Even children who are squeamish about bugs won't be intimidated by ladybugs, so they'll be able to go hunting for these bugs without squealing. This activity is only possible in spring or summer. Start by having children make ladybug catchers out of glass jars. Have children paint ladybugs onto the jars, then punch holes in the lid. Take children outside to look for ladybugs. If they find any, they can scoop the bugs into the jar, close the lid and observe the bugs for a bit before releasing them.
Teach preschoolers to follow a pattern by having them finish a ladybug. On a piece of paper, draw one half of a ladybug. Color it in and add six or seven spots. Make a copy for each child. Preschoolers must then draw the other half of the ladybug, making their half an exact copy of your half. For children who are 3 years old or younger, you may need to draw the outline of the second half of the bug and only have children fill in the spots.
Preschoolers love cooking and eating tasty treats, so have them help you make ladybug cookies. Have the class help measure and mix the ingredients to make sugar cookies, then roll out the dough. Cut the cookies into circles, then add a bit of dough to one side to make a head. Bake the cookies, then have children decorate them with red frosting and black frosting spots. For a healthier ladybug treat, children can cover rice cakes with red jelly and add spots made from raisins.
The spots on a ladybug's back can teach preschoolers about counting and matching. Make several sets of ladybug cards, with each set having a different number of spots. Spread out the cards and ask preschoolers to match up the pairs that have the same number of spots. You can also have children count up the spots out loud or put the cards in order. Have them line up the ladybugs, starting with the bugs with the fewest spots first.