To help young children understand metamorphosis, a craft such as creating a butterfly and chrysalis may help. Fold a piece of tissue paper up like an accordion. Open a clothes pin and insert the folded tissue paper in so that the sides are even. Use pipe cleaner to make antennae for the butterfly and draw on eyes, then create a chrysalis. Spread glue on a toilet paper role. Wrap pieces of yarn around the roll tightly until it is completely covered, except for one end. Once the chrysalis dries, put your butterfly into the chrysalis and make it emerge.
A life cycle mobile is another activity that will help children understand the process of metamorphosis from egg to butterfly, according to "Enchanted Learning." First, use a crayon to draw a spiral on a paper plate and cut along the line with scissors. Then decorate the paper plate using crayons. Next, take a green piece of paper and draw and cut out a leaf. Draw white butterfly eggs in the middle of the leaf. Then on an orange piece of paper draw a caterpillar. Color its black stripes with a crayon. Cut the caterpillar out. Then draw and cut out a pupa out of brown paper, then make a butterfly. Fold a piece of paper in half and cut out wings. Glue a black oval in the middle for your butterfly body. Use pipe cleaner to make antenna. Punch holes evenly around the paper plate. Punch a hole in the center of the pieces. Using string tie them up in the order of the butterfly's life cycle.
Activities such as songs may also be good for a child to lean about metamorphosis. "Going Buggy" offers several songs to sing about the butterfly's life cycle with children.
The Life of a Butterfly
(Tune: Skip to My Lou)
I'm a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
I'm a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
I'm a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
What'll I be my darlin'?
A chrysalis, now sleep like me,
A chrysalis, now sleep like me,
A chrysalis, now sleep like me,
What'll I be my darlin'?
A butterfly, come fly with me,
A butterfly, come fly with me,
A butterfly, come fly with me,
What'll I be my darlin'?
Now all together, let's do all three!
A caterpillar, a chrysalis, a butterfly, three!
Move your body like this with me,
The life of a butterfly, darlin'!
Creating magnets for your refrigerator is a fun activity that will help young children understand where a butterfly comes from. Create a caterpillar by gluing pompom craft balls in a row on one side of a clothes pin. Use a pipe cleaner to create antennae and then attach googly eyes. Next, make a butterfly. Have your child decorate a coffee filter with crayons, then fold the coffee filter up like an accordion and take another clothespin and place the coffee filter in the center inside the clothespin. Add googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae to your butterfly. Once they are dry, add magnets to the back.