Spider Activities for Toddlers

Spiders are amazing builders, and this week we look at them the friendly way: eight legs, strong silk and webs that catch the bugs we don't want. It's all factual and cute, never spooky.

Everything below goes with Episode 7 of Sprocket & Sprout. Do a little each day, or pick the ones that fit your week.

Snacks

• Strawberry Spiders. A strawberry body, a little round head and eight pretzel legs.

• Spider Web Yogurt. Berry circles on yogurt turn into a web with one toothpick.

• Eight-Leg Snack Plate. Build a spider with eight legs, then count them as you eat.

Projects

• Engineer a Spider Web. Build a web of straws, sticks and yarn held together with playdough.

• Watercolor Resist Web. Draw a secret web with a white crayon, then paint over it and watch it appear.

• Spider Delivery Dump Truck. Load, drive and count spiders up to 7.

• Spider Web Letter Sort. Sort letter cards into web-covered bins.

Books

• The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle. A gentle, repetitive story with a web you can feel. Get the book on Amazon

• Walter's Wonderful Web by Tim Hopgood. A first book about shapes, one web at a time. Get the book on Amazon

• Bear's Scare by Jacob Grant. A funny story for kids who feel a bit unsure about spiders. Get the book on Amazon

• The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani. The song you know, with more verses to sing. Get the book on Amazon

Talk about it

• Talk About It: Why Are Spiders Helpful?. Spiders catch flies, mosquitoes and other pests.

• Talk About It: What Do Webs Have to Do With Weaving?. Crossing lines, kente cloth and a spider story from Ghana.

Free printables

• Same Web or Different? (free PDF). Look closely at pairs of webs, then trace the dashed lines to finish a web.

• Spider or Insect? Count the Legs (free PDF). Count legs to tell spiders from insects, then draw the legs yourself.

Looking for more? See all our free printables.

Letter and number of the week

This week's letter is G and the number is 7. See Letter G Activities for Toddlers and Number 7 Activities for Toddlers.

Keep going

The supplies we used are in our Week 7 Amazon list. Browse every Week 7 post, see all the weeks, or get the free Passport and collect a stamp for each week you finish.

Every child is different. Please use your own judgment about what's safe and right for your family. Always supervise children during activities and while eating, and adjust foods for allergies, dietary needs and your child's age and chewing ability. Sprocket & Sprout shares these ideas for fun and learning only. We are not responsible for any injury, allergic reaction, damage or mess that may result from trying them. This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.