Studying butterflies is an exciting way for students to learn about the life cycle, symmetry, and insects. Below is a list of the best activities you can use in your classroom to bring a butterfly theme of study to life. From butterfly crafts, books about butterflies, and butterfly life cycle activities, these are sure to transform your students’ learning experiences from boring to memorable!
1. Create a Stick Butterfly
Get your students outside for this fun activity! Take a walk to explore butterflies’ habitats. While outside, have students find a stick to be the butterfly body for your craft. Have kids color on coffee filters and then drop water on them using pipettes to create striking tie-dyed wings.
Learn More: Thimble and Twig
2. Eat Your Way Through a Butterfly Life Cycle
Gather foods that represent eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis, and butterflies. Have students arrange them on a piece of paper and create a diagram connecting the life cycle. Afterward, enjoy a tasty treat!
Learn More: My Joy-Filled Life
3. Watch a Brain Pop Video
Tim and Moby know just about everything. Even better? Kids love learning from them. Watch the Metamorphosis video on Brain Pop to learn all about the metamorphosis process of butterflies. There are also lesson plans and activities to go along with this video.
Learn More: BrainPOP
4. Play Butterfly Bingo
To play this game, students will need to listen to the teacher’s descriptions of the assorted butterflies. They can use a manipulative to mark which butterflies their teacher has called; the first with 3 in a row wins!
Learn More: Preschool Mom
5. Do a Butterfly Yoga Flow
Settle students and practice mindfulness through this yoga sequence. Students will need to engage in whole-body listening as they follow each step.
Learn More: YouTube
6. Make a Life Cycle Necklace
This butterfly life cycle necklace project will help students learn the sequence of the life cycle. Print out the different stages of the life cycle, mix them up, and have students put them in the right order. String them onto a piece of yarn to create a necklace!
Learn More: Homeschool Preschool
7. Do a Sequencing Activity
Here’s a creative way to help students practice sequencing: create first, next, then, and finally flaps. Under each, have them illustrate that step of the life cycle.
Learn More: Tickled Pink in Primary
8. Create a Butterfly Identification Chart
Let your children be little butterfly scientists. Students will need to identify the different butterflies and sort them into the correct categories; identifying butterflies based on color and shape.
Learn More: Little Pine Learners
9. Create a Butterfly Sensory Bin
Create a butterfly-themed sensory bin for children. Place natural items like stones, sticks, and leaves into a sensory bin and add plastic butterflies. Or, let your students spread their wings, and have them collect items to go in the bin.
Learn More: Little Bins For Little Hands
10. Write a Butterfly Poem
Tap into your students’ inner poet by learning about the life cycle with a poem. Create a poster of the poem and hang it in your classroom. As you read the poem, students will learn about the life cycle and the mechanics of poetry.
Learn More: One Sharp Bunch
11. Read a Butterfly Book
There are so many amazing books about butterflies, that it’s hard to choose just one! To learn about butterflies, to get students excited about butterflies, or to just supplement your unit, share one of these read-alouds with your class.
Learn More: The Educators’ Spin on it
12. Grow Butterflies
For a great lesson in the life cycle, and in patience, try growing your own butterflies. Have students collect caterpillars, and create a habitat for them. Then, sit and wait, as the caterpillars become beautiful butterflies.
Learn More: The Homespun Hydrangea
13. Teach Butterfly Symmetry
Butterfly wings are a beautiful way to study and learn about symmetry. This is an easy project that can be done with a butterfly printable. Fold the paper in half, place dots of paint on the wings, and then fold the paper so that the sides are touching. When you open the wings up, it will present a symmetrical set of wings.
Learn More: The Crafting Chicks
14. Start a Butterfly Garden
Butterfly gardens are the perfect place to observe butterflies in their natural habitat. Learn how to create a garden with your class. Students will need to choose the right plants to grow and will learn how to care for the butterflies.
Learn More: Monarch Butterfly Garden
15. Make a Butterfly Feeder
Attract butterflies to your school or your home with these easy-to-make butterfly feeders. After creating the feeder, you’ll need to fill it with a special butterfly food, which is shown in the video.
Learn more: YouTube
16. Play a Life Cycle Game
Help children learn about insect life cycles by playing this fun game which focuses on butterflies’ lives. This ready-to-go printable is both easy and educational.
Learn More: Life Over C’s
17. Make a Butterfly Mask
Kids love designing and wearing masks! In this colorful butterfly craft, let children decorate their own butterfly masks by cutting paper into a butterfly shape. Let students wear their masks for some butterfly fun!
Learn More: Kids Craft Room
18. Sing a Butterfly Song
Kids will love dancing and singing along to this butterfly song. They’ll be introduced to other insects along the way too!
Learn More: YouTube
19. Make a Butterfly Hat
Here’s a creative way to review the life cycle- make butterfly hats with your students. Print out these worksheets, have students color each stage, and then place them in order on their hats. They’ll love wearing them around!
Learn More: Play Dough to Plato
20. Make a Butterfly Clay Footprint Dish
Looking for a great Mother’s day project to do with your class? Here’s a beautiful idea- create a ring dish. Simply use air-dry clay, make the imprints, and paint after they’re dry.
Learn More: Messy Little Monster
21. Make a Stained Glass Butterfly
Use pieces of tissue paper to create these stained glass art projects, and hang them in windows to catch the Spring sunshine. This is a great sensory project as well.
Learn More: Typically Simple
22. Go on a Social Emotional Butterfly Scavenger Hunt
Feeling butterflies in your tummy? Turn a common phrase into an introduction to social-emotional learning for students. Use this bundle to set up a butterfly scavenger hunt in your classroom; focusing on social-emotional words.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
23. Do a Unit Study on Butterflies
Lead your students in a unit study of butterflies to learn as much as you can about them. This guide will get you started and will launch your class into an exciting learning unit focused on butterflies.
Learn More: Year-Round Homeschooling with Misty Leask
24. Do a STEM Activity
Students will love this simple experiment that will make a butterfly balloon inflate! You’ll need a balloon with a butterfly drawn on it, baking soda, and vinegar. Mix the last two in a bottle for a reaction, and place the balloon on top of the bottle.
Learn More: The Educators’ Spin On It
25. Watch a Butterfly Web Cam
Pull up a webcam of a butterfly exhibit that’s set up at the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory in Key West, Florida. Kids will love watching butterflies flit around, and it’s a great opportunity to study their behaviors.
Learn More: Mangolinkcam
26. Make Butterfly Pasta Art
This easy and cute butterfly art activity is a great sensory experience for kids. Simply buy bowtie pasta, dye it different colors, and have students glue it onto paper or canvas. This is an easy, tactile activity for toddlers and elementary students!
Learn More: Meaningful Mama
Learning About Animals That Start With ‘L’: A Comprehensive Guide