Activity: Make an Ant

Overview

Create a model of an ant using balloons and papier-mâché. Learn the parts of an ant, and observe that an ant’s body is symmetrical.

A papier mâché model of a fire ant. Image by Kathy Flanders.

Materials

Long balloons

String

White glue

Warm water

Bowls to mix water and glue in for papier-mâché

Paint, red

Chenille pipe cleaners, 8 for each ant

Newspapers

Materials for ant eyes (buttons, clay, small Styrofoam balls cut in half, etc.)

Activity

1. Blow up the balloon and tie the end. Do not blow it up too tight.
2. Twist the balloon in two places to make the three body segments. Use string to tie the twisted parts. Emphasize the petiole area by using more string or a wider section of tape. You can use more than one balloon and tape them together.
3. Cover the balloon with papier-mâché. To make papier-mâché, tear newspapers into strips about an inch wide and about 8 to 12 inches long. Mix two parts white glue with one part warm water. Dip the strips of paper into the bowl of water and glue mixture one at a time and wrap the strips around the balloon form. Cover the entire balloon with at least three layers of paper strips to make it strong.
4. Let the ant dry completely (about 48 hours).
5. When it’s dry, paint the body red.
6. Use pipe cleaners for the legs, pushing them into the side of the thorax.
7. Make the antenna from pipe cleaners, bending them as shown in the drawing.
8. Glue the eyes onto the head.
9. Paint the eyes.

Wrap-up

Think about the parts of an ant and name other insects that have similar parts. How could you make a model of another insect using this technique? What parts might need to be added? What parts would look different?

Dip the newspaper strips in the glue solution, then apply the newspaper strips to the balloon(s). Image by Kathy Flanders.

After the newspaper strips have been applied, let the model dry for about 48 hours. Clean up any excess puddles of glue that form while the ant is drying. Image by Kathy Flanders.