Bug Hotels for Kids
Create a thriving bug world in your garden. Baker Ross is on a mission to make kids excited about getting out in nature and giving them practical tools to preserve our insect habitats with easy to make bug hotels, bee houses and more.
Bugs, insects and minibeasts are fascinating for children, from the ones who fly or those that live deep underground, they all play a vital part in our ecosystem.
Building bug habitats is an amazing way for children to nurture the nature they see around them and bring a more diverse range of creatures into the garden.
With over 24,000 insect species in the UK, Baker Ross is on a mission to make kids excited about getting out in nature and giving them practical tools to preserve our insect habits with easy to make bug hotels, bee houses and more.
Build A Bug House
Creating a cosy home for creepy crawlies is easy and fun to make. Full of nooks and crannies, this Wooden Bug Hotel is great for replicating the dark and safe places minibeasts look for in our gardens. Decorate and display and just watch your Bug House become a hive of activity!
Position your Bug House at ground height to entice insects who live at a lower level, or choose a high up spot to catch the attention of ladybirds, hoverflies and bees etc.
How to Make a Wooden Bug House
• Using scissors, carefully cut sections from the bark square. If cutting is too difficult try peeling some of the bark off the squares, as shown.
• Glue the sections of bark pieces onto the sides of the wooden bug house using either PVA glue or a glue gun.
• Carefully glue the remaining pieces of bark onto the inside of the bug house. Make sure the bark pieces do not cover the entrances otherwise the bugs won’t be able to get in.
• Glue the short bamboo sticks onto the roof of the wooden bug house, as shown.
• Using PVA glue or a glue gun, glue branch chips around the base of the wooden bug house and along the front of the roof.
• Finally, glue an acorn onto the centre join of the roof.
Top Tip
Cover the Wooden Bug House in a layer of PVA glue or HobbyLine Acrylic Satin Varnish to make it water resistant.
Build A Bee Hotel
The humble Bumble Bee is a very important pollinator and will benefit from a bee-friendly place to stop and some nectar rich planting.
Check out this free project to create your own Solitary Bee Hotel. If making a habitat isn’t your thing, then you can buy a fun themed Bee House Kit that comes readymade, all you need to do is decorate as you wish. This can easily be attached to a tree or fence. Try to position your habitat near to pollinator plants to get as many insects visiting your hotel as possible.
Going on a bug hunt?
Here’s our top tips on making the most of your time outdoors.
When going on a bug exploration it’s good to go when there’s been some rain and the ground is soft and muddy. It’s best to look for bugs next to trees and under logs.
For your bug hunting kit you will need: a spoon to gently scoop the critters up, A Magnifying Glass and an Observation Box so you can take a closer look. These Bug Jars are perfect.
Three things to remember:
• Have fun!
• Always put the bugs back down
• Wash your hands
It’s time to get kids to step away from their screens, throw on some wellies, pick up a magnifying glass and head outside. Once they see the incredible insect world up close, they’ll be coming back for more!
For free bug and insect printables, click here.
For lots of great bug house inspiration check out these helpful tips and ideas on the Creative Station section of our website. Follow the simple steps there and use the accompanying photos to guide you
