Summer is a wonderful time to learn about insects such as butterflies. This STEAM project will engage young patrons in learning about the stages of a butterfly, which include eggs, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. This is a great opportunity for children to engage in creating a life cycle craft. You can also use the websites and books provided below to learn more about the life cycle of a butterfly.

Materials

• Paper plates
• Green construction paper/marker (to create a leaf)
• small white cotton balls (to create the eggs)
• Green and yellow pipe cleaners (to create a caterpillar)
• Brown pipe cleaners or a twig (to symbolize the chrysalis stage)
• Small blue tissue paper (for the chrysalis stage)
• Small yellow tissue paper and brown pipe to create your butterfly
• Scrap paper to write down the stages of a butterfly

Instructions

• First, set up the paper plate on a table and make sure you have space for the material
• Next, use green construction paper and marker to create a leaf
• Use the small white cotton balls to place the eggs on top of the leaf. You can use this opportunity to label this section and explain that a butterfly starts out as an egg.
• Next, use the yellow and green pipe cleaners and twist them together to create a colorful caterpillar. After you twist the green and yellow pipe cleaner, use your fingers to create curves (a U shape). Afterward, cut the edges of the pipe cleaner so that the caterpillar can fit on the plate. Label this section and use this website as a guide to learn about the feeding stage of a caterpillar
• Next, use a blue tissue paper and help your child to crunch it up (shape it) to illustrate the next stage. Place a twig or a blue pipe cleaner (cut out and shaped like a twig.) Label and discuss the chrysalis stage.
• Finally, use the brown pipe cleaner to create the antenna and the yellow tissue paper to create wings for your butterfly.
• Learn thirty facts about butterflies!

STEAM Questions to consider:

• What occurs in each stage?
• What are the parts of a butterfly?
• Why are butterflies important to our ecosystem?

Resources:
Sleepy Hollow Monarch Habitat Hikes

Recommended Reads:

Butterflies in Room 6 by Caroline Arnold
(Grades K-3)
Library Catalog

Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty and Illustrated David Roberts
(Grades K-3)
Library Catalog

Senorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer and illustrated by Marcos Amada Rivero
(Grades K-3)
Library Catalog

The Great Outdoors Book: The Kids’ Guide to Being Outside by Josie Jeffery
(Grades 3-6)
Library Catalog

Elmer and the Butterfly by David Mckee
(Grades K-3)
Library Catalog

Bugs from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick and Kwanchai Moriya
(Grades K-3)
Library Catalog

Butterfly for a King by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore
(Grades K-3)
Library Catalog