Bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs...

Wow, have we been lucky lately!  We have found a praying mantis, a huge grasshopper (thanks to my oldest-the bug and small animal hunter), a caterpillar and Saturday night- an awesome walking stick!  The children love to see bugs and are fascinated to see them moving around in our bug viewing container.  At the end of the morning, we usually thank them and set them free back into the grass!  Montessori (The Discovery of the Child, 1967, pg. 71) felt the years between 3-6 was an age when "Children have an anxious concern for living beings, and the satisfaction of this instinct fills them with delight."  She also wrote, "The metamorphoses of insects... are objects of patient observation on the part of children, and they often give rise to an interest that surprises us."  We have seen this interest lately!!!

An interested child!  The walking stick moved around quite a bit!

You can see why this was so interesting! 

Thank you walking stick and goodbye!