The works of the LORD are great,

Studied by all who have pleasure in them. (Psalm 111:2)

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them a home in the Garden of Eden, where they were surrounded by His perfect, intricate, and beautiful work of the previous six days. Adam was tasked with keeping and tending the garden, naming the animals, and generally taking dominion of the created world. As he worked, no doubt he gained extensive knowledge of each of the created species under his care. This had to be a joyous task—especially in his sinless state prior to the fall—as he found pleasure in the great works of God, learning more about Him as he labored.

We too can learn many things about our Creator’s power, wisdom, creativity, and nature through studying His works. With summer in full swing, there are many opportunities for family adventures in His wide creation. Experiences like these open the door for children to begin scratching the surface of some of the many fascinating and complex designs of the natural world. Their curiosity about the simple things of life quickly dissipates unless it is encouraged and nurtured. Once it is lost, we lose a golden opportunity to capture their hearts by using the simple things to bring them face-to-face with their Creator. So what are some ways to nurture their curiosity?

Helping children to identify and learn about the insects, animals, or plants they find—especially if they are unusual ones—is one way to deepen their interest and continue to feed the sense of adventure. Checking out books at the library, reading about their discoveries in an identification guide, or finding information through an extension office’s or university’s website are great ways to find out more about the subject in question.¹ Bugguide or What’s that bug? are also great resources for insect identification and additional information.²

Another option is to encourage your children to draw pictures or take photographs of what they find, especially if it cannot be taken into captivity. These can be placed in a journal to go with fascinating notes about what they learn.

Raising insects or keeping them for observation is another great way to make the wonder of creation accessible to young, eager learners, and can actually be quite easy. Most insects don’t need constant access to water if a plentiful supply of food is available for them; they absorb water from the food they eat. A variety of containers will work to keep them in as well—anything from special-made insect cages, to five-gallon buckets covered with screen, to old pickle jars, to plastic lettuce containers. . . the possibilities are almost endless! A list of tips and tricks for caring for specific insects can be found at the end of this article.

Of course, no method can guarantee success as we seek to point our children to the Lord without His help. Tying His Word into the learning process and asking for His guidance and blessing must be part of our efforts. We can work in faith, knowing that we serve a good Father who loves to grant good gifts to His children (Matt. 7:11) and has promised to pour out His blessing upon our seed:

“Thus says the Lord who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you:
‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant;
And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
And My blessing on your offspring;
They will spring up among the grass
Like willows by the watercourses.’
One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
Another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
Another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
And name himself by the name of Israel. (Isaiah 44:2-5)

May the Lord bless your efforts as you seek to encourage a healthy curiosity about the things in God’s world! What a wonderful opportunity to help your children pause to give thought to all the questions they have about life, while developing habits of searching for the truth as they look for answers to their questions. It opens the door to point them to the Source of all truth as found in God’s Word, and can be a great way to begin developing their sense of discernment when using all other sources of information. Every part of creation offers a testimony of the Lord’s existence and His power. There is nothing better in the world for a child to be filling his mind with than the study of the great works of God, and His ways to which they point!

The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world. . . .

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:1-4, 7-11)

 

Tips and tricks for caring for specific insects:

Butterflies or moths: The adult butterfly or moth is probably one of the easiest and simplest of insects to care for. If you know the types of flowers from which they enjoy sweet treats, you can gather small bouquets and place them in a cup of water for them. However, they are perfectly happy with a paper towel saturated in a mixture of honey and water: Simply dissolve 1 teaspoon of honey in about 9 teaspoons of water and pour over a paper towel. Hang the towel on the side of the cage or place it on a plastic lid, and they will be delighted! Some moths do not eat as adults, which makes them even easier to watch.

Ladybugs: If you do not have a source of aphids (the ladybug’s main food), ladybugs also can subsist on honey and water as adults. Larvae, on the other hand, do need aphids to survive. Aspens (both young and old), alfalfa, and weeds such as prickly lettuce are good places to check for aphids. Ladybugs will also eat nectar from wildflowers if no aphids are present.

Praying mantises: Praying mantises are some of the most personable insects around! They can be tamed to an extent, and will visibly turn their heads to watch your movements from across the room. Feeding them other insects such as moths, grasshoppers, crickets, flies, and butterflies will keep them happy. The smaller they are, the smaller their prey will need to be. They can live for quite a while in captivity, so manually feeding them small amounts of raw ground meat from the end of a toothpick or such, though while not ideal, will keep them alive once winter sets in. Praying mantises do tend to need a larger space, especially while molting, and cannot be confined with other mantises or ladybugs.

Jumping spiders: Jumping spiders are a joy to watch! They too eat other insects, including prey that is larger than themselves! Keeping a food supply in the cage with them all the time is an option, as they will only eat when they are hungry. They build places to hide as well to retreat from open view from time to time, and like materials in their enclosure with which to do this.

Earwigs: I have kept earwigs alive for a very long time just by giving them a few pieces of canned vegetables each day. These super-cute critters love dirt, organic material, and places to hide in their home during captivity. They are mainly nocturnal, so feeding them at night usually works best.

Cucumber beetles: These beetles are a pest in the garden but fun to keep for observation. They like places to hide while in confinement. To feed them, prop up a small piece of lettuce in a shallow dish with some water in it to keep it from wilting too quickly. A lid from a milk jug or even a plastic water bottle top works great for this. The cucumber beetles will love it, and it will at least keep a few of them out of your garden!

Caterpillars: Feeding these can be a little trickier without being able to properly identify them. If you aren’t sure what a caterpillar eats, try putting small cuttings of different plants from the area in which you found it in the cage with the larva. Note which one it eats. Caterpillars typically roam for about a day or so before pupating, so if you have one that looks rather mature, is very restless, and refuses to eat, it may be preparing to undergo its transformation.

If you raise moths or butterflies from the egg, it is usually extremely helpful to place only a leaf or two from the plant they eat—and nothing else except maybe a damp paper towel—in the cage with the caterpillars for several days after they hatch. Some caterpillars are prone to disease, so keeping their area of confinement clean is important. Some plants such as milkweed (a monarch’s larval food) tend to wilt quickly after they are pulled or a leaf is removed from the plant; thus, once the caterpillars grow larger, putting a cup of water with a few plants into the cage with them is a good way to keep their food supply fresh. Its also a good idea to cover the cup with tin foil or such to keep them and their frass (waste) out of the water.

If the caterpillar is going to become a butterfly, provide an elevated stick for it to hang from to form its pupa. Moths prefer to pupate in dirt covered with a thin layer of organic matter such as small sticks, leaf litter, bark, and similar things.

Some caterpillars overwinter inside their pupae. They will hatch if kept in the house, or leaving them in a sheltered place such as a garage, shed, or mud room where the temperatures stay moderately cold all winter is also an option. Pouring just a little water in the area where the pupa is will keep it from drying out and dying, particularly in arid climates. Increasing the frequency of watering in the spring may help simulate spring moisture, thereby starting their preparation for hatching. The following website has some wonderful information on setting up homes for caterpillars and overwintering techniques for pupae: http://www.raisingbutterflies.org/overwintering-techniques/

Crickets: Crickets are also very fun to keep! These can be kept alive on dog food or oats for long periods of time. They do need a source of water since dog food and oats don’t contain much moisture in them. Once again, a small lid from a milk jug or one from a plastic water bottle works well for this.

Flies: When trying to keep insects such as jumping spiders and praying mantises, it can be helpful to keep a supply of flies on-hand in their own jar. Cutting a grape in half each day and placing it in with the flies will keep them alive for a very long time, not to mention that it is a clean source of food for the usually nasty critters!

Roly-polies (pill bugs): Roly polies have to be one of children’s most favorite insects! These are surprisingly easy to keep. They like places to hide; usually a rock or a few pieces of bark will suffice, although bark may be preferred. A little dirt may also be helpful, but isn’t necessary. I have kept one alive on leafy greens such as lettuce or other related plants by just putting a little water in the corner of the cage and placing the tip of the greens in the puddle. Replace whenever the greens become wilted.

 

 

¹Please note: I do NOT endorse any evolutionary claims that may be found in any of the resources listed, and encourage a discerning eye in the use of them. Although their view of life and origins may be wrong, some of these resources still have a lot of good information gained from practical observation and study that can be of great value, especially when paired with good insights from the Word.

²I do not endorse any evolutionary claims that one may find on these sites as well.