Learning Play & Learn Insect Quiz

Play & Learn · ages 3–8

Insect Quiz for Kids: Name the Bug

Can your child tell a bee from a wasp, or a grasshopper from a cricket? Tap Play for a picture quiz with 14 real insect photos, or tap Learn first to flip through insect flashcards with fun facts.

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Meet the insects

  • An orange-and-black monarch butterfly on a red flower

    Butterfly

    A butterfly tastes with its feet and drinks flower nectar through a long tube like a straw.

  • A red-orange ladybird with black spots on a green leaf

    Ladybird

    Ladybirds (ladybugs) are little beetles with spots. They eat tiny pests in gardens.

  • A red weaver ant walking along a stem

    Ant

    Ants are super strong and work together in big teams called colonies.

  • A honey bee on a yellow flower

    Bee

    Bees carry pollen from flower to flower and make honey. Buzz!

  • An orange dragonfly with clear wings landing on a stalk

    Dragonfly

    Dragonflies have four see-through wings and can fly forwards, backwards and hover.

  • A green grasshopper on a leaf

    Grasshopper

    Grasshoppers have long back legs for big jumps. They “sing” by rubbing their legs on their wings.

  • A shiny black beetle on dry grass

    Beetle

    Beetles have hard, shiny wing cases like armour. There are more kinds of beetle than of any other animal.

  • A firefly with a pale glowing tail sitting on a finger

    Firefly

    Fireflies are beetles whose tails glow with light on summer nights.

  • A green praying mantis with its front legs raised

    Praying mantis

    A praying mantis holds its front legs together as if it is praying, then grabs bugs fast.

  • A black field cricket with long feelers on a stone

    Cricket

    Crickets chirp at night by rubbing their wings together.

  • A speckled grey-and-brown moth resting flat on a wall

    Moth

    Moths fly mostly at night and love bright lights. Many have furry bodies.

  • A green caterpillar with big eye spots on a leaf

    Caterpillar

    A caterpillar eats and eats, then turns into a butterfly or a moth.

  • A black-and-white striped mosquito on skin

    Mosquito

    Mosquitoes are tiny biting flies. Only the females bite, and the bites itch!

  • A black wasp with yellow stripes on a rock

    Wasp

    Wasps have a thin waist and black-and-yellow stripes that say “keep away”.

Learn-first insect chart: photos of a butterfly, ladybird, ant, bee, dragonfly, grasshopper, beetle, firefly and praying mantis with their names

Free printable PDF

Print the insect worksheets

Starts with a learn-first picture chart of all 14 insects, then match, circle and trace: a 5-page PDF that uses the same insects as the quiz.

Tips for little bug hunters

  • Ages 3–4: start with butterflies, bees, ants and ladybirds. Look for them in a garden or park.
  • Ages 5–6: count the legs! Every insect has six legs and three body parts: head, middle and tail end.
  • Ages 7–8: talk about life cycles: a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, and many insects start life as eggs.
  • Wrong answers are fine. The quiz waits for the right one, and only first tries count towards the stars.

Questions from parents

What age is this insect quiz for?

Children aged about 3 to 8. Younger children enjoy the pictures with a grown-up; older children can read the names and play alone.

Is a spider an insect?

No. Spiders have eight legs and two body parts, so they are arachnids, not insects. All the bugs in this quiz have six legs (the caterpillar is a young butterfly or moth).

Are these real photos?

Yes. They are real insect photos from Wikimedia Commons (CC0) and Pixabay, cropped by Parent Oven. The full credits are at the bottom of the page.

Is it free, and do we need an account?

Yes, it is free and there is nothing to sign up for. It works in the browser on phones, tablets and computers.

Photo credits (Wikimedia Commons and Pixabay, CC0 / Pixabay Content License)

Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC0) and Pixabay (Pixabay Content License). Photos cropped and resized by Parent Oven. Quiz sounds are made in your browser. Worksheet layout © Parent Oven.