Lightning Bug Craft

What You Need:

• Water bottle
• Construction paper
• Tape
• Scissors
• Pipe cleaner
• Markers
• Stickers
• Glow stick

What You Do:

1. Have your child choose a few sheets of colored construction paper.
2. Draw two wing shapes on the paper and cut them out. Lightning have bugs wing that are long and oval.
3. Have your child tape the wings on the back of the water bottle.
4. Using the same color paper, cut out a rectangle for the lightning bug's belly. Cut thin strips on either side for fringes, or have your child decorate it in any way she likes.
5. Tape the belly to the front of the bottle.
6. Use construction paper of a different color for the face. Cut out a square or circle and have your child decorate it with stickers or markers.
7. Tape the face to the top of the bottle.
8. Cut two pieces of pipe cleaner, about 3" in length.
9. Take off the bottle cap and let your child bend the pipe cleaners into antennae. Then tape them to the bottle cap.
10. Place a glow stick in the bottle and screw the cap back on.
11. Finally, place the lightning bug in a dark room and watch it glow!

Did you know that lightning bugs use their lights to communicate with one another? Ask your child what she thinks they might be saying the next time you spot some in your backyard.