My 6yo is absolutely obsessed with catching bugs right now. Every walk is a 45-minute expedition where we're turning over logs, checking under rocks, in bushes, everywhere. He came home yesterday with a cricket in his pocket that had died overnight. I was NOT prepared to do a bug funeral this morning. When does this phase end or do I just accept that my house is now a nature documentary?
This phase doesn't end, it just evolves. My oldest is 11 now and he's moved on to actually identifying species and keeping a bug journal. The 45-minute walks are still happening, just now he's sketching the insects. Honestly? It's not a bad thing. He's learning about ecosystems, getting exercise, and staying engaged with nature instead of screens. I'd lean into it rather than fight it.
lol the dead cricket funeral is peak 6yo energy. My son did the same thing with a grasshopper last summer. Pro tip: get him a proper bug catching net and some clear containers with air holes. Sounds counterintuitive but it actually REDUCES the dead bugs because he can observe them longer without them getting crushed in his pocket. Plus you can do catch-and-release which teaches him to respect the bugs.
Have you tried telling him that bugs are actually happier outside? Like not in a mean way, but if he wants to really observe them, catching-and-releasing might satisfy the exploration urge without the dead bug problem. My 6yo got on board with this and now he's like a wildlife biologist for like 20 minutes then forgets about it. Still beats pocket funerals.
Accept it. Accept all of it. Your house IS now a nature documentary and honestly that's kind of awesome. Get some cheap clear plastic containers from the dollar store, label them, let him keep a bug hotel. The phase doesn't really "end" but it becomes more manageable when they have a proper setup instead of pockets full of dead insects.
My kid went through this at 5-6 and it lasted about 18 months before shifting to other interests. The 45-minute walks? Those turned into some of my favorite memories though, not gonna lie. He'd explain bug facts he learned and I'd just follow along. Only downside was when he brought home a wasp he thought was "hurt" and we had a whole incident. Maybe establish a "no stinging insects" rule? Just a thought.
Sign in to join the conversation.
The dead cricket funeral actually made me laugh out loud at work. Did he want a proper burial or was he just confused about why the cricket wasn't moving anymore? My 6yo asked me very seriously last week if bugs go to bug heaven.
Wait you did an actual funeral for a dead cricket? That's kind of wholesome. But also - how long did it take? I'm trying to figure out if I need to budget time for this when my 5yo inevitably starts collecting things.