Beautiful Butterflies

Programme: BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES

Suitable for Foundation Stage pupils and available as a half day programme

This very interactive session allows young children to act out the life-cycle of the butterfly from egg right through to adult. Through the medium of drama children explore the natural environment and the invertebrates that inhabit it. This programme also encourages children to think about camouflage, feeding habitats and symmetry.

ACTIVITY DETAILS

Beautiful butterflies begin in the classroom with a discussion about butterflies and their life-cycle. To spark the children’s imagination the session starts by reading a story which illustrates the life cycle before moving outdoors to act out the story themselves.

Once outside children will explore the lifecycle of the butterfly from egg right through to adult. The session will include the following activities:

1. Hungry Caterpillars - Once they have hatched from the egg children explore what caterpillars might eat and search for signs of feeding.

2. Caterpillar Hunt - Using tree shaking children search for caterpillar and other mini-beasts that inhabit the same environment. They are encouraged to look for similarities and adaptations between invertebrates.

3. Caterpillar Camouflage - Children investigate camouflage and the benefits of blending in with their environment. To further their understanding each pupil will attempt to camouflage their own caterpillar and hide it.

4. Disappearing caterpillars - Children discuss how caterpillars change into butterflies and new body parts they need to grow. Thinking about the story children find a place to build their chrysalis and begin the change into a butterfly.

5. Beautiful Butterflies - After hatching out of their chrysalis children explore the life of the butterfly including what it eats and the symmetrical patterns on its wings. Using sweep nets children search for butterflies and other invertebrates.

CURRICULUM LINKS

This programme predominantly links with the following learning and development requirements however it will link with all L+D requirements at some points.

• Knowledge and Understanding of the World

• Communication, Language and Literacy

• Creative Development

This activity sheet is available to download as a word document from the right hand side.