15 Simple Minibeast Art and Craft Ideas for Early Years

Explore the amazing world of minibeasts found in habitats and ecosystems around the world with these 15 simple minibeast art and craft ideas to try in your early years setting. These activities are perfect for introducing topics such as food webs and pollination for children as they discover how these small animals make a huge impact on our planet.

1. Ladybird Apple Stamp Prints

Use apples to stamp ladybirds then add the spots. Prepare this activity by cutting an apple in half for children to press into red paint to make the ladybird's body. Once completely dry, use black paint or markers to draw the head, antennae and spots. Try using different colour paints to create other types of ladybirds found in gardens and woodlands across the UK such as the orange-spotted ladybird.

2. Clothes Peg Dragonflies

Try this low-cost minibeast craft using a few basic supplies you can find at home. Start by decorating wooden pegs and folding a piece of card in half to cut out wings. Secure the wings in place by slotting them into the centre of the peg then add googly eyes to complete your flying dragonfly. Why not experiment with other types of wings to create other insects such as colourful butterflies.

3. Dancing Hungry Caterpillar

This easy paper craft caterpillar makes a great prop for story time when reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar. To create your own, place two strips of green paper at a right angle and fold them over each other to make a paper spring. Keep adding green strips for a longer caterpillar then make the head by flattening a cardboard roll. Finally, help the caterpillar dance by attaching lolly sticks for small hands to hold onto.   

4. Painted Rock Minibeast Bugs

Turn plain pebbles into an assortment of minibeasts! Pebbles are a fun tactile resource for small-world play and arts and crafts. Paint your pebbles then add finer details using a marker or small paintbrush and leave them to dry. These painted rock bugs are perfect for adding to a plant pot or placing on a windowsill. Don't forget to add a coat of varnish if you plan to leave them out in the garden.

5. Minibeast Agamograph Optical Illusion

Learn about optical illusions with our free agamograph download. Print out the template, colour in and fold along the lines to create a piece of minibeast art that changes when looked at from a different angle. This 2-in-1 optical illusion project for children features a friendly caterpillar turns into a large butterfly.

6. Recycled Egg Carton Bee

Insect nesting boxes are perfect for observing small minibeasts while exploring nature. Get an up-close look at insects such as bees and create your own by recycling an egg carton. To make an egg carton bee, cut out two individual cups from the egg carton and glue them together. Paint stripes and add googly eyes, pipe cleaner antennaes and string to hang up when finished.

7. Pollinators STEAM Activity

Demonstrate how some small animals pick up pollen with this simple science activity to show what happens as pollinators move between flowers. Attach pipe cleaners to wooden bug craft sticks and press them lightly on flour or biodegradable glitter to see how pollen transfers as bees, butterflies and other minibeasts move between flowers in search of food.

8. Tissue Paper Caterpillars

Watch tissue caterpillars grow like magic! Set up this STEAM craft activity by colouring in a sheet of tissue paper and rolling it around a thin pencil to create a caterpillar shape. Push the tissue towards the centre from both ends to compact the shape then remove the pencil. To make the caterpillars wriggle, use a twisty pipette to drop water and watch them grow as they expand!

9. Flying Ladybird Minibeast Free Download

Create a moveable flying ladybird with our free minibeast download. Colour in and carefully cut out the template shapes, fold along the dotted lines and glue the wings in place. Make the ladybird fly by pulling the two ends of the paper strip to see the ladybird open and close its shell.

Don't forget to explore our full range of minibeast-themed downloads, from word searches to scavenger hunts and much more!

10. Paper Plate Jellyfish

Minibeasts can be found in all sorts of environments, even underwater! Seaside minibeasts include crabs, starfish and jellyfish. Craft a jellyfish by cutting a paper plate in half and attaching tissue paper tentacles. Alternatively, punch holes at the base of the plate and encourage children to thread yarn or ribbons through to make tentacles and practice scissor skills by trimming the ends. Finish off the jellyfish by adding eyes and then hang up to display.

11. DIY Seashell Crab Craft

Turn ordinary shells into colourful crabs in a few easy steps. Gather together your favourite seashells and paint them red. Create the legs by trimming matching pipe cleaners into eight equal pieces and gluing two front claws once the paint is dry. Finish the crabs by adding pairs of eyes and then they are ready to play with and perfect for adding to under-the-sea classroom projects.

12. Minibeast Split Pin Beetles

Transform paper and card into moveable minibeasts with the help of split pins. Create the beetles by cutting coloured card into shapes to make the body and wings. After these are decorated, layer the pieces together and attach split pins through both layers to complete this simple minibeast art and craft activity that can be used in play and during story time.

13. Sponge Snail Mark Marking

Assemble sponge snails for a fun outdoor art activity that supports mark-making in early years without any mess. Let children choose their favourite shells to place onto sponges and set out a tub of water for them to dip their sponges as they prepare to make patterns on the ground. This fun playground activity supports children's fine and gross motor skills as they create water snail trails. Once playtime time is over, pack the snails away and watch the water evaporate.

14. Sponge Stamp Butterfly

Build hand-eye coordination with this sponge stamp activity. Create your butterfly stamp by wrapping an elastic around the centre of a sponge to create the wing shapes. Let children practice their fine motor skills as they press their sponges to pick up paint. Complete the butterflies by drawing the body and antennae to finish!

15. Minibeast Pom Pom Spiders

Make a miniature spider companion with pom poms and pipe cleaners to hang up in the classroom and join in when singing nursery rhymes like Little Miss Muffet and Incy Wincy Spider. Fan out eight legs and glue them into place, then add googly eyes to finish this pom pom craft. Low on supplies? Take a look at our Spider Making Kit for everything you need in one time-saving pack.

Let us know which of these minibeast art and craft ideas you’ll be trying out and share your projects with us on social media by tagging us or using the hashtag #ExploreWithEYR.