Free Spider Worksheets and Coloring Pages for Kids
Published:
June 22, 2020
Contributor:
Jeannette Tuionetoa
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My husband lied to me; I will tell you why in a moment. If you will teach your kids about creepy crawlers, then these free printables and unit studies about spiders will be a great addition to your lessons.
So this is why my husband lied.
We moved to an island in the South Pacific. Before this time, I had been experiencing some signs of a minor case of arachnophobia. I mean, I hated bugs.
Well, on an island, insects are just all over the place. Of course, I was freaked out. He told me that the spiders were all fine, that they helped us and killed small insects.
His definition of “fine” meant that spiders didn’t bite, and none were poisonous here. I wanted to steer clear of them regardless of his opinion.
One day I was sitting up on my bed reading God’s good Word, and I felt like an electric shock on my back. It was a SPIDER! It had fallen or jumped on my back from somewhere, and it bit me – stung me, pricked me, whatever.
I screamed, and I wanted to hit my husband.
I wanted to hit him for two reasons. 1- He said spiders didn’t bite! “They are harmless,” he said. 2- He was laughing with my kids about my catastrophic event. How could they!?
Well, now I know that whatever that spider did to my back, it wasn’t just an insect hunting spider, like my husband said it was. That spider stung me or bit me or electrocuted me, something.
Either way, I would rather that never happen again. Living on an island, chances are that it will be inevitable for it to happen again at least once. Such is my life now.
Anyway, spiders are kind of cool – especially when they are not attacking me. I mean, that’s where Spiderman came from, right? Can’t get any cooler than that arachnid/human scenario.
Spiders make a cool topic to research and explore with kids. From Spiderman movie marathons to Charlotte’s Web book studies, you can’t go wrong and have enough content for a whole unit – a fun unit.
Cool Spider Facts for Kids
Here are some cool spider facts that you and your kids may not have know:
- There are more than 30,000 known species of spiders worldwide.
- The word “spider” derives from an Old English verb – spinnan, meaning “to spin.“
- Spiders are NOT insects. When did I learn this? I was today-years-old. I grouped spiders as insects, but they are really arachnids. Arachnids are creatures that have two different body parts, eight legs, no wings or antennae. They also are not able to chew.
- All spiders are predators. Many even eat other spiders. Cannibals!
- Spiders use their body hair to feel their way around life and to sense when other creatures are near.
- Spiders eat all types of harmful insects that help the garden be free of pests, they pollinate plants and help recycle dead plants and animals back into the earth.
- Larger animals, of course, eat spiders, so they are an excellent food source for other creatures.
- Spiders, since they can’t chew or swallow, digest their food outside of their bodies and then drink the liquid of their prey. Gross.
Here’s more. If a spider is poisonous, it injects it’s poison in insects, paralyzing them, turning the insides of the insect into a liquid – then the spider sucks all the insides up.
This is so crazy to me: The victim/insect sometimes looks like it is whole, but really it is empty inside! - Almost all spiders have venom on the tiny little spike son their legs called pedipalps. That helps them hold the insects while the spiders bite them. This is getting too much. Maybe I got stung by a pedipalp on my back.
- The only two spiders with venom strong enough to kill, cause nerve damage, or ignite severe pain are the Black Widow and the Brown recluse. Tarantulas, although they look super creepy and hairy, bite with a similar velocity only to bee stings.
- Arachnophobia is one of the most common fears among people.
- Spiders spin silk in glands called spinnerets. ALL spiders spin silk, but not all spiders spin webs. The silk can either be used for spinning webs, climbing, building burrows in walls, building egg sacs, and wrapping up their prey.
- Spiders can be found everywhere on earth except Antarctica.
- Spiders recycle their silk! They eat what they don’t use and re-spin them. It is said the silk is possibly the strongest material in the WORLD.
I will leave it there unless you want to learn more about the largest spider in the world: the Giant Bird-eating spider with a leg span of 11-12 inches! Sorry about any nightmares you might have tonight thinking about that.
Free Spider Worksheets
Ready for some creepy crawly resources? Check out these free worksheets we’ve created for you:
Elementary and even middle school students can learn about the anatomy of spiders with this labeling cut and paste or worksheet
Cut and Paste Spider Worksheet
Do your K-2 grade kiddos like to learn with cut and paste worksheets? This one combines practicing the fine motor skills of cutting with math patterns will using different spiders to do it!
Free Spider Coloring Pages
Coloring pages are a great way for preschoolers and kindergarteners to begin learning about these fascinating arachnids.
Beginning readers can learn about the letter S and practice handwriting when they color the spider and trace the word.
Spider Coloring Page with Tracing Practice
This coloring page has a cute spider to color plus giving young learners the ability to practice their handwriting when they trace “Spiders are arachnids. All arachnids have eight legs. They have more legs than me!”
It also adds math with the opportunity to learn the number 8 as well as learning the new science and vocabulary word of arachnid.
More Spider Resources
If you are looking for even more spider resources the check out this HSG Resource Roundup that we have compiled from across the internet for you:
Spider Crafts and Activities
Don’t miss out on these FREE activities to make learning about spiders fun and engaging.
- Glue and Salt Spiderweb Craft | Teach Beside Me
- FREE Spider Craft, Math, and Writing Activities | Miss Kindergarten
- Slimey Spider Experiment | STEAMsational
- Spider Web Science Activity for Kids | Buggy and Buddy
- FREE Spider Craft and Activities | Miss Kindergarten Love
- Spider Facts FREE Task Cards, Indoor Scavenger Hunt | Promoting Success
- Spider Exhibit FREE Mini Dramatic Play Pack | Pre-K Printable Fun
- Adoravle Spider Puppet Pattern | C and L Curriculum
- Spider Climbers Activity | Mystery Science
- Fun and Hands-On Spider Activities | Fantastic Fun and Learning
- Spider Web FREE Color Sorting Cards | Modern Preschool
- Gross Motor Spider Web Activity | Pre-KPages
- Educational Science Spiders for Kids Video | Homeschool Pop
Free Spider Unit Studies
Explore these FREE unit studies about spiders to share with your kids in your homeschool.
- FREE Charlotte’s Web Unit Study | The Frugal Homeschooling Mom
- Spiders Unit Study | Life in the Nerddom
- All About Spiders: A Creepy-Crawly Lesson Plan for the Classroom | Proud to be Primary
- Spider Unit for Kindergarten and First Grade | Primary Theme Park
- Hands-On Spider Unit Study | The Homeschool Scientist
- Spider Theme / Unit | Teaching Heart
- Printable Spider FREE Worksheets and Activities | KidZone
Free Spider Printables
Grab these free printables to teach your kids about spiders.
- Downloadable FREE Spider Facts & Worksheets | kidskonnect
- FREE Spider Lap Book | Preschool Powol Packets
- Make a Spider Play Dough FREE Printable Mat Game | The Homeschool Scientist
- FREE Spider Activities | A Classroom for All Seasons
- All About Spiders: A FREE Mini-Book and Writing Reflection | Education to the Core
- Spider-Type FREE Printable Cards for Toddlers and Preschoolers | Kori at Home
- Word Work SPider FREEBIE! (editable templates) | Babbling Abby
- Spider FREEBIE | Jodi Waltman
- FREE Spider Brights Clip Art Bundle | Educlips
- Unit Supplement FREE- Spiders and Itsy Bitsy Spider | Scissors and Crayons
- FREE Spider Glyph | K-1 Teaching Besties
- Spiders and Me FREE VENN Diagram | Karen’s Kids School Room
- FREE Spider Graphic Organizer | The Productive Teacher
- Tarantula and Spider FREE Do-A-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Instant Downloads) | Living Montessori Now
- Printable Spider FREE Writing Paper | Simple Fun for Kids
- Itsy Bitsy Spider FREE Printable | All FREE Printable
- FREE Spider Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spider Activities | Living Montessori Now
- Types of Spiders FREE Coloring Pages | In All You Do
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