Explore Insects - Elementary Homeschool Unit Study | Knowledge Crates

If your kid is the type to slam on the brakes mid-walk and yell, “LOOK! A beetle!” (while you’re quietly debating whether it’s a beetle or a tiny cockroach), you’re in the perfect season of life for an insect unit study. Explore Insects is a hands-on homeschool unit study for elementary kids that turns everyday “bug sightings” into real science learning, plus a whole lot of creative projects your child will be proud to hang up. It’s designed for ages 6–12 and blends science, art, math, and language arts into one cohesive, screen-free experience—without you spending your weekend gathering supplies and writing lesson plans. 

This unit is built around two things’ kids naturally love: discovering gross-but-cool facts and making things with their hands. The crate includes a Bug Discovery Lab with tools and a 22-page observation journal, which means your child isn’t just reading about insects—they’re practicing real science skills like observation, recording data, noticing patterns, and comparing behaviors. The activities inside that lab guide kids through hands-on exploration (think investigating how bugs move, where they hide, and what helps them survive), and it’s structured enough to feel purposeful while still leaving room for that “ooh, what’s THIS?” curiosity that makes nature study work so well. 

But this isn’t only a science unit. It’s a full homeschool unit study, so you’re also covering language arts, art, and math in ways that actually connect to the theme. Kids get to flex creative thinking with a Build-A-Bug Battle design challenge (where they invent and problem-solve like little engineers), then switch gears into visual scanning and detail work with an Insect I-Spy dry-erase activity. For math, there’s a Coordinate Graph Mystery Bugs challenge that builds graphing and spatial reasoning skills while keeping it fun and theme-based (because “graphing” sounds boring until it reveals a secret bug). And for handwriting practice, the unit includes practicing cursive mats—an easy way to keep fine-motor and handwriting skills moving forward without assigning a stack of worksheets. 

The art in this unit is where a lot of kids truly get hooked, because the projects are unique and genuinely cool. Stained Glass Dragonfly Art uses watercolor techniques to create bold, beautiful wings. Embossed Bejeweled Bugs uses foil art for texture and shine (it’s the kind of project that feels fancy even though your child can do it independently with the guide). There’s also Ant Tunnel Art, which invites kids to design the underground world ants might build—so they’re thinking about habitat, function, and insect behavior while they create. And the Clay Flower Dish adds a simple 3D sculpture component that feels like real art class, not “cut and paste again.” 

Language arts shows up in ways that feel playful but still build strong skills. The unit includes a research + creative writing final project called the Cereal Box Insect Report, where kids choose an insect to study and turn that information into a fun “product-style” cereal box design—facts, drawings, and kid-friendly persuasion included. It’s a sneaky-good way to practice research, organizing information, and writing clearly without the usual groaning. The crate also includes a reading tie-in to James and the Giant Peach, plus an extension activity that lets kids imagine and design from the story world. 

To anchor the unit, the crate includes four insect-themed books that span nonfiction, fun “match-up” learning, and a classic story: TIME for Kids: Insects, Who Would Win? Ultimate Bug Rumble, DK Eyewitness Insect, and James and the Giant Peach. The variety helps different learners stay engaged—your fact-hungry kid gets the gorgeous photo-based reference book, your imaginative kid gets a story tie-in, and everyone gets a reason to keep talking about insects long after “school” is done.

If you love adding games into your homeschool routine (or you just need a peaceful way to review facts without feeling like you’re quizzing), this unit also includes a Top Trumps Bugs card game for fun-fact learning and friendly competition. It’s an easy win for reinforcing insect knowledge and vocabulary without extra effort.

Now for the big practical question: how long does this unit take? We create a free 6-week plan families can use to pace the activities in a simple, steady rhythm. At the same time, Explore Insects is designed to flex with real homeschool life. You can move faster if your child is on a roll and you’re doing activities more frequently, or stretch it longer if you prefer a gentler pace, want extra bug hunts and nature journaling days, or you’re balancing multiple ages. The theme stays cohesive even if you pause and pick it back up, because the books and projects keep the learning thread connected.

And if you want to see what this looks like in an actual homeschool setting (not a perfect Pinterest table where nobody spills anything), we have a companion blog post that walks you through how we approached the unit, shows several activities in action, and shares real-life homeschooling tips and tricks that make it easier to follow through. It’s especially helpful if you like to preview what you’re buying and picture it on your own kitchen table before you commit. 

Additional Information: Items may vary based on availability. This unit study crate contains products not manufactured by the seller. Some items may not be suitable for children under 3 years. Crate contents are not for consumption.