[Childcare] Kids' Favorite! Making Pill Bugs
Do you all know what pill bugs like to eat?
It seems they love lettuce, strawberries, and mushrooms.
On the other hand, they don’t like the smell of coffee and tend to stay away from it.
This time, we’ll introduce a craft project to make pill bugs.
Try making a cute little pill bug using newspaper, paper plates, or origami.
It’s also a great idea to get into character and do the “Pill Bug Exercise” before crafting to get your body moving.
Get creative and make it a fun activity time!
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[Childcare] Kids’ Favorite! Making Pill Bugs (1–10)
Pill bug made entirely of origami
This project focuses on the pill bug’s most notable trait—curling into a ball when touched—and recreates that mechanism with origami.
At first glance it looks like a row of boxes; when you press and flick it with your fingers, it jumps and transforms into a rounded shape.
The process involves making a long, narrow box, then adding creases to divide it into sections.
Because it starts as a single large box, applying force causes it to change shape.
If the folds are too weak, it won’t transform, so making precise, firm creases is absolutely essential.
Making a pill bug with origami
The pill bug’s rugged, segmented back is striking—an essential feature that lets it curl into a ball, while also giving it a certain cool appeal.
Focusing on those back segments, this project recreates a pill bug using origami.
First, fold the paper into a long, narrow strip to form the head’s antennae and the rounded rear.
Next, create crease lines that serve as guides for the segments, then fold along them more finely to build up the ridges.
Finally, fold the sides so the segments don’t unfold, round out the shape, and you’re done.
Despite the simple steps, the method’s biggest charm is how well it delivers a solid three-dimensional look.
Pill bug made entirely from paper plates
You know that classic scene where you move a big rock and find lots of pill bugs living underneath? Let’s recreate that pill bug habitat by combining various craft techniques.
We’ll make pill bugs, rocks big enough for them to hide under, and surrounding flowers and grasses, arranging each element with a sense of balance.
For the pill bugs, it’s recommended to use paper-plate parts to create a structure that can curl into a ball, and for the rocks, aim for a three-dimensional feel that fully encloses the pill bugs.
Decide which season you want to portray and choose the overall color scheme to match.
[Childcare] Kids’ favorite! Making pill bugs (11–20)
Pill bugs with a straw
This project involves using scissors to shape the ridged bendy part of a straw to resemble a pill bug’s back, then building out the rest of the pill bug.
Because the work is done inside a thin straw, it’s extremely delicate, requiring high concentration and precision.
Leave some of the regular, straight section beyond the bend to match the size of the flexible part, and use that to form the belly and legs.
Finally, fold and combine the two connected sections to complete it.
Use tweezers and other tools as needed to refine the shape neatly.
In conclusion
This time we introduced how to make a pill bug—how was it? Pill bugs are insects we often see around us and they’re very popular with children! They curl up to protect themselves when they feel threatened.
Be sure to observe them gently.
If there are parts of the craft that seem difficult, teachers may want to prepare those in advance.
Once the pill bug craft is finished, please try playing with it together.
After completing it, it might also be fun to extend the play by pretending to be pill bugs—like a pill bug role-play game.