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How to Make a Model of an Anthill for Children

Most young children are interested in bugs, especially ants, which sometimes seem to act like humans. Ants are social insects living in a colony with many workers and one or a few queens. The workers feed and care for their babies, or larvae, and all the insects work toward the good of the colony. One way to make a model of an anthill for children is to use a clear plastic cup. Add edible ingredients into it to form a miniature ant colony.

Things You'll Need

Clear plastic cup
1/2 cup chocolate pudding
3 graham crackers
Plastic bag
1/4 cup raisins

Instructions

- 1
  Pass out a clear plastic cup to each child, which will house the model anthill. This craft helps children see an anthill from the side rather than from above. Also, the craft is simple enough for young children to work on.
- 2
  Spoon 1/2 cup of chocolate pudding into each plastic cup. The pudding represents the dirt or soil just below the anthill.
- 3
  Ask children to place three graham crackers into a plastic bag. Using their hands, they should crush up the crackers by kneading them inside the plastic bag. Break them down until they are a sand-like consistency for the anthill.
- 4
  Pour the sandy graham crackers into the plastic cup over the chocolate pudding. This sand should cover the pudding entirely and look like a small anthill.
- 5
  Drop in 1/4 cup of raisins to represent edible ants. Ask children to describe their anthills before eating them. Read a story about ants or sing a song, such as "The Ants Go Marching."

Insects & Science