Learning how to make a bug hotel is the perfect craft project for children. It's a great haven for wildlife and will attract all sorts of helpful insects to your garden.

It's also a great low-cost activity for the six-week summer holidays, or as something to do over Easter. Kids love exploring outside, whether they’re building forts, playing with a mud kitchen or splashing around with pool toys.

Any garden or nature craft project that offers the opportunity for kids to get away from their screens and reconnect with nature is a good idea. Why not try building a bug hotel for a fun and informative outdoor activity? Building a bug hotel is educational as it teaches children about native animal habitats, plus they learn how to care for and appreciate the environment at the same time.

Garden tool manufacturer Ryobi is encouraging people to build a bug hotel in their garden using things they can find like twigs, leaves, old bricks and stones, and has put together a step-by-step guide on how to build your very own bug hotel using natural materials.

Treat your bug-life guests to luxury accommodation by constructing a mansion full of cosy corners and tasty treats. Keep scrolling to find out how...

How to make a bug hotel step-by-step

1. Collect materials

Spend some time looking around your garden for twigs, leaves, pinecones, bark and pebbles. These will provide the building blocks for your bug hotel. Some insects like tiny holes to crawl into and others like leaves and twigs to move around so make sure to get a mixture. Broken plant pots would also work here to create some height, as well as bricks, wooden pallets and old roof tiles.

2. Find a suitable place

Bug hotels are best placed in an undisturbed corner of your garden that’s sheltered from bad weather. Insects like to feel safe and cosy so the darker corners of your outside space are the best for this.

3. Start building

Insects love dark corners so build up your hotel with different sized nooks and lots of places for them to hide. Piles of logs attract birds and hedgehogs who nestle into these to find tiny grubs to snack on.

Larger holes with stones and tiles will create cool, damp spaces that will attract frogs and toads. Add moss and leaves inside the hotel to create a similar texture to your garden.

When you’re finished, be sure to add a roof so that the guests can stay dry. This is where the adults may need to step in with a little bit of power drill action to construct the outer shape.

4. Sit and wait

Now is the time for patience as you sit and wait for your guests to arrive. As the seasons change, different bugs and garden creatures will visit depending on whether they’re hibernating or looking for food.

Looking for more creative family activities? Check out our ideas for arts and crafts with kids here, including a bird feeder you can make from lolly sticks and some genius craft ideas using toilet rolls.

Have you made a bug hotel? Share it with us by tagging us in your pictures on Instagram!

You Might Also Like

• 13 of the best figure-flattering jumpsuits

• THE BEST SUNGLASSES FOR EVERY FACE SHAPE

• 15 of the best summer dresses for girls