There’s nothing like a good festival! We rarely miss the Insect Festival at the University of Arkansas. Here, the kids give actors in the Insect Theater a hug.
The Insect Festival is an opportunity for the students in the entomology department to share their enthusiasm for arthropods with schoolchildren and families around the region.
Students can really get hands-on with real insects here, too.
Entomology students from the University of Arkansas share their expertise with visitors, and there are lots of bugs to look at, as well as informational displays on everything from edible insects to other arthropods, like spiders.
In addition to extensive exhibits about the bugs themselves, there are insect scientists demonstrating how insects affect humans, and how humans respond to problems with insects. We learned a lot about cotton and the boll weevil.
A display of bug books caught our eye.
Jane Steinkraus showed us how she and her bees produce honey.
The bees do most of the work, but there’s still a lot for a beekeeper to do!
If there are no insect festivals coming up in your neck of the woods, you can still pay a virtual visit to the Arthropod Museum. Check out our insect lesson plans for lots more links, resources, lesson plans, and ideas: