oshc activities
Theme days / Bug Day

Bug Day ideas for OSHC

27 DIY activities for a bug day at before and after school care or vacation care, usually run around Spring or 20 May. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.

Build a Bug Day
Bug Day · Cooking Day · Fruit and Veggie Day +2

Ants on a Log Snack

Children make a classic bug-themed snack by filling celery sticks with spread and adding sultana ants.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6Gardening Day · World Bee Day · Bug Day +3

Bee and Butterfly Garden

Children plant pollinator-friendly flowers, then watch and record the bees and butterflies that visit over the term.

OutdoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6World Bee Day · Gardening Day · Bug Day +3

Bee Hotel Build

Children fill a tin or bottle with bamboo pieces and hollow stems to create a home for native solitary bees.

OutdoorCalmSome prepPrep to Year 6World Bee Day · Bug Day · Science Week +1

Bee Waggle Dance Game

Children act as bees and communicate the location of hidden 'flowers' to their hive using only a waggle dance.

OutdoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6Gardening Day · Bug Day · Science Week +3

Bottle Wormery

Children layer soil and sand in a clear bottle, add worms and watch how they tunnel and mix the layers over a week or two.

EitherCalmSome prepYears 4 to 6Outdoor Explorers · Bug Day · Gross and Messy Day +2

Bugs in Mud Cupcakes

Children decorate chocolate cupcakes with 'mud' icing and gummy worms poking out. A fun, slightly gross treat for an explorers' day.

IndoorCalmSome prepPrep to Year 6Bug Day · Gardening Day · Nature Play Day +3

Build a Bug Hotel

Children fill a box frame with sticks, pinecones, bark and leaves to create a home for insects in the garden.

OutdoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6Wilderness Adventure · Bird Watching Day · Jungle Safari +2

Cardboard Tube Binoculars

Children make binoculars from two cardboard tubes and a string strap, then use them on a nature spotting walk.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3Bug Day · Science Week · Science Day +3

Caterpillar Growing Habitat

Children care for caterpillars in a habitat and record how they grow and change, watching the life cycle unfold over days or weeks.

IndoorCalmSome prepPrep to Year 6Tie Dye Day · Rainbow Day · Bug Day +1

Coffee Filter Butterflies

Children fold coffee filters and dip them in coloured water to create tie-dye patterns, then pinch them into butterflies with pipe cleaners.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3Halloween · Bug Day · Craft Day +1

Creepy Egg Carton Crafts

Children turn egg cartons and paper into bats, spiders and other creepy critters.

IndoorCalmSome prepPrep to Year 6Gross and Messy Day · Messy Play Day · Bug Day +1

Custard Worm Hunt

A no-hands challenge where children search custard-filled trays for hidden lolly worms using only their mouths.

OutdoorModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6Flying High · Bird Watching Day · Bug Day +1

Flying Animal Mobile

Children make card birds, bats and insects and hang them from a coat hanger to create a flying mobile.

IndoorCalmSome prepPrep to Year 6Bug Day · World Bee Day · Sustainable Superstars +3

Homemade Beeswax Wraps

Older children help make reusable food wraps by melting beeswax into cotton squares, learning about reducing plastic waste and the role of bees.

IndoorCalmSome prepYears 4 to 6Bug Day · Science Week · Science Day +1

Insect Body Parts Challenge

Children label the head, thorax and abdomen on insect diagrams and models, then test each other in a quick quiz.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6Bug Day · Gardening Day · Nature Play Day +3

Magnifying Glass Bug Safari

Children hunt for minibeasts with magnifying glasses and record their finds on a tally sheet, building curiosity about small creatures.

OutdoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6Nature Play Day · Outdoor Explorers · Trail Blazers +3

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Children search for natural items such as a smooth stone, a forked stick or a feather using a checklist.

OutdoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6Outdoor Explorers · World Bee Day · Bug Day +2

Paper Roll Bees

Children paint cardboard tubes yellow and black and add wings to make buzzing bees. A simple craft that opens up talk about pollinators.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3Park Day · Bug Day · Nature Play Day +3

Park Bug Hunt

Children search under logs and leaves with magnifiers and tally the creatures they find. Hands-on science in a local park.

OutdoorModerateGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6Bug Day · Science Week · Gardening Day +2

Pasta Butterfly Life Cycle

Younger children glue pasta shapes onto card to show the stages of a butterfly's life cycle, from egg to butterfly.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3Book Week · Craft Day · Under the Sea +2

Picture Book Craft Response

Younger children listen to a picture book and then make a craft linked to the story, deepening their connection to it.

IndoorCalmSome prepPrep to Year 3Bug Day · Halloween · Craft Day +1

Pom-Pom Spiders

Children craft fuzzy spiders by attaching pipe-cleaner legs and googly eyes to pom-poms, practising counting to eight and fine motor skills.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3Bug Day · Halloween · Craft Day +1

Spider Web String Art

Children wrap wool around a notched paper plate to create their own spider web, building patience and hand-eye coordination.

IndoorCalmSome prepPrep to Year 6Bug Day · Spring Fair · Art Attack Day +2

Symmetry Butterfly Painting

Children paint one half of a butterfly, fold the paper and press to reveal matching wings, discovering symmetry in a fun, surprising way.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 3Gross and Messy Day · Bug Day · Gardening Day +3

Worm Exploring

Children dig gently for worms in a garden bed, observe them on trays and return them to the soil.

OutdoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6Gardening Day · Sustainable Superstars · Recycle Day +3

Worm Farm and Compost

Children set up a worm farm and compost bin and feed them afternoon tea scraps, learning how waste becomes soil.

OutdoorCalmBig set-upPrep to Year 6Bug Day · Gardening Day · Sustainable Superstars +3

Worm Farm Study

Children observe worms in a worm farm with magnifiers, learning how worms turn food scraps into rich soil.

EitherCalmSome prepPrep to Year 6