Investigating Spider Webs
Are your kids scared of spiders? I’ve got one daughter that hates them and another daughter that will sit and observe spiders and webs all day long. My daughter that loves watching spiders did not get that way naturally. Once upon a time, she was scared of spiders too. But we’ve read books, observed, spent time investigating spider webs, and learned just how fascinating spiders are.
Spinning Spiders – Book Based Activity for KIds
We have included links to products and books used in this activity. If you buy from these links we may earn a small commission
The book, Spinning Spiders, by Melvin Berger, is a great choice to learn all about spiders. It’s part of the Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out Science series and is full of fun (and fascinating) information. It’s a great introduction to spiders and also has tons of good information for kids that already have some spider knowledge.
Spinning Spiders is also a great launching pad for a fun spiderweb investigation.
Before you start your investigation
We are going to use our eyes only for this investigation. We don’t want to harm spiders or their webs. Spiders are very beneficial to have around, especially outdoors. They’ll help control all the other pesky insects you have around. I’d rather have spiders around than mosquitoes!
We’ll leave every spiderweb where we find them and avoid touching them.
If you would like a closer look, bring along a magnifying glass so you can look close without bothering the spiderweb.
Let’s search for spiderwebs
You can go on a spiderweb investigation right at your own home. Look in basements, corners near the ceiling, and garages. We had great success in our basement.
Try outdoors in bushes or trees. Also look in and around sheds, decks, benches, tables, fences, and outdoor storage areas.
Spiders spin their webs where they are able to attach it to a couple of different spots. That’s why corners are popular!
Look at their shape and their size. Do you see a spider in the web? Do you spot any prey?
Investigating Spiderwebs
Don’t just look for the spiderwebs, let’s learn a little in the process. Here are some additional things you can do.
Do a spider web count. This is a perfect time to practice tally marks. Go through your house and yard making a tally mark for each spiderweb you see. When you’re done, calculate the tally marks to see how many you found.
Practice your photography skills. It can be hard to get a great picture of a spider web, but this would be a fun project for an older child.
Sketch a spiderweb. Sit down near a spider web and practice your observation skills by sketching the spiderweb.
Write a book about spiders. Use Spinning Spiders and a couple of extra books about spiders for research. Write a simple nonfiction book and illustrate it with your photos and sketches.
There’s so much to learn about spiders and you can find out so much by simply investigating spiderwebs.
More Spider Themed Activities for Kids
For younger kids and those that love sensory play why not make an Incy Wincy Spider Inspired Sensory Bin.
After investigating spiderwebs in this activity why not create your own with this STEM Spider Web Themed Activity for Kids.
Use the spider’s web to help in math with this Skip Counting Spider Web which comes with a complete Spider Themed Math Lesson Plan for Kids.
You may also like one of these fun nature exploration ideas:
Exploring Nature: Leaf Collections
Terri from Creative Family Fun
Terri is a writer and mom of two elementary-aged girls. She has a passion for learning and is always looking for ways to make learning fun. You can find her at Creative Family Fun where she shares art, craft, fun learning ideas and family fun ideas.
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