Praying Mantis Study

We had some new guests this morning at breakfast time.

Praying Mantis Nymphs

Our praying mantis egg case was finally hatching!

Several weeks ago, I had ordered an egg case so Pumpkin and Little Dude could learn more about this fascinating insect.  They love the praying mantis and had kept one briefly last year to observe.  Pumpkin expressed an interest in learning more about them not long ago, so I found I could order one through Insect Lore.
Find a link to the Insect Lore store here.

Egg Case When it First Arrived

Egg Case Found in Our Yard

I called to Pumpkin and Little Dude and very soon we had most of the neighborhood children on our back patio observing and talking about them.

Pumpkin Observing Nymphs

The kids and I enjoyed releasing the tiny mantis nymphs around our yard.  We are looking forward to seeing them throughout the summer as they grow.

Little Dude Picks a Spot

Happy in His New Home

They are "Cute!"

Home Sweet Basil

To celebrate this fun day, I made a Praying Mantis Life Cycle Freebee.  To download it, you can click here.  

I'm going to use it as a way to review what we've seen so far and to talk about how the mantis grows and will (hopefully) lay more egg cases in the fall.  I've made the freebee in black and white for ease of printing and also so my children can color it in.  I hope you enjoy it!

Check back as I hope to post an update on our growing Mantises and more activities to try.