PREORDER Friend of Wintering Bugs Patch

📦 PREORDER ITEM- Expected to ship in early Oct. This item will ship as soon as it arrives. Ship dates are estimates.

Sometimes helping nature means knowing when to leave it alone.

The Friend of Wintering Bugs Patch celebrates the tiny creatures quietly making it through winter right beneath our feet, tucked inside stems, hidden under leaves, and sheltered in the overlooked corners of our yards and gardens.

When the weather turns cold, insects don’t simply disappear. Depending on the species, they may spend the winter as adults, larvae, pupae, or eggs. Bumblebees can shelter underground, butterflies and moths may overwinter in protected spaces or as chrysalises, and beetles and other beneficial insects can rely on fallen leaves, soil, logs, hollow stems, and plant debris for protection.

That means some of the things we’re tempted to “clean up” in the fall are actually important winter habitat.

By leaving some leaves, keeping portions of gardens undisturbed, allowing hollow or dried stems to remain until warmer weather, and learning what different insects need to survive, kids can discover a surprisingly simple form of environmental stewardship: sometimes the best way to help is to give nature a little space.

Along the way, kids can investigate which insects live in their own community, discover their different overwintering strategies, and begin to see an ordinary winter garden in an entirely new way.

Because that quiet patch of leaves might not look like much to us, but to something very small, it could be home.

This patch celebrates curiosity, conservation, and becoming a friend to the little creatures wintering all around us.

Ways to Earn This Patch

• Learn how different insects survive the winter
• Discover the different life stages insects may overwinter in
• Investigate where bees, beetles, butterflies, moths, and other insects find winter shelter
• Leave some fallen leaves or create an undisturbed area for winter habitat
• Learn why hollow stems, logs, soil, and plant debris can be important to insects
• Explore a yard, garden, park, or natural area for potential winter insect habitats
• Create a sign encouraging others to “leave the leaves” or protect winter habitat
• Learn about beneficial insects found in your local ecosystem
• Make a plan for maintaining a more insect-friendly yard or garden
• Share what you learn about protecting wintering insects with someone else

Patch Details

• ~3" embroidered patch
• Iron-on backing for easy application

Make it a Meet in a Box!

Dig deeper into the hidden world of wintering insects with our upcoming Friend of Wintering Bugs program.

This optional download may include:

🐝 Kid-friendly lessons exploring how insects survive winter
🍂 Activities discovering why fallen leaves and messy gardens can be valuable habitat
🔍 Winter habitat investigations and observation challenges
🦋 Activities exploring different insect life cycles and overwintering strategies
🌱 Simple ways kids can help protect insects at home and in their communities
🪧 A “Leave the Leaves” conservation project
📖 Games, worksheets, and nature-based activities
💚 A stewardship challenge encouraging kids to put what they’ve learned into action

👉 FRIEND OF WINTERING BUGS MEET-IN-A-BOX DIGITAL DOWNLOAD COMING SOON!

Copyright Notice

This design is © Kindred Sparks. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited.