
The perfect book for all kids who are fascinated with bugs. Simple text from A to Z provides buggy facts and figures. Larger than life full-color photographs of creepy crawlies include locusts, caterpillars, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, ants, praying mantis, and more!

The Weird and Wonderful World of Bugs: A Book About Beetles, Butterflies, and Other Fascinating Insects
Fascinating facts and up-close photos to delight bug fans ages 5 to 7
Calling all young bug enthusiasts! Come along on a journey into The Weird and Wonderful World of Bugs. Kids from ages 5 to 7 will learn all about the insects and other arthropods we call “bugs.” They’ll meet moths, bees, fireflies, spiders, and mosquitos in detailed, full-color photos that bring the bugs to life from antennae to abdomen. Entomologist Rea Manderino, PhD, offers scientific facts on every page, inspiring budding bug scientists to explore their backyards with new eyes.

National Geographic Readers: Ants
Ants are everywhere. They creep, they crawl, they climb, and they fall. But they get up and they keep on working. Ants come in all different shapes, different sizes, and different colors. And they do a lot of different jobs. These hard-working little creatures thrive wherever they go, making whatever adaptations necessary in their ever-changing world.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Little Kids First Board Book: Insects
Bursting with vivid photos, each spread in this sturdy book features a fascinating insect or spider, along with supersimple facts and lively, age-appropriate language to keep babies and toddlers―and their grown-ups―engaged.
Designed to be the stepping-stone to the best-selling National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book series, the Little Kids First Board Book series takes similar subjects and distills them down to the simplest nonfiction concepts for the youngest audience.

About Insects: A Guide for Children
This beginner's guide to insects is a must-have for bug-obsessed young learners as well as for those who are simply curious about these creatures. In this addition to the acclaimed About... series, author and educator Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what insects are, how they look, how they move, what they eat, and where they live.

Mrs. Peanuckle's Bug Alphabet (Mrs. Peanuckle's Alphabet)
Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bug Alphabet introduces babies and toddlers to all sorts of interesting bugs. Perfect to read aloud, this creepy, crawly adventure will engage children and parents alike with its vibrant illustrations and fascinating facts about bugs. Learning the ABCs has never been so bitingly fun!
Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bug Alphabet is the fourth title in a series of board books celebrating the joy of nature at home and in the backyard, from fresh fruits and vegetables to birds, flowers, and trees.
Free Printables Designed by Montessori Nature
- Free Resource Library
- Singular And Plural Nouns: Montessori Free Sorting Printable For Teaching Kids The Difference
- Boost Your Students Literacy Skills With Fun And Creative Cards Featuring Compound Words
- Animals and Their Homes Free Printable
- Geoboard Task Cards Free Math Summer Printable
- Signs Of Summer In Nature Free Printables Posters Student Booklets
- Get Sorting With These Free Fall-Themed Printable Activities For Kids – Made By Humans And Made By Nature Sort
- All About Me Printable Freebie
- Signs of Spring in Nature
- Parts of a Plant Sorting
- Birthday Timeline Printable
- Animals of Continents Sort Editable Labels
- Fall Into Learning Fun With Autumn-Themed Geoboard Cards Free Printable For Kids
- Letter A Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter D Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter E Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter F Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter G Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter B Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter C Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter H Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter i Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter J Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter K Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter L Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter M Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter N Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter O Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter P Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter Q Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter R Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter S Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter U Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter T Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter W Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter V Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter Y Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter X Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Letter Z Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Double Letters CH Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Double Letters SH Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Double Letters Th Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Language Printable
- Double Letters ‘OO’ Vowel Digraph
- ‘ER’ Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Language Printable
- ‘OR’ Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Language Printable
- Double Letters ‘EE’ Vowel Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Language Printable
- Double Letters ‘NG’ Digraph Student Activity Page Phonics Free Language Printable
- Made By Nature Made By Humans Sorting
- My Word Of The Year New Year Free Printable
- Physical And Chemical Changes Pairing Fine Motor With Pegs
- Christmas Playdough Mats
- Christmas 3 Part Cards
- Christmas Matching Fine Motor With Pegs
- 10 Deciduous Trees And 10 Coniferous Trees Sorting Cards
- Fall Playdough Mats
- Christmas in Australia
- Free DIY Art Puzzles Coloring Pages Printables – Silent Night by Viggo Johansen
- Signs of Winter
- Matching Fine Motor With Pegs The Nutcracker Free Christmas printable
- Free DIY Puzzles And Coloring Pages – Raphael The Sistine Madonna
- Fall Leaf Shapes Match Up With Pegs
- Animal Hibernation & Torpor Cards
- 10 Farm Cards And 10 Forest Sorting Cards
- Pairing Fine Motor With Pegs – Thankful Animals
- Types Of Apples
- Fall Prewriting Practice – Free Fine Motor Printable
- Free DIY Puzzles And Coloring Pages – Paul Cezanne Still Life Painting Curtain, Jug And Fruit Bowl
- Fall Pin Punching And Tracing Cards
- Fall Match Up Initial Sounds With Pegs
- Fall Match Up Rhyming Words With Pegs
- Fall Leaves And Fall Flowers
- Fall Match Up Opposites With Pegs
- 10 Types Of Vertebrates And 10 Types Of Invertebrates Fall Printable
- 10 Types of Insects and 10 Types of Flowers Sort
- Fall Match Up With Pegs
- Types Of Exotic Apples 3-Part Cards, Posters, Student Booklet
- 10 Types Of Edible And 10 Types Of Poisonous Mushrooms
- Signs Of Fall – Free Printables, Posters, Cards, Student Booklets
- Woodland Animals Poster Match Up Cards
- 10 Types Of Mammals And 10 Types Of Birds In Autumn
- Color, Cut Out, Build, And Label The Ant
- Color, Cut Out, Build, And Label The Fish
- Gemstones 3 Part Cards
- Wild Animal Families Puzzles And Cards
- Forest Matching Cards – Free Nature Printable
- Beach Poster, Match Up Cards – Free Printables
- Whale Size Comparison Poster, Match Up Cards
- DIY Puzzles And Coloring Pages – Vincent Van Gogh Vase With Twelve Sunflowers
- 10 Types Of Vertebrates And 10 Types Of Invertebrates
- Coral Reef Animals Poster, Match Up Cards
- 10 Types Of Terrestrial Mammals And 10 Types Of Marine Mammals – Free Summer Printable
- 10 Types Of Butterflies And 10 Types Of Ladybugs – Free Sorting Printable
- Skip Counting Student Helper Posters And Worksheets s
- Number Tracing And Formation Activity
- Sums With Bead Bars – Clip Cards And Worksheets With Teen Numbers
- Addition Clip Cards
- Number Bonds – Addition With Bead Bars Sums Of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, And 10
- Place Value Mats, Task Cards, And Tracing Worksheets
- Gemstones – Posters And Matching Cards
- Nature Journal
- Valentine’s Day Coloring
- Geoboard Task Cards
- Free One Week Planner For Preschool Children With Low Prep Hands-On Activities
- Free Montessori Baby And Toddler Printable Materials
- DIY Winter Puzzles And Art Activities – Painting “The Starry Night” By Vincent Van Gogh
- Winter Animals
- Arctic Animals
- DIY Winter Puzzles And Art Activities – Painting “Maslenitsa” By Boris Kustodiev
- Butterflies And Moths Sort
- Types Of Flowers Match Up
- Silent E Learning To Read Cards
- Addition And Subtraction Cards – Single Digits
- Animals In Spring – Activities, Resources, And Free Printables
- Multiplication Charts
- Lined Writing Paper Handwriting Practice
- Nocturnal And Diurnal Animals Sort
- Viviparous And Oviparous Animals Sort
- Mothers And Their Young Animals Sort
- Constellations And Planets Sort
- Farm Animal Families Puzzles
- The Earth Goes Around The Sun – Free Geography Printable
- Tulip Life Cycle And Parts Of A Tulip
- Doing Montessori At Home With Your Baby ( 7 – 9 Mo ) Free Printable Checklist