Butterfly -- School-age

Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly

The Caterpillar
By Christina Rossetti

Brown and furry Caterpillar in a hurry
Take your walk
To the shady leaf or stalk
Or what not,
Which may be the chosen spot.
No toad spy you,
Hovering birds of prey pass by you;
Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.

Print and illustrate the poem.

Art

3D Butterfly Collage

Give each child a circular piece of construction paper divided into four parts. Have the children use yarn, Q-tips, scraps of construction paper, and tissue paper to make a 3D collage of a butterfly's life cycle.

Clothespin Butterflies
Need: clothespin, coffee filter, watercolors, paintbrush, water

Start by letting the children paint the clothespin, then set it aside to dry. Spread the coffee filter out on the table, and assist the children as they paint the filter a variety of colors. When the filter is dry, you scrunch it up and clip it with the clothespin. By doing this, a butterfly is formed!

You may glue a magnetic strip on the back to make a magnet, or hang the butterflies from the ceiling. You may feel free to add wiggly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae.
Contributed By: April N.

Paint Blob Butterflies
Different colors of paint, butterfly pattern.

Have children place a small dot of paint on only one side of the butterfly. Then fold the paper in half and squish down. Children can continue to fold the paper many different ways (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to create lovely butterflies that looks the same on each wing.

When dry, children can cut the butterfly out. Use for displays in the room.

Butterfly Shape

Math/Science

Symmetry-Patterns in Nature (use butterfly shape above)

Create a butterfly to demonstrate bilateral symmetry.
When done have the children try to balance their butterflies on their noses.

Symmetry
Materials Needed: construction paper shapes for each child: square, circle, rectangle, ovals, diamonds(rhombus), triangles Introduce children to the word symmetry.

Have a pattern already made for them to observe of the folding's. Have the children see how many times their shapes can be folded evenly. This makes for a great fine motor skill while introducing geometry.
Contributed by: Karen Wilson

Coloring pages that shows the life cycle of the Monarch.

Story

Fancy Nancy thinks butterflies are simply exquisite. And that is why she can't wait for her friend Bree's Butterfly Birthday. It's going to be the fanciest birthday party ever!

But when Nancy finds out she can't go because her grandparents' fiftieth anniversary party is the same day, she is furious. (Mad is way too plain for how she feels.) How Nancy overcomes her disappointment and reconnects with her family is a fun and meaningful story for young readers.