Summer Holidays Activity for Kids - Making a Bug Hotel

If I were a bug, I’d move in here instantly.

Making a bug hotel is a fun, simple project for kids (and grown-ups who still like playing with sticks). It’s a great way to talk about the kinds of homes creepy-crawlies love - and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. Bugs are perfectly happy with stuff you can gather from the garden or on a walk: sticks, leaves, pinecones, bark, a few old bricks, maybe even a wooden pallet for the frame.

The more nooks and crannies, the better. Pots, straw, rotten wood, bark… bugs will find it fast and move right in. Kids will love designing it, collecting bits, and stuffing it full. If you’re handy with tools, you could even go all-out and build a multi-storey “bug mansion.”

Pick a sheltered spot, like against a wall, fence, or under a tree, on nice flat ground. Using reclaimed materials makes it even cooler: think broken terracotta, bamboo canes, even an old welly boot stuffed with straw. Supervised kids can help saw, hammer, and measure, it’s a proper family project.

Once it’s built, just leave it be. Over time, it’ll weather naturally, and the bugs will arrive. Grab a magnifying glass and an ID book, and you’ll soon be spotting all sorts of fascinating little residents. Even better, you’ll discover how much they help your garden, birds, and the planet.

Definitely a project worth doing!