Butterfly life cycle sequence and fold science craft activity

A science craft resource for exploring the stages of the life cycle of a butterfly or caterpillar! This fun alternative to a worksheet provides options for sequencing and can be used as an introduction or review of the butterfly life cycle.

Ideal for a science center, interactive science notebooks, or to support learning about life cycles, insects/bugs, butterflies, or symmetry.

Benefits of this activity:

• Low prep
• Children learn about the butterfly life cycle in a fun and hands-on way, that’s a bit different from a standard science worksheet.
• Can be used to introduce the life cycle, or as a review/assessment to check understanding.
• Encourages fine motor/scissor skills, hand-eye coordination (folding), and sequencing.
• Differentiated options allow for multiple age ranges or abilities to do the same activity.
• Finished foldouts can be inserted into an interactive notebook where they can be referenced by children.

The templates

This resource has 5 similar designs so that you can choose which best suit your students.

• Template 1: Children color the butterfly and life cycle stages, sequence the stages, glue, cut, and fold.
• Template 2: As above but with a rectangle around the butterfly for easier cutting.
• Template 3: Children design a pattern for the butterfly, color the life cycle stages, sequence the stages, glue, cut, and fold.
• Template 4: As above but with a rectangle around the butterfly for easier cutting.
• Template 5: Large template over 2 pages. Option to sequence the stages with their names or with short descriptions.

Designs 3-5 could also be decorated with stickers, sequins, pompoms, or other embellishments!

Also included:

• Color poster showing life cycle stages
• Label a butterfly cut and paste

Instructions outlining how to fold are also included. There are 2 versions of this file in a zip folder - one with US paper size and spelling, the other for the UK/AUS. This resource is not editable.