Name Webs and FREE Spider Maths Lesson Plan

I love spiders – there I said it. If I had my way I would have a pet one, but my husband is terrified of them which means no spider for us at home and instead me and the kids have to be content with building giant spider webs or even smaller ones that are feets are engineering genius or even using webs to work on maths or a little art project. I did say I like spiders. Today for this week’s themed Virtual Book Club for Kids post we are reading The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle and I’ve been working on a very simple name activity building our own webs with our names. I’ve also included a FREE Spider Maths Lesson Plan that you can sign up to get as well.

Materials Needed for Spider Web Names

Paper

Pen or Pencil

How to create Spider Web Names

With being the middle of moving I needed an activity that was very simple to do and needed no extra materials than I had to hand but would work on one of our focus areas – Learning to spell, write and read our name and this fitted the bill perfectly.

Start off by drawing the spokes of the web – you will need the number of spokes to equal the number of letters in your child’s name.

Together spell out loud your child’s name you could spell it together, you spell first and then the copy or say one letter and they repeat it.

Now write their name up and down each of the spokes – switch the way you write the name as this will help them to develop spatial awareness seeing letters upside down and on their side.

Start with the first letter of the name on the bottom of one of the spokes and ask them to draw a line to the next letter of their name on the next spoke round.

If they are unsure point out the letter and guide them where to go. This activity is great for working together on their name if they can do it independently and quickly making no mistakes you know they have it.

If you have one find a toy spider and walk across the web spelling their name out loud.

More Spider Themed Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Why not combine the Spider Nursery Rhyme Incy Wincy Spider with a sensory bin with our Incy Wincy Spider Sensory tub activity for toddlers.

Get scientific with your kids and explore spiderwebs with this Spider Web Investigation.

Enjoy doing this STEM Spider Web Activity with your kids as you construct your own spiderwebs.

Spider Books for Virtual Book Club for Kids

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This week’s featured book is by my favourite children’s author Eric Carle – The Very Busy Spider. But I know some of you like to have a collection of books that you can read as well with the theme and these ones are great for 2 to 5 year olds.

5 more spider books for your book basket this week

Spiders by Gail Gibbons

National Geographic Readers Spiders

ARGHHHH Spider by Lydia Monks

Anansi The Spider by Gerald McDermott

Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin

Virtual Book Club for Kids Activities for The Very Busy Spider

Check out this week’s themed Activities from the Virtual Book Club for Kids co-host and make sure that you join the Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids Facebook Group if you want to be kept up to date with all of the latest booklists, activities and ideas for our themed book club.

Spider Based Literacy Activities

Printable Spider Web-Letter Match Activity from Artsy Momma

Alphabet Spider Sticky Wall from Toddler Approved

Spider Writing Trays from Adventures of Adam

Spider Activities for Maths

Spider Counting Puzzles from Sea of Knowledge

Spider Shape Craft from JDaniel4’s Mom

Creepy Crawley Pattern Book Mats from Chickadee Lit

How to make a Rainbow Spider Web from Powerful Mothering

Feed the Spider Colour Catapulting from Preschool Powol Packets

Hands-on Spider Ring Counting for Preschoolers from School Time Snippets

Spiders Web Finger Print Counting from Messy Little Monsters

Sensory Activities for Spider Theme

Spider Sensory Bin and Counting Game from My Storytime Corner

Spider Activities for Science

A Very Busy Spider Climbing Spider Toy from To Be a Kid Again

Spider Types Matching Cards for Kids from Kori at Home

Spider Activities for Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Fine Motor Spider Web from The Educators’ Spin On It