daily activities
Kingdom of Bugs
Insect Architecture
Before the Empire State Building, before the Taj Mahal, insects have been dominating architecture all over the world. From cool to complex, learn how bug homes have inspired humans to become better and more efficient builders.
FOR PARENTS
Ask About Today
What are some interesting insect homes you learned about today? What materials did the insects use to create them?
Dinner Discussion
If you were dropped into the middle of a forest, you would probably want to build a shelter right away. How would you do it?
Skip the Ads
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explore
30 minutes
Human beings aren't the only species on the planet building skyscrapers. Did you know termites built them first?
01
Home Sweet (Termite) Home
Enter a termite mound to see how they build these tall and temperature-controlled structures.
Remember: Online videos often start with advertisements. (Annoying, we agree!) Click the "Skip" button as soon as you can to move ahead to the video.
02
Bug-Based Buildings
Learn about an architect who used termite mounds for inspiration to design a building that can cool itself.
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04
Ant Bridge
Watch these ants build a bridge in midair using just their own bodies. Quite a feat of engineering, right?
05
Visit the Ant Hill
What's in an ant hill? Watch this video to see what's happening deep underground.
06
Inside a Wasp Nest
You may have seen a wasp nest before—a big papery egg-shaped structure hanging from the branch of a tree. What's inside? Let's find out.
07
create
45-60 minutes
Time to design and build a structure all your own...if you can do it without eating the materials first.
01
Marshmallow Architecture
Draw inspiration from the insect world to build your own inventive structure. The catch? Your only tools are marshmallows and toothpicks.
move
15-45 minutes
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