Singing Cicada Craft
Yesterday we observed our annual cicadas and got a little crafty by making our own singing cicadas. Cicadas come in many different colors (there’s about 2500 different species) so do a little research to see the kind that lives in your backyard.
What you need: cardboard tubes, sand, brown and green paint, beads (the bigger the better), 12″ piece of twine, stapler, glue, go on a walk outdoors to let the children find items for the wings and eyes
1. Add a pinch of sand to the brown paint for texture then paint the tube, let dry then add green details.
2. While drying, string 7 or 8 beads onto the twine. Feed one end of the twine through the tube, meet up with the other end and tie a knot so the beads are taute on the outside of the tube.
Here’s the assembled noisemaker part of the cicada. You could add a rubber band about an inch from the top to hold the string and knot in place if it keeps coming loose.
3. Go on a hunt outside for items that would make fine wings and eyes for the cicada. The Little Ladies used pokeweed berries for the eyes and cherry leaves and lambsear for the wings. Staple the wings on, glue on the eyes. Now you have a singing cicada to sing with the males in the trees! The ladies had fun trying to mimic the sound of these cool singing insects.
Here’s our model for the project, the Tibicen linnei. I just LOVE their glassy wings and find them quite beautiful in their own way!
Enjoy!
related post
- Nature Activities
- twig easels and dragonflies- outdoor challenge
- Nature Study
- children and nature awareness month challenge
- About
Wow, that’s super creative! I love these little guys, I’ll be linking.
We recently found some cicada shells in the drive and this would be a great craft to try. You post such imaginative projects. I admire your creativity and enthusiasm. thanks
What a wonderful idea! My son’s been obsessed looking for cicadas lately. I’m sure he’d love this project. Thanks for sharing it!
What a fun project… those cicadas your girls made are too sweet… who knew there were 2500 species – that’s amazing!!
Thanks for sharing on Friday’s Nature Table
Blessings and magic.
What a fun project. My son is very “into” bugs right now.
great craft idea we have a few cicads here too. they are quite loud at times. My kids love them. OUrs have a blue tinge to them.
So creative ~ and they SING!!
I am loving your posts and just as much for their synchronicity! I picked a leaf yesterday from a friend’s property not knowing what it was and my googling was unsuccessful – well there is the lambsear leaf up there in your post and the answer to my question lol.
very cool I am going to do this with the little kiddos!
I love this – we hear them but have never seen them! The girls have been asking about their sounds – I am going to show them this post and do a bit of research. Thanks for the inspiration
Thanks ladies! Latisha, my sisters and I were raised to think creatively and do things a little differently. You should have seen our school projects that my mom helped us with!
Shady, you are too funny, you don’t actually have to touch a cicada to make this craft!
Lisa
Princess wants to learn about cicadas during our bug explorations. Perhaps I’ll be brave enough to try this project.
Oh my goodness… I just adore these so very much… what a beautiful crafty project. I so adore how so much of it comes from nature already. Your chidlings are so blessed to have you as their nurturing mama!
Soooo very fun! We grew up with cicadas, but I haven’t seen any around here. I love the sound they make.
What a great idea. I love a craft that ties into the natural world is so many ways….Think I’ll have to tailor this to something we see more of around here– monarch butterflies maybe?
Wow, that is so cool. I wish we had them here but we don’t. I remember them growing up in the south.
so cool. two questions:
1. where do you get your cool ideas, or are you just that amazing!
2. how did you learn so much about herbs and plants and identifying?
Such a clever idea, thanks for sharing