After two years of dedicated mahi (work), we are proud to share with you the It’s a Bug’s Life science education resource for ECE and Primary.

Download the It’s a Bug’s Life resource

This resource helps kaiako (educators – including those in the community and at home) to engage in science with young children (aged 2–8 years) in their own outdoor environments.

We unpack the five science capabilities framework, and introduce the scientific process – showing how useful these are for teaching and learning science at this level.

There are also lots of helpful recommendations, activity ideas, case studies, photographs, and details about other resources, to inform, guide, and inspire your scientific journeys – wherever they might take you!

Although our project focused on bugs, the content of this resource can help support learning around other living-world topics too.

See our It’s a Bug’s Life – One Year On blog series to see the many directions ‘It’s a Bug’s Life’ has taken our ECE partners so far – including inquiries around birds, engineering and sustainability.

Acknowledgements go firstly to the tamariki, kaiako, and whānau of Raumati South Kindergarten, Kiwi Kids Childcare and Imagine Childcare. Your passion and commitment to the research and the making of this resource has been just extraordinary.

Thank you go also to our amazing Te Papa writers, Lauren Schaer and Victoria Cleal who have put lots of time into editing and copy-editing this comprehensive document, to Ginevera Ambrosia for her stellar design work, and Rachael Hockridge and Lauren McEwan-Nugent from the digital team for their ongoing support. Phil Sirvid, our Te Papa bug expert, has also been a great help.

Last, but by no means the least, is a heartfelt recognition of the support that you, our community and sector, have provided for this project. Your interest and belief in what we are doing and trying to achieve has made all the difference.

We hope everyone finds this resource useful as you get into science in your outdoor areas this summer!