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Why is it that kids and bugs seem to make a natural connection? Insects, arachnids (spiders) and worms seem almost like little aliens. Yet instead of grabbing for a shoe to chase after them, kids will hold up a worm like they found a treasure, or try to catch a bug in a jar to look at it up close with a magnifying glass.
In very non-scientific terms, these foreign creatures live in their own little neighborhoods! As we see in DIARY OF A WORM, A SPIDER & A FLY, they discover that each one has their own special strengths and characteristics. And yet, they still find a way to get along. I think kids are like this, too. They find the things about themselves that are similar and figure out how to get along and turn life into a song!
Now for the best part about bugs and worms - SLIME! Of course as adults, we might think of this as what remains of a bug on the bottom of that proverbial shoe, but for kids, that icky sticky slime is part of what makes bugs so special. So let’s make some!
You can find these instructions right here https://www.diynetwork.com/made-and-remade/make-it/got-slime-. I like this example because they actually put plastic toy bugs into their slime, so, they obviously get it!
Materials for making one serving of Slime (the website puts our minds at ease about Borax!):
- Borax powder (1/2 teaspoon)
- white craft glue (1/4 cup)
- water (1/2 cup)
- 2 bowls
- 2 spoons
- food coloring
Directions for Making Slime
1. In one bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon of Borax with 1/4 cup of water. Mix well and set aside to dissolve. In the other bowl, combine 1/4 cup of glue with 1/4 cup of water. Stir until well combined.
2. Next, add food coloring to your water and glue mixture and mix it well. You can even add glitter during this step if you want!
- Green slime- 3 drops of green and 1 drop of yellow
- Brown slime (super gross)- 2 drops of green, 2 drops of red, and 2 drops of yellow.
3. Slowly add the water and Borax mixture to the glue mixture stirring constantly. It will begin to thicken. Add the water and Borax mixture to the glue and water mixture until you are satisfied with the Slime consistency.
4. Play with your Slime on a hard surface like a table. Store it away in a sealed container or a plastic bag.
If you have toy bugs (NOT REAL ONES), you can store them together in the bag. Enjoy!
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DCT Staff Thoughts
I’ve always been fascinated by bugs. They’re quite spectacular. I include spiders and worms in this category. I wonder if they think, and what in the world they’re thinking about. I do have to admit, though, that I had no trouble putting a worm on a hook. Please don’t tell.
When I was a kid, I was much more inclined to pick up a garden snake, a stray lizard, or a frog. I can even remember one time putting a bunch of frogs into a baby pool, just to see how they would interact. It wasn’t really that memorable. I let them go soon after.
My nine-year-old son, Adam, has incredible empathy for the tiniest of beings. Like me, he enjoys reptiles, but he cried the day he found out that lizards eat crickets and worms, so we had to find another way to make his blue-tongued skink get her protein. He might be that way his whole life, but I also think it shows how kids can connect with organisms on a whole different level, and it makes the thought of these characters having a real life with real feelings more attainable. I think you’ll agree when you see the show.
Remember, these activities are for you to enjoy while you are at home, and hopefully bring a little DCT fun into your quality time together. We have found that the more prepared our audiences can be before they get to the theater, the more engaged they will be as an audience.
Sherry Ward
DCT Communications
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