Through this interactive Butterfly Life Cycle Craft, kids will create and demonstrate the 4 simple stages of a butterfly’s life cycle: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult. With two free printable templates, it’s the perfect educational art project for preschool or kindergarten.
Butterfly Life Cycle Craft
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that my kids and I are passionate about raising and releasing butterflies. So far this summer, we’ve already raised 24 Black Swallowtail Butterflies from eggs, with more on the way!
The metamorphosis of a butterfly is a fascinating, beautiful process to witness. In this hands-on craft, kids will use basic craft supplies such as toilet paper rolls, beads, and pipe cleaners to illustrate the life cycle of a butterfly.
It’s the perfect butterfly craft for spring or summer!
Related: Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle
Craft Supplies Needed for the Butterfly Life Cycle Craft
- Free Printable Leaf and Arrows Template
- Green and gold cardstock
- Scissors
- Perler Biggie Beads
- Toilet paper roll
- Green acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Coffee filters
- Liquid watercolors
- Eye droppers
- Black pipe cleaners
- White school glue
- Spray bottle filled with water
Directions for Life Cycle of a Butterfly Craft
1. First, print the leaf and arrows template on green and gold cardstock. Each child will need to cut out 2 leaves and 4 arrows.
2. Glue one white Perler Biggie Bead onto each green leaf. The bead represents a butterfly egg!
3. Invite your child to paint their toilet paper roll green. Set the roll aside to dry on a paper plate, then move onto step 4.
4. Next, fold a black pipe cleaner in half to create the body of the caterpillar. Invite your child to string 8 Perler Biggie Beads onto both ends of the pipe cleaner.
Choose one more bead, squeeze a dab of white school glue inside of it, then string it onto the pipe cleaner. Each caterpillar should contain a total of 9 beads.
5. Arrange the beads so the V is about 1.5 inches long. Fold the V up into the shape of the caterpillar’s antennae, then trim (or fold in) the excess pipe cleaner towards the back of the caterpillar. If desired, curl the antennae with your finger.
6. Place a coffee filter on a plate, then use eye droppers to dye it with liquid watercolors. Set the coffee filter aside to dry.
7. When the coffee filter is dry, twist 1/2 of a black pipe cleaner around the center to form the shape of a butterfly.
8. Your butterfly life cycle craft is complete! Continue reading for more playful learning ideas!
Teaching the Butterfly Life Cycle
To grow into an adult, butterflies need to move through 4 stages of their life cycle, known as complete metamorphosis: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult.
After reading about butterflies, exploring the life cycle of a butterfly through a sensory bin, and making all the parts for the butterfly life cycle craft (make 2 sets of leaves with eggs), it’s time for a little metamorphosis magic!
Step 1: Invite your child to set out their leaf and egg. (The second leaf will be stored inside a bag labeled with your child’s name for Step 6.)
Step 2: After a couple of days, scrape your child’s “egg” off their leaf and replace it with their beaded caterpillar. This should be done when the child isn’t present so it surprises them!
Step 3: If desired, cut away at the leaf with pinking shears so it appears the caterpillar is eating the leaf.
Step 4: After a few days—or even a week—place your child’s toilet paper tube chrysalis on the leaf. Position the caterpillar inside the tube.
Again, this should be done when the child isn’t present. They will enjoy peaking inside their chrysalis daily to see if their butterfly has eclosed!
Step 5: After a week, replace your child’s caterpillar with their butterfly! They will shriek with delight when they discover their butterfly’s life cycle is complete! Invite your child to remove their butterfly from the chrysalis to flutter it in the air.
Step 6: Pass out your child’s baggie. (At this time, it should contain a leaf with an egg, 4 arrows, and the beaded caterpillar.) Invite your child to demonstrate the life cycle of a butterfly by arranging the 4 arrows and their 4 craft pieces on a tabletop.
More Butterfly Crafts for Kids
- Stained Glass Butterfly Suncatchers with Free Butterfly Template
- Butterfly Suncatcher Craft
- Monarch Butterfly Stick Puppet
- Fluttering Paper Butterfly Craft
- Butterfly Glitter Jar
Butterfly Life Cycle Craft
Through this interactive Butterfly Life Cycle Craft, kids will create and demonstrate the 4 simple stages of a butterfly’s life cycle: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult.
Materials
- Free Printable Leaf and Arrows Template
- Green and gold cardstock
- Scissors
- Perler Biggie Beads
- Toilet paper roll
- Green acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Coffee filters
- Liquid watercolors
- Eye droppers
- Black pipe cleaners
- White school glue
- Spray bottle filled with water
Instructions
- First, print the leaf and arrows template on green and gold cardstock. Each child will need to cut out 2 leaves and 4 arrows.
- Glue one white Perler Biggie Bead onto each green leaf. The bead represents a butterfly egg!
- Invite your child to paint their toilet paper roll green. Set the roll aside to dry on a paper plate, then move onto step 4.
- Next, fold a black pipe cleaner in half to create the body of the caterpillar. Invite your child to string 8 Perler Biggie Beads onto both ends of the pipe cleaner.
- Choose one more bead, squeeze a dab of white school glue inside of it, then string it onto the pipe cleaner. Each caterpillar should contain a total of 9 beads.
- Arrange the beads so the V is about 1.5 inches long. Fold the V up into the shape of the caterpillar’s antennae, then trim (or fold in) the excess pipe cleaner towards the back of the caterpillar. If desired, curl the antennae with your finger.
- Place a coffee filter on a plate, then use eye droppers to dye it with liquid watercolors. Set the coffee filter aside to dry.
- When the coffee filter is dry, twist 1/2 of a black pipe cleaner around the center to form the shape of a butterfly.
- Your butterfly life cycle craft is complete!
Notes
See blog post for tips on teaching the butterfly life cycle to kids!
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