I can’t believe it’s already halfway through August! The summer has flown by once again. Last week we all attended a biodiversity summer school nearby, and each year Paul, an etomologist brings along a collection of bug specimens from around the world for kids to look at. This year Tristan and Kallista had a surprise for him!
A couple of weeks ago Tuttle Publishing sent us a copy of The Peace Tree From Hiroshima, and they added a couple of surprises to our package as well. One of them was their brand new Origami Bugs kit.
I’ll admit it…bugs are not my favourite thing at all. And a few little ‘travellers’ hitched a ride with us when we returned from our camping trip. Luckily, my children are overcoming their previous fear of creepy crawlies much more than I have and they are usually able to carefully capture any little insects and take them outdoors so everyone is safe and happy once again.
How did the kids overcome their fears? I try to be brave and not ‘freak out’ when I come across bugs or spiders in the house in order to set a good example….but I do believe last year’s bug display and insect hunt definitely helped! The kids built their own bug houses which sit outside the front of our house to give them a safe haven.
Tristan had such fun building, as did Kallista. And the kids loved running through the tall grasses trying to capture insects with their butterfly nets. Chris, from The Conservation Volunteers showed all the kids how to catch, watch, and release the little critters…and the kids are hooked!
So when Origami Bugs: Origami Fun for Everyone! (This and following links may be affiliates) arrived, the timing was perfect! The kit contains instructions for 20 origami projects and 98 sheets of paper to make them. The first project Tristan chose was the firefly.
But Tristan being Tristan, he insisted on ‘upgrading’ his project and added in a little science by taping a button battery (thanks to Mom and Dad for them), and a little led light with a button battery underneath. Now it really does light up!
This kit has proved to be the most challenging of the ones we’ve worked on and I’ve found myself scratching my head with a couple of the steps involved. But it’s good to have a challenge and a goal to work towards.
As you can see we all had fun making origami bugs; here’s a small collection of them at home in the bug box.
There is a mix of projects ranging from very easy to the more advanced, and I have seen some of the bugs included in Japan, the USA, Canada, and here is in the UK. And I can tell the children stories about my encounters with some of these bugs….and yes, I do think I’d rather hold an origami tarantula than a real one!
If you’d like to know more or would like to follow Tuttle Publishing, you can connect with them through their website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest (and you can see our other Tuttle reviews here).
If you’re interested in purchasing this kit here are some Amazon links for you:
