A Week of Ants

I will have to say that some of the most fun memories of my older kids and schooling them have been fun science projects involving animals.  We have watched caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies and ants make mazes before our eyes.  But that seems like forever ago. 

Now that I have a five year old in the house I am determined that he not miss those same opportunities just because he is the fourth child and mom is old, I mean tired.

So look what came to our house this week!  ANTS!

Would you think I was crazy if I told you we have had the most fun with these silly creatures?  Or that we have wasted spent more time just watching them?  They really are amazing.  Before when we have watched ants we have done the typical sand ant hill thingy.  (technical term, I know!) This time I thought the new gel would be fun.  OK, let's be honest, I do not even think the gel stuff was around the first time I did these.   It is so much easier to see the tunnels.  It is amazing that the habitat can go from one small tunnel to a complete maze in just a few days.  They are hard workers.

Are we?

You know I had to make a lesson out of it, right?  So tonight everyone had to come to the table with a few ant facts to share.

Here's what we learned-
CJ- Ants like to eat my food. 
       Ants make tunnels.

SP- The wood ant has more than one queen in a colony of one hundred thousand workers.
        Some tropical ants make their nests in trees by sewing leaves together.

RNP- Ants form 15-25% of the terrestrial animal biomass.
           The sting of a bullet ant is given the highest rating on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index.
           In India a paste is made of the green weaver ant and it sold with curry as a condiment.
Yes, my teenager is a smartie britches! ;)
  

Watching ants also opened up a lively conversation about what the Bible says about learning from the ants.

Are we teaching our kids to be hard workers?

Are we teaching our kids to be diligent?

Are we teaching our kids team work?

Are we teaching our kids to be good communicators?

Are we teaching our kids what the Bible says?

There are lessons everywhere if we look for them.  Even in a tiny little creature like an ant!

What are you teaching your kids this week?

Blessings,