Fun and Easy Butterfly Life Cycle Activity for Kids
Learning about different animal life cycles is one of my favorite STEM activities for early years classrooms. This Butterfly Life Cycle Activity is a wonderful craft and science activity for preschoolers and kindergarteners to make this Spring.
Let the kids make their own life cycle of a butterfly, or work together as a class, and make a giant one to go in the science center.
Disclosure: Adult supervision is required for all activities at all times.
As the weather warms up, now is the perfect time to try some of these Spring activities for kids. I don’t know about you, but there’s something about the change in seasons that gets my kids excited about learning. Or you can invest in the Spring Activity Pack, which is filled with educational ideas for young kids.
Table of Contents
Materials Needed
- The free life cycle of butterflies template
- White paper
- Paint
- Small white pom poms
- Glue
- Small craft stick or pipe cleaner
How to Make a Butterfly Life Cycle Activity
1. Download and print the free printable template.
You can find the free printale at the bottom of the post. Just click the large blue button to get your copy.
The PDF file contains a copy of the life cycle wheel, fun facts about butterflies, as well as real images depicting the stages of the butterfly life cycle to use during circle time.
If you don’t want to use the free template, you can always do this butterfly life cycle craft on a paper plate instead. You’ll just have to make sure to include construction paper and other simple craft supplies to make the background.
2. In the top right hand corner of the wheel, make your eggs.
Use small white pom poms to represent the butterfly eggs, and glue these onto the green leaf.
You can also just use white paint and make eggs out of your young kids fingerprints.
3. In the bottom right hand corner of the wheel make your caterpillar.
I used red and green paint to make a little caterpillar out of fingerprints. If you prefer you can use pom poms, buttons or anything else to make a caterpillar.
4. In the bottom left hand corner of the wheel, make your cocoon
Paint a cocoon / chrysalis hanging from a tree branch. If you are making this simple butterfly life cycle craft with a paper plate instead, you can make the chrysalis hiding underneath a leaf instead.
5. In the top left hand corner of your wheel, make your butterfly
I used a craft stick that I cut in half to make the butterfly’s body, and red paint for the butterfly wings.
If you don’t want to cut a whole lot of craft sticks for your class, then use pipe cleaners for the body instead, as these are easy to cut to size in bulk.
6. Draw some details.
When the paint has dried, take a black marker and draw around the edges of the pictures to give them some extra detail.
FAQ’s
There are so many different play ideas that help preschoolers and kindergarteners learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. I like to start with a book at circle time and then expand through different activities.
One of the best books to read at circle time is the classic “The Hungry Caterpillar” book. Then follow up this wonderful story with some more play ideas, such as:
- Sensory Bins
- Coloring Page or other butterfly crafts
- Butterfly play dough
- Butterfly peg boards
When explaining the butterfly life cycle for kids, break it down into the four different stages.
First stage: Tiny eggs, which are laid on leaves or somewhere where food is close by.
Second Stage: Larva stage – also known as caterpillars.
Third stage: The caterpillar spins a cocoon and becomes a chrysalis
Fourth stage: The adult butterfly emerges.
Before trying some life cycle of a butterfly activities for preschoolers, learn an interesting fact about the different types of butterflies, or just butterflies in general. Here are 5 facts that preschoolers and kindergarteners will love.
- Butterflies use their feet to taste.
- Butterflies only drink, they don’t eat to survive.
- They have 4 (not 2) wings
- Some butterfly species migrate when the weather changes.
- Some butterflies use camouflage to protect themselves from predators.
More Butterfly Activities for Kids
When looking for Spring play ideas, any butterfly activity is a hit. Here are some of my favorite beautiful butterfly activities for little learners.
- Paper Plate Butterfly Craft
- Butterfly Sensory Bin
- Mosaic Monarch Butterfly Craft
- Butterfly Button Fine Motor mat
- …
For more ideas visit this list of the top 10 butterfly activities for kids.
Spring Activity Pack
Over 90+ pages of Spring themed play based learning activities and craft templates. Perfect for preschool and kindergarten.
Are you going to try this Butterfly Life cycle Activity with your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.
