Preschoolers are in the midst of developing science-based inquiry skills, according to the PBS Parents website. Help build these abilities in the pre-K classroom with an ant observation activity. Ask the preschoolers what they know about ants already and what they think the ants do every day. Set up a clear plastic ant farm that allows the children to view the insects as they work together, eat and scurry around. Use a simple science tool, such as a magnifying glass, for the kids to get a better look at the the ants. Ask the children to draw their observations in a science journal, and help them to label their pictures with words that you write on the pages.
Math in the preschool classroom doesn't always -- if ever -- mean sitting still and doing equations. Math is ever-present and you can easily use other non-number concepts -- such as ants -- to teach basic skills such as geometry, counting and number recognition. For example, give the children circle shapes and have them combine the geometric forms into one ant. Another option is to count the ants as they march along. Make a line of plastic bugs and have the students count up to 10 ants.
Build some background knowledge on ants with a literacy lesson. Read a book on bugs to the preschoolers and follow up with a few questions that demonstrate what they are learning. Age-appropriate titles on ants include -- but aren't limited to -- "Hey, Little Ant" by Philip M. Hoose, "The Life and Times of the Ant" by Charles Micucci, "One Hundred Hungry Ants" by Elinor J. Pinczes and "The Life Cycle of an Ant" by Hadley Dyer.
Early childhood art experiences can help preschoolers to develop skills across all of the domains -- social, emotional, motor and cognitive -- according to professor of early childhood education Jill Englebright and kindergarten teacher Stacey Berry in the article "Art in Early Childhood: Curriculum Connections" in Earlychildhood News. Have the preschoolers draw their own versions of ants with crayons or markers, collage together photos and magazine clippings of ants and build mini-models with clay. Don't worry if the "ants" don't look like the real thing. Focus on something specific such as adding the correct number of legs or making circle shapes.