Butterfly Life Cycle Wheel

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This free printable butterfly life cycle wheel is a useful tool for reviewing the stages of a butterfly’s growth.

Below, we’ll talk about the life cycle of a butterfly and how you can use this activity to illustrate and review how butterflies change and grow.

Kids will enjoy using the life cycle wheel to explain to others what they know about butterflies. Add it to your butterfly activities for preschoolers this spring.

This free printable can help preschoolers and kindergarteners learn about the life cycle of a butterfly.

As your kids assemble this life cycle wheel, they’ll review vocabulary words while strengthening fine motor skills.

Life Cycle of a Butterfly for Kids

In this science activity, you’ll find both a color version and a black/white version of the butterfly life cycle wheel.

Choose whichever fits your particular classroom needs.

How to Prepare the Worksheets

This activity is easy to prepare. Choose either the color or blackline version. If you choose the blackline version, your kids can color the images on both pages. Or, you can print the pieces on colored printer paper.

I prefer to print this activity on cardstock. I find it to be sturdier than regular printer paper. I also laminate for durability. This allows the activity to be used over and over again.

Using the Printables

To begin your lesson about butterflies, you should read a nonfiction book about butterflies and how they grow. I like National Geographic Kids Look & Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly for it’s gorgeous images and age-appropriate language.

After reading the book, share the first page of the life cycle wheel with your preschoolers. Help them learn the vocabulary associated with the life cycle – chrysalis, larva, etc.

Test their knowledge by naming a stage and having your preschooler point to it on the page. Help them become familiar with the written name of each part, as well, so they can us the words in their retelling of the stages of the life cycle.

Cut out both pages, connect the two cutouts with a brass brad, and spin the top to reveal each stage of the butterfly life cycle.

Life Cycle of a Butterfly for Kids

If your kids enjoy this butterfly life cycle activity, your kids may enjoy one or more of the activities featured below.

You can add these activities to your butterfly activities for preschoolers.

• Spring is a great time to learn about butterflies. This life cycle of a butterfly craft will help little ones see how caterpillars become butterflies.

• Create an easy butterfly sensory bin for hours of sensory play for your little ones.

• If you’re teaching life cycles or butterflies this spring, be sure to include this butterfly life cycle coloring page. This print-and-go worksheet is a fun way to demonstrate how butterflies grow from egg to adult.

PRESCHOOL BOOKS ABOUT BUTTERFLIES

Fill your book basket with a great collection of books about butterflies. Most of these books can be found at your local library or used bookstore. If you have a hard time finding them, you can order them through my Amazon affiliate links by clicking the images below.

 Butterflies – Curious kids ages 3 to 7 will be excited to learn about the magical world of butterflies: their beauty, their importance to plant life, and their incredible metamorphosis and migration.Pinkalicious and the Little Butterfly – Pinkalicious is so excited when Miss Penny brings monarch caterpillars to class. She makes friends with one and watches as it turns into a pinkamazing butterfly!Butterfly Butterfly: A Book of Colors – Lucy sees a beautiful butterfly in the garden, along with a bright green beetle, a brilliant blue dragonfly, some red ladybugs, and many more flying and crawling things. But when will the radiant butterfly appear again? 

RESOURCES I LOVE

This wooden butterfly puzzle will promote hand-eye coordination, develop problem-solving skills and improve matching skills. In addition, it can stimulate a child’s imagination and creativity.

This beautiful butterfly lacing toy is great for practicing the sewing motion. Wooden Lacing boards are great for fine motor development and hand eye coordination.

Spring and summer are the best time of year to study butterflies. This printable features nine life cycle of a butterfly activities for early learners.