Every spring my kids get pretty excited discovering the life-cycle of butterflies!
Birds chirping, raindrops falling, temperature rising….springtime is in the air.
If you and your family have not take the time to learn about the butterfly life-cycle the read on…
Life-Cycle of the Butterfly
This is one of the most amazing transformations that you and your kids can witness. I am in awe of how God made butterflies, and other creatures, to go through their metamorphosis!
It truly shows God’s artwork, design, and awesomeness.
The butterfly life-cycle consists of the following process:
- egg – appears on the fresh, green spring leaves
- caterpillar – begins eating through the leaves and grows a little each day
- chrysalis/cocoon – once full-grown, the caterpillar weaves his new home around himself hanging from a branch.
- butterfly – the beautiful butterfly emerges from is the cocoon ready to spread his bright and colorful wings.
This process of transformation takes only a few weeks (3-5). That beautiful butterfly then lays it’s own eggs and the cycle begins again.
Butterfly Life Cycle Printable
To help you identify the stages I have this cute printable for you to print off and discover along with your kids.
There are several ways that kids can use this FREE printable.
- draw the stages
- write facts about the stages
- use pasta to represent the stages
We love to use the super cute life cycle Metamorphosis toys that show the four stages of the cycle.
Want full hands on?
Then growing your own butterflies makes for the perfect activity! You get to watch the butterfly life cycle unfold before your own eyes.
We purchased this incredible Butterfly Garden by Insect Lore a few years back. The instructions are so simple and you can put the net garden right in your home while you watch nature do its magic.
Once you have the full garden set, you will only need to purchase a live cup of caterpillars to get the growing party started.
Related Post: Wiggly Worms Simple Unit Study
This is great to use as a hands-on craft. Your kids can also document the changes in their nature journal by drawing pictures and writing daily details.
Butterfly Life-Cycle Resources
To go along with the printable, here are a few other awesome resources to check out.
Life-Cycle Books
To go along with your butterfly unit study grab a few books that have bright pictures and fun facts for your kids.
Websites
These websites below have butterfly life-cycle pictures, coloring pages, fun facts, and learning activities. Check a few out today!!
- The Butterfly Site – simple resources for kids about butterflies
- Nat Geo Kids/Butterfly – We love Nat Geo for all things nature
- The Children’s Butterfly Site – more fun photos and resources for kids
- The Butterfly Website – ALL things butterfly!!
YouTube
YouTube has some phenomenal clips that you can watch with your kids about butterflies! Take a look at some of these:
- Metamorphosis: Caterpillar to Butterfly for Children – FreeSchool
- Lifecycle of a Butterfly – It’s AumSom Time
- Butterfly: A life – INCREDIBLE time lapse of a butterfly life cycle by Nat GEO
Happy discovering,
Check out this full post with more resources and ideas on How to Grow Your Own Butterflies. Or grab the below Simple Unit Study Plan to create your own today!
