Life Cycle of a Butterfly Activity

Invite kids to learn how a butterfly grows and changes with this fun, hands-on Life Cycle of a Butterfly Activity! Kids will enjoy seeing each step—from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly—while learning all about nature in a playful way.

Pair this butterfly life cycle sensory bin with our Butterfly Life Cycle Craft.

Life Cycle of a Butterfly Activity

Making a butterfly sensory bin is easy and fun! What I love most about this activity is that it’s an interactive, hands-on learning experience for kids. So often we sit and talk about something, but I never know if the conversations really stick with them past the short time we spent reading and learning about it.

With this sensory-rich activity, not only will kids have the opportunity to read and learn about butterflies, but then they’ll demonstrate the 4 life cycle stages they’ve learned about.

You’ll literally be watching your child teach themselves about the monarch butterfly life cycle. It’s a wonderful thing to see!

Related: How to Raise Butterflies

Watch the Video Tutorial

Watch our video below to see this experiment in action!

Craft Supplies Needed for Butterfly Life Cycle Activity

Before you start this activity, make sure you have everything you need. 

• Plastic bin
• Black beans
• Monarch butterfly life cycle toy
• Scoopers
• Mini tongs
• Fly, Monarch! Fly! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
• Butterfly Weed or milkweed seeds
• Cricut Explore Air 2 and Butterfly Life Cycle Activity Design Space File (optional)
• Colored cardstock
• Markers
• Scissors
• Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Wheel from The Dollar Tree (optional)

Directions for Butterfly Life Cycle Activity

Follow the simple steps below to create your own butterfly life cycle sensory bin. It’s easy to put together and perfect for hands-on learning and play!

STEP 1: Fill your sensory bin. Pour black beans into a small plastic bin. We chose black beans to emulate the color of fresh garden soil. The amount of beans you need depends upon the size of your bin (we like to use clear plastic bins from Target or The Dollar Tree). 

STEP 2: Add resources. Place a book about butterflies and a monarch butterfly life cycle wheel inside the sensory bin. We chose the book Fly, Monarch! Fly! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. Some other ideas include:

• Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh
• A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Aston
• The Life Cycles of Butterflies by Judy Burris
• Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies by Mel Boring
• Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert

We grabbed the life cycle wheel from our local Dollar Tree store.

STEP 3: Place the toys inside. Scatter butterfly life cycle toys around the sensory bin.

Related: Bug Sensory Bin

STEP 4: Add the final touches. Place the tongs, paper arrows, and seeds inside the sensory bin. I used my handy Cricut to cut the arrows on gold cardstock!

If you don’t have a Cricut, you could just hand draw and cut the arrows from colored cardstock.

STEP 5: Enjoy your sensory bin! Your life cycle of a butterfly activity is complete! Invite your child to use the life cycle wheel and their book to learn more about the 4 stages of a monarch butterfly’s life cycle—egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Other ideas for play include:

• Pouring
• Scooping
• Digging
• Fine motor work
• Imaginative play

More Butterfly Activities for Kids

Looking for more fun butterfly activities? You might also enjoy:

• Monarch Butterfly Stick Puppet
• Coffee Filter Monarch Butterfly Craft
• Butterfly Templates
• Butterfly Suncatcher Craft
• Fluttering Butterfly Craft
• Classic Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft
• Butterfly Life Cycle Paper Plate Craft from Buggy and Buddy

Save This Craft

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