You’ll never look at spiders or spiderwebs in quite the same way again after you’ve tested out these Playdate ideas and read Spiderwebs and Spider Silk together. Learning all about spiders and the webs they create can open a child’s eyes to the wonders of the world and help them develop a sense of curiosity, the gateway to becoming a problem-solver and a highly creative human being.

Spiderwebs and Spider Silk: Let’s Take a Closer Look is my first children’s book. I wrote it after I took my own grandchildren on a spiderweb safari to look for cool spiderwebs. This video includes some cool footage of spiders building webs. Check it out! 

Use black olives to make a black widow look-alike spider to put on top of your own pizza. Downoad the recipe page here, or visit the blog post here for detailed instructions.

Learn why scientists thing the Darwin spider’s web may be the largest in the world, and see fifteen web shapes you may never have seen before!

We ordered a set of these fun spider glasses online, but because they are a seasonal product, you may not be able to find them. You can, however, make a fun set of spider glasses using an old pair of sunglasses, some craft foam, and a few googly eyes. Once you have your spider glasses made, go on a hunt around your home, yard, or neighborhood to see what kind of spider webs you can locate. (Be sure to take a grownup along so you can avoid any spiders that might be dangerous). 

Spiders like to build webs in the corners of little-used areas where they won’t be disturbed, so look in the corners of garages, fences, and outdoor buildings. Look around windows where lights are on at night. Spiders like to build webs outside of lit windows because the light attracts flying bugs. It’s easiest to find webs in the morning when they are covered with dew, and in the autumn when spiders are active and webs start to collect a little dust.

Once you’ve seen how the real experts do it, it will be fun to try to build a spiderweb of your own. Place a few kitchen chairs in an open area in your kitchen and spin lines of web between them with a skein of white yarn. If space is more limited, try spinning your web between any two sturdy points – like the bannisters at the head of your stairs or around the legs of a desk or piano bench.

We’ve chosen several fun books you might want to read with your playdate buddies:

Spiderwebs and Spider Silk, (Ages 4-10) by Lynnae Allred. Learn all of the cool things spiders do with their silk. 

Walter’s Wonderful Web: (Ages 2-4) This is a great book for preschoolers that teaches persistence while it gives a fun review of basic shapes.

AAAAuugghh, Spiders!: A comical book that helps us think about spider prejudice and may be a great conversation starter for families who want to talk about inclusion and considering how we sometimes misjudge others.

Here’s a super simple craft. Use large pom poms, craft sticks, and googly eyes to build a spider of your own. Try making one with a “virtual” friend like a grandparent or a far-away favorite friend. You aren’t limited to these supplies. Make your spider in any creative way that suits you. Sticks, cotton balls, and other found items will work well. 

Scissor skills are a really important skill for preschoolers, and a skill that is more complicated to learn than many of us remember. If you aren’t certain your preschooler is ready to use scissors, review this article, How To Teach Kids Cutting Skills before trying this activity. If your child can use scissors safely, have some fun by gluing a small plastic spider to a pair of blunt-nosed scissors and letting your child cut around the outside edges of the spider web pattern. Review Walter’s Wonderful Web and talk about different shapes you could draw to make a web, then cut around your own shapes.

Download this month’s Spiders newsletter right here. It includes all of the ideas from this page, so you can share it easily with a friend or family member. And if you like what you see, come back and sign up to receive our monthly newsletters. We’ll send you new Playdate ideas each month and you can opt out any time.

For grandparents: Try boxing up supplies for some spider-themed activities for a child you love. We call this a Playdatebox! Next time you are with your grandchildren, you can play together! If your grandchildren live far away, mail them a box of supplies and keep a second set for yourself. You can play online over Zoom and it’s almost like being in the same room!

Sign up below to receive our monthly newsletter that features a new themed Playdatebox each month! These are also great for grandparents, military parents, the favorite aunt or uncle, or other long-distance relatives who want to play along from a distance!