Caterpillar and butterfly activities are sure to grab the kids’ attention this spring! Be sure to add these ideas to your collection of butterfly activities for preschoolers, kindergartners, and elementary-aged children.
Below you’ll find ideas that explore the butterfly life cycle, as well as caterpillar-themed activities, and some general butterfly fun. Some of these we’ve tried with rousing success, while others are on our butterfly to-do list.
The activities cover a range of learning topics, from science to fine motor skills to math. There’s even a delicious snack the kids can make as they learn about caterpillars and butterflies.
Clik here to view.
Related: Butterfly Sensory Bin
Read below for over 20 butterfly and caterpillar activities the kids are sure to love. Click on each link for more details about the individual crafts and activities.
Activities That Explore the Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Let’s start with some butterfly activities that focus on the life cycle of the insect. Metamorphosis is such an interesting concept for kids! Pair these ideas with some non-fiction books and you’re all set.
Clik here to view.
Related: Life Cycle of a Butterfly Printables
Help kids create a butterfly life cycle printable book. This is such an easy way to practice important early literacy skills! And it’s a simple way to review the butterfly life cycle.
Put together a butterfly life cycle necklace with the children. A wearable craft is always a hit around here.
Use some beautiful butterfly printables from Mama Miss to explore the life cycle. Kids can cut, color, and even practice writing.
Use a variety of art techniques to illustrate metamorphosis like Powerful Mothering. If your students want to try out different art ideas, you can easily tweak these.
Make Growing Book by Book’s felt butterfly life cycle storyboard. I think this one is just right for circle time.
Print and use Living Montessori Now’s butterfly life cycle cards. Then place the cards in your science center.
Break out the play dough and No Stress Homeschooling’s butterfly life cycle play mats.
Fun-Filled Caterpillar Activities
Now let’s chat about caterpillars. Because we can’t talk about butterfly activities without some caterpillars, right?! Butterflies wouldn’t be here without their caterpillar counterparts.
Clik here to view.
Related: Insect Science Activities for Preschoolers
Race to the finish with Peaceful Parenting’s caterpillar counting game. Great counting practice for the kids.
Assemble an oh-so-fun very hungry caterpillar necklace from Buggy and Buddy. I love how this turned out!
Explore colors with Toddler Approved’s giant sorting caterpillar. Lots of color identification and sorting practice for your butterfly theme.
Work on counting and number identification with Powerful Mothering’s counting caterpillar craft.
Put together The OT Toolbox’s delicious caterpillar grapes snack. The kids are going to need a snack break amid all of the fun butterfly activities.
Make some colorful paper plate caterpillars from In the Playroom. You can use these as part of a big story board about the butterfly life cycle.
Create colorful circle caterpillar paintings with the children, like Teach Preschool did.
Practice those names with No Time for Flash Cards’ name caterpillar activity. You can explore sight words and the alphabet with this idea, too.
More Butterfly Activities to Try This Spring
Okay, so I found even more butterfly-themed ideas for you and the kids! I just couldn’t resist. Can you blame me?
Clik here to view.
Create Buggy and Buddy’s monarch butterfly wings for a beautiful dress up opportunity.
Make butterfly and spring stamps like Sunny Day Family. They’re perfect for some print-making fun.
Try out I Heart Crafty Things’ static electricity butterfly experiment.
Help the kids assemble their own butterfly feeder like Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds. What a fun way to attract the insects and learn about how butterflies feed.
Use Mama Jenn’s butterfly file folder game to work on visual discrimination. The kids will surely love matching the butterfly wings.
Break out the flower petals for Fantastic Fun and Learning’s butterfly craft.
Now, the question is what of these butterfly activities are you going to try first?! Be sure to pin this post for future reference.
Done-for-You Preschool Resources
Let Preschool Teacher 101 save you a ton of planning time with fully-developed resources for your preschool classroom. That way you can focus on teaching during your work hours . . . and your personal life outside of work hours!
We have over 100 thematic lesson plans, as well as STEM challenges, math activities, literacy lessons, and so much more! Click on the image below to get our butterfly lesson plans. You’ll receive weekly plans, detailed daily lesson plans, editable planning templates, whole group activities, small group lessons, center ideas, book suggestions, and coordinating printables.
Clik here to view.
Join the waiting list for The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 today. Members receive access to all of our materials, along with a few exclusives just for them!
Butterfly Books
Of course, you’re going to need some books to pair with your butterfly activities. Here are a few ideas to get you started (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
What are some of your favorite books about butterflies?
Clik here to view.
Originally published March 2015.
The post 21 Caterpillar and Butterfly Activities appeared first on Fun-A-Day!.