Show 101

From creepy crawlers to beautiful butterflies, we share our world with millions of insects. Insects can be amazing pests spreading disease and biting us, but they can also be very helpful. They pollinate plants, give us honey and are food for fish, birds and animals. All insects have a few things in common. They all have an exoskeleton which protects their internal organs. The skeleton has three parts; head, thorax and abdomen. Insects also have three pairs of legs, a set of antennae and many have wings. Watch for all of these "parts" and probably a few imaginary ones as you create a swarm of "buggy" creatures.

101-1 Upright Insects: Bet you haven't seen a bug like this one in your backyard! If bugs walked on their back legs, this is what we think they'd look like. Have fun with a new technique using Styrofoam, tissue paper and even a little glitter.

101-2 Bug Bottle and Insect Cutouts: Create a natural habitat for collecting bugs complete with twigs, leaves and moss. When you're finished see how to assemble a realistic cut-out of your first insect specimen.

101-3 Dragonflies: Paint a chipwood box with a dragonfly design. Perfect for outdoor treasures or maybe a few of your bug specimens.

101-4 Butterflies and Spiders: Meet two very different inhabitants of the insect world; a beautiful butterfly and a very creepy spider. Yes, we do know that spiders are not true insects, but we couldn't resist adding an eight legged bug so you could use "crimping". Foam, tissue, and paper are the main ingredients for both but you'll see how different they end up looking.

101-5 Insects on the Move: Meet the true "crawlers" of the insect world, as you learn how to make your bug models actually move. Wood spools and Styrofoam are all you need to animate your insect creations.

101-6 The Hands-On Project: Kids helping other kids through crafts is the theme of this segment. Learn about the "Hands-On Project" an integral part of the Hands-On program. This project brings craft and school supplies to kids in homeless shelters.