Stories & Crafts: The Very Busy Spider

Posted on by Marlana Hodgkinson

Welcome to Stories and Crafts for preschoolers. This week we’re reading stories about spiders and the amazing webs they spin.

Make a Paper Plate Web

Supplies

For the Spider:

  • Colored paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • paper or googly eyes
  • Optional chenille stems (pipe cleaners)

For the Web:

  • Sturdy Paper Plate in a color that contrasts with your string
  • Scissors
  • String or Yarn cut to approximately 3 foot lengths to prevent tangling
  • Tape

Directions

For the Spider:

Use scissors to cut a small circle for the spider body. Glue on googly or paper eyes. Glue on 8 paper or chenille stem legs.

For the Web:

  • Cut small notches at regular spaces around the edge of the paper plate.
  • Near one of the notches, tape a piece of string to the back of the paper plate.
  • Allow your child to wrap the string all around the paper plate, showing them how to gently pull the string through different notches. They can alternate notches from side to side or go more free-style if they like. It will be a wonderful pattern of their own design.
  • Attach additional strings as they choose. Using lengths of about 3 feet helps keep string from tangling but they may want to use more than one piece.
  • Glue the spider you made earlier to your child’s paper plate web.
  • Admire!

More Fun

Spider Snack

You can make a quick and fun spider snack with a couple round crackers,  your favorite nut butter, pretzel sticks and a couple of raisins for eyes. Assemble as shown in this picture and then take a delicious bite. Don’t worry, this spider never bites back!

Books

Read more books about spiders and their amazing webs.

View complete list

Thanks for joining us today. Come back again soon!

Find more Stories & Crafts.

Marlana is a youth services specialist who has worked in the Kids Library for the last 15 years. She enjoys creating and learning with kids of all ages. Her favorite books all have strong heroines, dragons, and magic. When not at the library, you can often find her riding her trusty bicycle, hiking with her dog Lily, playing board games with her family, or reading another great book.