Is there anything more
fascinating than the life cycle of the butterfly? Some of you will read Eric Carle’s book and some of you will
actually hatch butterflies in your classroom. Here are a few activities that will add to children’s
natural enthusiasm and curiosity.
Caterpillar Finger Play
A caterpillar crawled (Hold up right arm like a tree branch.)
To the top of a tree. (Crawl
left pointer up right arm.
I think I’ll take a nap said
he. (Wiggle
left pointer.)
So under the leaf (Pretend
to crawl left pointer
He began to creep. under
right palm.)
He spun a chrysalis (Wrap
right hand around left pointer.)
(Pretend
to crawl left pointer
He began to creep. under
right palm.)
He spun a chrysalis (Wrap
right hand around left pointer.)
And he fell asleep. (Hold
hands very still.)
For six long months
He slept in that cocoon bed. (Hold
hands very still.)
For six long months
He slept in that cocoon bed.
Til spring came along and
said,
Wake up, wake up,
You sleep head. (Shake
pointer.)
Out of the leaf he did
cry, (Clasp
thumbs and open palms.)
Lo, I am a butterfly! (Fly
hands around like a butterfly.)
Caterpillar Handshake
Extend your right thumb and
hook it with your partner’s right thumb.
Stick out your fingers and then flutter them around like a butterfly.
Life Cycle Project
Ask children to bring in a
stick from home. Explain that it
should be as long as their foot.
Have them glue a piece of rice on the left end of their stick to
represent the caterpillar’s “egg.”
Next, glue on a corkscrew pasta for the “caterpillar.” Glue a seashell pasta on next for the
“chrysalis.” Finally, glue a
bowtie pasta on the red end of the stick for the “butterfly.” Encourage children to describe the life
cycle of the butterfly using their stick.
Hint! You could also use a bean for the egg,
fuzzy yarn for the caterpillar, cotton ball for the chrysalis, and tissue paper
for the butterfly.
Baggie Butterfly
You will need a zip sandwich
bag, tissue paper, and a pipe cleaner for this project. Let children tear tissue paper into
little pieces and put it in the bag.
Close. Squeeze the bag in
the middle and twist around the pipe cleaner for the body as shown. Hang from the ceiling or attach a piece
of string so children can “fly” it.
Symmetry
What does symmetry
mean? Butterfly wings are a good
example of symmetry. Cut paper
into butterfly shapes and challenge children to make them symmetrical.
*Check out some books on
butterflies from the library. Can
children decorate their pattern to look like one in the book?
Informative Writing
Let children write factual
stories about the life cycle of a butterfly.
*How about a step book or
flip book for this activity?
Hint! Butterflies hatch from a chrysalis, a
life stage made of a hardened protein. A cocoon is spun from silk and surrounds
the pupa of many moths.
Oh, my! I have too many ideas for today. Come back tomorrow for more!!!