Did you know beetles make up about 40% of insect species?
Beetles have a tough exoskeleton ( outer skeleton ) and hard forewings; like all insects, their bodies are made up of three parts: the head, thorax and abdomen. Different beetle species have different appendages, but I have kept things simple for this activity.
Build a beetle
Print out the beetle below and cut it into separate parts for each number.
The idea of the game is that all the bits start in the middle, and each player retrieves a body part depending on the number rolled on a die.
The first player to build a complete insect wins.
We also made the same game using play-doh parts.
Beetle Fun Facts
The hard exoskeleton is made of plates called sclerites.
The head - contains antennae, eyes and a mouth.
Adult beetles have two sets of wings.
Some have remarkable eyes which allow them to see above and below the waterline.
A single beetle can lay thousands of eggs in its lifetime.
Ladybirds are a kind of beetle.
Insect Extension Activities
Can you draw a picture of a beetle and remember all the body parts?
Can you find any beetles in your garden and identify the body segments with a magnifying glass?
Last Updated on January 17, 2023 by Emma Vanstone
maggy, red ted art says
Wow, what a great great science based game!!! Fun and learning at the same time. Great idea!
Thanks for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
HELEN says
great idea for a game - I love the play doh variation!
anna says
LOVE this! We are doing the Letter "I" at our house, and I'm sure we'll be doing this activity soon.
Ticia says
I remember doing something like this with my kids when we studied insects, and it was a hit with mine too!
Thanks for linking up to Science Sunday.
Sue Jaggar says
Hi
I am very keen to see science activities developed for children, however as this is a "science" game that is trying to teach insect anatomy to children it would be good if you could correct the anatomy in your picture above. The legs attach to the Thorax not to the abdomen. What you have labelled the Thorax is actually the pronotum.
Emma Vanstone says
Apologies, this is a very old post and has now been corrected