How to Introduce Children to Insect Collecting

By: Matt ONeal

To many young children, the lure for collecting and observing
insects is as natural to them as anything they do. Maybe it's
because we're all interested when something new or exciting or
unique happens our way. A lot of adults have likely seen
thousands of fire engines roaring down the street, but most of
us still watch closely whenever we see one. I think this same
innate attraction applies to everything we observe in our lives.
Think of it - aren't you going to spend at least a few seconds
observing a ladybug that lands on your shirt sleeve? Or a
butterfly flittering about in your backyard?

Fostering and encouraging this natural curiosity in a child is
one of the greatest gifts we can give them. And nowhere is this
easier to do than with entomology. Think about this fact.
Scientists estimate that the average number of insects for each
square mile of land on earth is equal to the total number of
people on the entire planet. Whether you live in the mountains,
the beach, the desert, a farm, or the one hundredth floor of an
apartment building in New York City, insects are everywhere.

Why Insects?

As noted above, insects are everywhere and most of us have
access to at least hundreds of different species. Most of us
could walk to our backyard, look under a flower pot or rock or a
board under our porch and find a dozen different insects in
about ten minutes. Venture out to a nearby park or lake on a
warm spring day and you could literally find dozens more. How
many other hobbies have something you collect so ubiquitous yet
also so unique?

Another reason children enjoy observing and collecting insects
is simply that insects are so interesting. If you've ever seen
an ant's leg under a microscope you'll understand. The ant's leg
itself is about the thickness of a human hair, yet each of his
legs has hundreds of hairs as well. How could this be? What a
great question for any child to ask. And what a joy it is for us
as parents to watch our child's critical thinking develop as
they ask and answer these types of questions.

Searching for, capturing and observing insects is a great way to
develop a child's interest in science and nature. And with a
little cultivating from us as parents, it's a hobby that many
children will never grow tired of.

Some Basic Insect Facts

Entomologists have identified over 1.5 million species of
animals on Earth and of these, about 1 million are insects.

Some scientists believe that there are from 1-10 million more
species to discover.

Insects have six, and only six legs. While spiders, centipedes,
and the common roly poly bugs are fun to collect and observe,
they are not true insects.

An insect's body is divided into three parts: the head, thorax
and abdomen.

Insects don't have bones, but rather an exoskeleton of which the
insect's muscles attach to the inside walls. The exoskeleton is
a hard, protective shell (think of a crab) which must be shed as
the animal grows.

Insects are the only animals besides birds and bats that have
wings. While obviously not all insects fly, most do have one, or
two pairs of wings.

What do you Need?

One of the greatest advantages of insect collecting as a hobby
is that it is very inexpensive and the equipment used can be
very minimal. A child with a rinsed-out jelly jar and a
magnifying glass has all he needs to study entomology. Even for
a child who wants to take the hobby to the next level it's still
very inexpensive. Her list of equipment might now include a
butterfly net, a few more jars, a mounting board and a couple of
books on butterflies.

For the student who really wants to get serious in entomology,
he may need nothing more than the above basic items, a journal,
a digital camera, more storage boxes, some basic traps, killing
jars and preserving chemicals.

Conclusion

The next time you're thinking about what extracurricular
educational activity to introduce to your child, consider insect
collecting. It's an easy hobby to get started in and one that
just may spark a love of science and nature in them that lasts a
lifetime.

Sources

One of the sources used was Dr. David Keith and Dr. Tiffany
Heng-Moss's insect collecting page. Both are professors of
entomology at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Another
source was the insect page at 42explore.com

Article Source: http://collectibles-articles.com

Matt O'Neal holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry as well as a master's in physics and an MBA. He is the owner of Atomic Elephant Toy, a store offering science kits and educational toys for children of all ages.

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