We are in the MIDDLE of learning all about bugs in my class and by FAR the favorites have been caterpillars and butterflies. They’re my daughter’s favorites too. I think that the fact that you can learn all about the lifecycle at such a young age has something to do with this. I like that as a teacher of really young children I can connect science, literacy, art, music, and movement into one theme so easily.
Here are my favorite caterpillar and butterfly activities for preschool.
Alphabet Butterfly Garden Activity
Coffee Filter & Colored Glue Butterfly
Classic Egg Carton Caterpillars
Books About Caterpillars and Butterflies For Kids
All book lists include affiliate links.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Bob and Otto
The Crunching Munching Caterpillar 
From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heligiman is part of my favorite non-fiction for kids series “Let’s Read and Find Out Science”. I always grab these books at garage sales and thrift stores. In this edition, you follow a classroom of students observing a caterpillar as it metamorphosis into a butterfly. A classic spring activity for preschool-age children to discover and learn about life cycles. Also a perfect match for your own Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden
Butterfly Butterfly: A Book of Colors
Mary says
I’m a children’s librarian at a public library branch with a monarch waystation. We’re always looking for good butterfly and caterpillar activities so we can teach the kids about monarchs. These will be really helpful. Thank you so much. Your website is the best.
Megha says
Really interesting and fun methods
norma melendez says
love this activities. Thanks
Joyce Sorenson says
Great ideas!
overthumbs says
One Sunday morning, a caterpillar hatches from an egg. He is known as the Very Hungry Caterpillar, who loves eating, and so he begins to look for some food. He eats through increasing quantities of fruit on the following 5 days (Monday through Friday). First it’s one apple on Monday, then two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, four strawberries on Thursday, and finally, five oranges on Friday. On Saturday, he eats an enormous amount of food (which in reality is not for caterpillars but rather being human food), including one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon. Then that night, he gets a stomachache from overeating (from all of those 6 days; Monday through Saturday). But the next morning, it becomes Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one green leaf. And after that, he feels much better. At the end of that, he is not hungry anymore. He is neither hungry nor a little caterpillar. He is a big, fat, caterpillar. The now-big caterpillar spins a cocoon around himself. There, inside he sleeps in it for 2 weeks. Later, the caterpillar emerges as a butterfly with large, gorgeous, multi-coloured wings.
Myrian says
I am a parent to a 4 1/2 year eager to learn through play child . We live in Costa Rica and Covid, like everywhere has wrecked havoc on our schools. I am soooo grateful to have found your site and for all the amazing things you offer and for free ( another impact of Covid is 80% unemployed in our town). Your materials are wonderful. Thank you thank you, thank you.