Looking for bug and insect crafts for preschool with bright colors and silly little faces? These ideas include rainbow caterpillars, smiling bees and butterflies with colorful wings.
There are a few garden-themed extras too, including snails and spiderwebs, which aren't insects.
You can keep things simple with painting or try a bigger collage together. Have an adult handle sharp edges and tricky cutting.
Supervise small parts closely, or swap them for drawn details.
Bug craft ideas to try together
rainbow caterpillar
We’re starting off strong with this super cute rainbow caterpillar. I love the bright red face and those big eyes.
The body changes from yellow to green, blue and purple as it stretches toward the back.
Read also: 20 Clown Face Paint Ideas and Colorful Makeup Looks to Try
For your own version, let each section be a different color. Keep the curled green antennae if you want that same playful look.
ruffled yellow bee
How cute is this bee? The crumpled yellow and black stripes give its round body so much detail.
Those wide dark wings and curly antennae make it even sweeter.
The little gray nose is my favorite part. You could try a drawn round nose instead if you’re skipping small add-ons.
rainbow butterfly wings
I am obsessed with these colorful butterflies. The pink, yellow, purple and green patches look so pretty across the gathered wings.
Read also: 20 Butterfly Crafts for Adults With Pretty Details to Inspire You
Let your preschooler choose their own color mix rather than matching every patch. The orange, green and pale purple antennae here give you plenty of ideas.
shiny winged dragonfly
This little dragonfly may just be one of my favorites here. I love the shiny wings beside the blue clip-shaped body.
The tiny smile and big eyes are just too cute.
Read also: 20 Snow Crafts for Preschool and Cute Winter Activity Ideas
If you want a similar display, have an adult hang the finished craft out of children’s reach.
white spiderweb
Don’t want to add lots of colors? No problem!
This white web keeps things simple, with spokes meeting in the middle and loose rings running around them.
It’s a spider-themed extra rather than an insect craft. You could pair it with a drawn spider to give the web a little resident.
a jar full of colorful bugs
If you are looking for lots of little details, then this one is for you. The illustrated jar is filled with red, blue, orange and green bugs.
I especially love the long green caterpillar along the side.
Try a big jar outline for your own picture, then let the kids fill it with their imaginary bugs.
Read also: 20 Valentines Crafts for Preschool With Hearts, Handprints and Cute Little Bugs
big-eyed tube bug
How funny is this little face? Not gonna lie, those enormous eyes are my favorite part!
The brown tube body has a drawn smile and a tongue peeking out beneath it.
Keep the eyes oversized if you try your own version. They look so cute next to the small clear wings and bent black legs.
glowing bottle bugs
These glowing bugs are such a fun change from the painted ideas. Green, yellow and purple light shines through the bottle-shaped bodies, with little eyes on the caps and dark wings above.
Treat this as an adult-assisted display idea. If you use glow sticks, keep them intact and never cut them open.
ants in winding tunnels
I love this ant tunnel picture. The white paths weave between speckled brown sections, with little black ants scattered above and below ground.
The grass and colorful flower dots at the top are so pretty.
For a simpler version, draw the ants along the paths instead of adding separate pieces.
smiling green grasshopper
If you’re looking for a bright little bug, this green grasshopper is for you. Its round face has a big smile, with tall antennae above and bent back legs at the sides.
Those oversized back legs are the detail I’d keep. They make this one look different from the caterpillars.
caterpillar on a leaf
This is another adorable caterpillar idea. I love the blue section between the greens and those yellow curls above its face.
The big green leaf underneath gives the whole bug a place to sit. Try drawing a few leaf veins on your own base to follow that detail.
bee and ladybug smiles
Don’t want to add separate wings or legs? Look no further because these rounded painted bugs are for you.
One has red wings with black spots while the other has bold yellow and black stripes.
I love their little smiles. Keep the faces big enough for your preschooler to add their own expression.
flower-covered bug house
There’s so much to look at in this hanging bug-house idea. The outside has painted flowers and leaves, while the open end shows twigs, cones and curled sections tucked together.
Let preschoolers take inspiration from the floral decoration. An adult should prepare the container and check for sharp edges.
The photo alone doesn’t tell us whether it makes a suitable insect habitat.
hexagon printing idea
Want a background idea for your bee art? This picture shows a hexagon-shaped piece with raised bubbles beside yellow paint, rather than a finished bee.
You could use a similar shape for supervised printing, then add a drawn bee beside the pattern. I’d keep the yellow for that honeycomb-inspired look.
flowered handprint butterfly
I am obsessed with this butterfly. The pink and purple handprint wings are so pretty, plus those little flowers are adorable.
A long black body sits between the wings with curved antennae above. If you try handprinting, choose paint labeled for children’s skin contact.
web inside a circle
This is another spiderweb idea, but it’s a little different from the white one above. Colored strands cross the open middle of a white circular frame, with a tiny spider near the center.
I love how the lines go in different directions. Your version doesn’t need a perfectly even pattern.
silly bug jar
How cute are those tall pink-tipped antennae? This jar has a red lid with black spots, big white eyes and greenery tucked inside.
For a preschool version, you could decorate a shatter-resistant container and keep it as a pretend bug home. There’s no need to put live insects inside.
bright spiral snails
These snails are a garden-themed extra, not insects, but their big smiles are too cute to skip. I love the blue shell on the lime-green snail and the pink shell on the purple snail.
Try a large drawn spiral on your own painted circle. The little matching spots on the faces and tails are a sweet finishing detail.
bee with pleated wings
Here’s another bee with a completely different look. The yellow body has wide black bands, with white pleated wings spreading out on both sides.
That red smile is so sweet. You could draw big eyes instead of using separate ones and still keep the same silly expression.
a bug under a magnifying glass
Last but definitely not least, we have this cute bug card. I love the green insect inside the big black magnifying-glass shape.
The striped background and little checked bow make it even sweeter.
For a preschool take on this idea, try a large black circle around a child’s bug drawing. Keep the rest simple so their little critter gets all the attention.
Related stories