Caterpillar and Butterfly Preschool Lesson Plan

Even young toddlers and preschoolers can begin to learn about the world around them. Each week, try one of these lesson plans to start your child on the road to learning. By teaching them yourselves, your child develops a love for learning and a natural curiosity about the world. You are your child’s best teacher.

The Caterpillar and Butterfly Preschool Lesson Plan: A caterpillar starts out as a very little egg on a leaf. Soon the egg turns into a little caterpillar. Caterpillars come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some are green, some are black, and some are brown. Some are even shades of red. Caterpillars have a segmented body. Some caterpillars have smooth skin while others are very hairy. But not every caterpillar is friendly. Never touch a caterpillar because he could sting you. Caterpillars eat many different things, but most caterpillars eat leaves. Corn caterpillars like to eat corn. When a caterpillar is big enough he builds a large cocoon, wraps himself inside and enters his pupa stage. When he is inside his cocoon, he is growing and changing. When the time is right, he emerges from his cocoon and he is now a butterfly ( or moth). Butterflies come in all kinds of colors and sizes. They love to drink the nectar from flowers in your garden. When a butterfly is ready, she will lay an egg on a leaf one night that will turn into a caterpillar again.

FUN GAMES and OUTINGS:

• Have your toddler or preschooler show you how a caterpillar moves?
• How does a Butterfly move?
• Take a large blanket and have your preschooler pretend she is a little caterpillar building her cocoon. Wrap her in the blanket and have her emerge as a beautiful butterfly.
• Check to see if your city has a Butterfly House at the Botanical Gardens or ZOO. If so, plan a local trip to visit butterflies in their natural habitat
• Buy a butterfly kit and grow your own butterflies from small caterpillars. OR find a caterpillar in your garden and attempt to grow it into a butterfly.

Caterpillar and Butterfly Preschool Lesson Plan for your Preschool Children

Free Caterpillar and Butterfly Coloring Pages:Right Click on the image to save it to your computer to print.

Free Caterpillar Coloring Page

Free Caterpillar Letter C coloring page

Other Great Resources for Butterfly and Caterpillar Preschool Lesson Plans:

Butterfly Facts Sheet for Kids: http://bsi.montana.edu/web/kidsbutterfly/faq

Preschool Lesson Plan : http://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/insects/caterpillar.htm

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