Beetle Game – Introduction to insects

Did you know beetles make up about 40% of insect species?

Beetles have a very hard exoskeleton ( outer skeleton ) and hard forewings, like all insects their bodies are made up of three parts: the head, thorax and abdomen. Different species of beetle have different appendages, but for the purpose of this activity I have kept things simple.

If you can’t tell, the photo below is meant to be a beetle, with very basic body parts labelled. I made 4 beetles in different colours. The idea of the game being that all the bits start off in the middle and each player retrieves a body part depending on the number rolled on a dice.

The first player to build a complete insect wins.

We also made the same game using play doh parts.

Fun facts

The hard exosketon is made of plates called sclerites.

The head – contains antennae, eyes and mouth.

Adult beetles have two sets of wings.

Some have special 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.

Extension activities

Can you draw a picture of a beetle, and remember all the body parts?

Can you find any in your garden and identify the body segments with a magnifying glass?