Check out these easy butterfly life cycle printable worksheets for kids. Explore learning about the life cycle of these amazing insects with your kids. Grab yours today!
Butterflies are brightly colored insects that have a lot to teach us. You can explore butterflies with your little learners using these fun Butterfly Life Cycle Worksheets.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if an item is purchased through one of these links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
All butterflies begin life as an egg. Through a complex process called metamorphosis, brilliant adult butterflies emerge ready for flight.
You can use these no-prep printable life cycle worksheets to help your child understand butterflies and their amazing life cycle.
Keep reading to learn about more fun butterfly related activities and lesson plans you can use to inspire extra learning while enjoying these cute butterfly life cycle worksheets with your kids at home.
Life Cycle Sequencing
Teaching kids to arrange objects in a sequence helps them learn to think critically, consider cause and effect, and recognize patterns.
Learning to sequence information can help children synthesize what they’re learning and begin to learn how to solve more complex problems.
These butterfly life cycle worksheets will help your preschool or kindergarten age learner begin to understand nature on a deeper level as they learn to recognize the life cycle of a butterfly and arrange it in correct sequence.
Butterfly Life Cycle
- Stage 1: Egg – First, a female butterfly lays eggs, usually on a leaf. Inside the egg, a tiny caterpillar grows. Did you know the egg is shaped differently depending on the type of caterpillar inside? Also, as most mothers know, some eggs hatch more quickly than others.
- Stage 2: Caterpillar – When he’s ready, the caterpillar hatches and begins to eat! You might want to check out Eric Carle’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar
* while you’re learning about this stage. It’s adorable and colorful, and it’s an excellent way to show kids what real caterpillars are like.
- Stage 3: Chrysalis – The next stage happens when the caterpillar creates a hardened case called a chrysalis to hide from predators while it undergoes a metamorphosis. During this process, caterpillars change into butterflies.
- Stage 4: Butterfly – When the butterfly is ready, the cocoon splits open and the fully grown adult butterfly emerges. At first, the wings are wet and the butterfly must wait for them to dry. Then, she’s ready for flight! After she flies away in search of food or a mate, the life cycle can begin again.
* while you’re learning about this stage. It’s adorable and colorful, and it’s an excellent way to show kids what real caterpillars are like. We’ve enjoyed learning about caterpillars and butterflies just about every year since we started homeschooling. Check out these awesome Bugs & Crawly Things crafts and activities as well as our Bees & Butterflies crafts & activities.
Butterfly Symmetry
It is important for kids to be able to understand and use symmetry and develop spatial reasoning skills. Butterflies are an excellent way to help your little learners begin to recognize symmetry.
Did you know that a butterfly is perfectly symmetrical? It’s a great example straight from nature!
Study butterflies in nature or look at the pictures in National Geographic Readers: Great Migrations Butterflies
Then, for extra practice, check out my summer tracing worksheets with colorful butterfly symmetry.
Backyard Butterfly Garden
I’m a big fan of hands-on learning activities. This next butterfly lesson is perfect for kinesthetic kids who like to learn by doing. You can start your very own butterfly garden at home!
You can speed up the process, by getting your own Insect Lore Butterfly Garden
It’s the perfect way to explore the life cycle in person with your kids this year!
While you’re waiting for those caterpillars to turn into beautifully symmetrical butterflies, don’t forget to print your own butterfly life cycle worksheets and start exploring these amazing insects with your early learners today.
Butterfly Life Cycle Printable Worksheets
I created these Butterfly Life Cycle Printable Worksheets to go along with our kindergarten science. This set includes:
- 1 color poster that can be printed to use in your science center
- 3 printable worksheets (matching, sequencing, cut & paste) with answer keys
- 6 pages of printables to create a life cycle book for each student
We used these activities as part of a week-long unit study.
Get your Butterfly Life Cycle Printable Worksheets via Teachers Pay Teachers here.
Keep in mind that all preschoolers do things in their own time and on their own terms. What one is ready for, another might not be. Please use your best mama judgement when planning activities for your little kids.
I hope you enjoy using these life cycle printable worksheets with your little kids as much as I enjoyed creating them with mine.
Get all four of our Preschool Seasons Printable Worksheets, a total of 52 fun, printable worksheets for little kids at a huge discount by purchasing them as a bundle here.
Learn more about the Preschool Seasons Printable Worksheets:
Preschool Spring Theme Printables
Preschool Summer Theme Printables
Preschool Fall Theme Printables
Preschool Winter Theme Printables
This is a digital product. You will receive a PDF only.
Don’t forget to stop by next week if you’re interested in seeing what we’re up to with our Island Treasure theme. And if you missed this year’s preschool homeschool space post, you can check it out here.
Looking for more insight & inspiration? Here are the top 10 most popular posts from The Keeper of the Memories. You’re definitely not going to want to miss these!
Leave a Reply