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Animals & nature · Sequencing

Butterfly life cycle sequencing activity for preschool

Put four felt pieces in order, then use your body to show how a butterfly changes.

Try the activity
Portrait photo of the Playtime Felts Butterfly Life Cycle set with striped caterpillars and butterfly pieces.View this felt set on Etsy Opens in a new tab

From tiny egg to butterfly

Prep · About 5 minutes   Play · About 10 minutes

Gather · Felt pieces or drawings of an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly.

  1. Name the four stages. Spread out the pieces and name each stage together. Point to the egg as the starting piece.
  2. Put the pieces in order. Lay out the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly from left to right. Have your child point and tell you what comes next.
  3. Act out the changes. Curl up small for the egg, crawl fingers like a caterpillar, tuck in arms for the chrysalis, then open arms like butterfly wings.

Try saying · “What comes after the caterpillar? Show me the piece and the motion.”

Make it easier · Start with the caterpillar and butterfly. Add the egg and chrysalis once your child can name the first two pieces you showed.

Keep it going · Mix up the four pieces and invite your child to put them back in order and teach you the motions.

Get the materials

Storytime Club · Annual library

Print it for your next storytime

Find the Butterfly worksheet PDF in the annual library. Print a page for follow-up and have your child tell you one thing they remember about how a butterfly changes.

$97 a year gives you the full Storytime Club printable library. If the Etsy printables on your list are included in the Club and cost more than $97 together, you save with the annual pass.

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