Wikki-Stix Ant Farm

Oh the endless possiblities when using Wikki-stix.......
For those not familiar, Wikki-stix are waxed strings and they come in a variety of colors.
They stick to paper easily and are re-useable extending their use over time.
Their stickiness also provides a great deal of sensory feedback.
(If you can't find Wikki-stix, use yarn for the tunnels and black pipecleaners for the ants.)

You will need:
brown paper

8 yellow Wikki-stix

4 black Wikki-stix

2 white Wikki-stix

black fine tip pen

We painted a sheet of art paper brown rather than using brown construction paper since it provides more depth and painting also provides an additional fine motor opportunity.

We cut our paper down to an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet to reduce the total number of Wikki-stix we would need for the tunnels. 

Cut the yellow Wikki-stix into various sizes. Cutting Wikki-stix takes hand strength- a great fine motor activity. Children with developing scissor skills may need help cutting them.

Since the Wikki-stix can be removed easily, children can create and re-create the tunnels in their ant farm.

To make the ants:

Place the ants along the tunnels. We made a large queen ant for the bottom of the page and added some eggs by rolling bits of white Wikki-stix.

If children will be rearranging their ant farms, leave the ants as they are.

If children don't plan on rearranging the elements, they can add legs and antennae with a fine tip black marker.

Happy Spring!