Preview draft. Activities have not been tested with caregivers.
Nature · The activity desk
Butterfly growth picture trail
Draw four pictures showing a butterfly's growth.
Let's play →
A little plan for play
Open interactive activity →Add to play journal →What you need
Paper and large child-appropriate crayons.
Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.
Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.
Set up: An adult divides the sheet into four large spaces.
Adult's role: Stay beside the child and help name each stage.
Let's make it happen
- Draw an egg on a leaf, then a caterpillar in the next space. A caterpillar hatches from an egg.
- Draw a chrysalis in the third space and an adult butterfly in the fourth.
- Point to each picture in order and tell the story of the butterfly's growth.
Make it simpler: Draw a caterpillar and a butterfly together.
Clean up: Put away the paper and crayons.
Observe live insects from a distance. Do not collect eggs or handle wildlife.