Butterfly Life Cycle Activities the Kids Will Love

Integrate these butterfly life cycle activities into your collection of butterfly activities for preschoolers. They’re perfect for when you want to focus in on the life cycle with your students.

One of the main concepts covered during a preschool butterfly theme is how a caterpillar metamorphoses into a butterfly. The ideas in this collection let the kids explore this with hands-on activities (and a few printables).

So be sure to pair these life cycle activities with lots of books, real images, videos of the butterfly life cycle, and maybe even some real caterpillars.

lots of activities for young kids to teach butterfly metamorphosis. Text reads: Butterfly life cycle activities

Related: Butterfly Sensory Bin

One of the best ways to learn about the life cycle of a butterfly is to watch it happen in person. Second to that, a lot of real photos, non-fiction books, and videos of the process can come in handy.

Butterfly Life Cycle Activities

The activities I share below can help your students further explore what happens as a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. To read about the specifics of each activity, click on the linked text. The links will take you to each individual idea, where you can learn more and see the activities in use.

Materials for the Butterfly Activities

Before we jump into all of the butterfly fun, let’s chat about supplies. Here are some of the items you’ll want on-hand (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):

I suggest choosing one (or more!) of the butterfly life cycle activities below. Then make a list of the materials you need. Double-check what you already have in your teacher supply cabinet. With any luck, you’ll already have most of the supplies! If not, time for a quick shopping trip.

Fun Life Cycle of a Butterfly Activities

Now let’s get into the butterfly life cycle activities. Below you’ll find my favorites, some of which I’ve shared here on Fun-A-Day, others I’ve found from around the web.

First of all, observing real caterpillars is one of the best life cycle activities there is! The kids are always transfixed as they watch the caterpillars grow, make chrysalises, and then come out as butterflies.

4 activities on the life cycle of butterflies

Butterfly sensory bottles are colorful additions to any butterfly life cycle study. You’ll use pasta to represent each stage in the life cycle, and get the kids involved in deciding how you want to use them!

Grab your printer and some paper plates for this butterfly life cycle craft that allows the kids to form their own little 3D models of each stage of the metamorphosis.

How do you feel about eating butterflies? This edible butterfly life cycle makes creating and consuming the life cycle a delicious endeavor!

Your preschoolers will love creating this butterfly life cycle printable book to use over and over again as they learn about the butterfly life cycle. You’ll get two versions with this free printable.

4 activities for the butterfly life cycle for preschoolers

Preschoolers love to create wearable crafts, and this butterfly life cycle craft necklace gives them the opportunity to do just that. You may have all the supplies on hand already!

The creative play factor goes a long way to ensure that kids will say yes to this Lego Monarch butterfly life cycle. Encourage them to act out each phase with the Lego bricks.

Try out this butterfly life cycle sensory bin. Lots of fun and learning as the kids engage in sensory play.

If your kids love The Very Hungry Caterpillar, they will have all sorts of fun making these caterpillar and butterfly crafts to correspond to the book’s characters.

Even More Butterfly Life Cycle Activities

I couldn’t help myself! There are just too many amazing life cycle of a butterfly activities to try. I haven’t tested out these ideas with the kids, but I am very excited to.

3 ideas for teaching the butterfly life cycle to kids through activities

Don’t you love when a learning activity is entertaining? This is such a clever butterfly and chrysalis craft for kids!

Your children will be able to create a craft for each stage of the butterfly life cycle and then put them all together with this life cycle of a butterfly tree craft.

Here’s another one inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly activity will keep the kids engaged while they learn the life cycle steps.

3 different butterfly life cycle activities for preschoolers

Download this free butterfly life stage printable and let the kids go on a scavenger hunt to gather what they need to complete the activity in a creative way!

Recycled egg cartons are the main supply with this butterfly life cycle craft – they become both the butterflies and the caterpillars.

You’ll love this butterfly metamorphosis craft for its clever use of materials and effectiveness at showing all the stages of the butterfly life cycle.

Be sure to save this post for future reference. If you pin it, pop over to my Butterfly Activities Pinterest board for more ideas.

Done-For-You Preschool Resources

Let Preschool Teacher 101 save you a ton of planning time with fully-developed resources. That way, you can focus on teaching your students at work . . . and keep your personal time to yourself outside of the classroom!

Click on the image below to get our “10 Little Butterflies” song pack. This is perfect to use during your circle time! AND it includes ideas for extending the activities to small group and center times.

10 Little Butterflies Song Pack

Here are a few more done-for-you resources to make your teaching life easier this spring:

Preschool Frogs Lesson Plan cover.
Frogs Lesson Plans
Butterfly Lesson Plans preschool resource cover.
Butterfly Lesson Plans

We’re also on Teachers Pay Teachers, if that’s your preference. And be sure to join the waiting list for The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101. Our members get access to our materials, as well as some exclusive products.

activities to teach the life cycle of butterfly to kids. Text reads: butterfly life cycle activities for preschoolers

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