Choose a template and draw in the stages of a butterfly's life cycle, or use the photographs in our photo-bank. If you choose the last template, label or describe what's happening.

• What is different about a caterpillar and a butterfly?
• Why are caterpillars so hungry?
• Why can’t a butterfly fly straight away?

Use this activity to support learning about the butterfly life cycle. Select the template to best meet or challenge the abilities of your children. Ask children to recall each of the stages of the butterfly life cycle, find or draw an appropriate image, and write a label or description for each stage.

Facts for the teacher:

A butterfly’s life begins as a tiny egg, normally laid on the leaf of plant. Inside the egg, a caterpillar begin s to grow. The caterpillar eats the yolk inside the egg, and, once ready, the caterpillar hatches out of its egg.

It is very hungry and starts to eat the leaves of the plant it was laid on. Some caterpillars eat their egg too! As a caterpillar grows, it grows out of its skin by shedding it to reveal a new one underneath! It eats and eats until it is fully grown.

Then the caterpillar pupates by forming a chrysalis around itself. This is a hard shelter to keep it safe while it changes (metamorphoses). It usually does this on the underside of branch to keep extra safe.

The butterfly begins to come out of the chrysalis as it splits open. The wings of the butterfly are wet and crinkled so it needs to wait until they are dry before it can fly. When the wings are dry and strong, the butterfly flies away in search of food and a mate. The butterfly then finds a leaf to lay its eggs on and the cycle begins all over again!