How to Teach the Butterfly Life Cycle with a Craft Kids Will Love

We absolutely love it when a craft project becomes a learning experience too. This simple yet engaging noodle craft lets your toddler explore the life cycle of a butterfly while getting hands-on with art. Here is our butterfly life cycle craft for kids!

Materials:

• White paper or a paper plate (divide into 4 sections)
  
• Art supplies for decorating (I used watercolors, but anything goes!)
  
• 4 types of uncooked pasta:
  
  • Ditalini (Egg stage)
    
  • Rotini (Caterpillar/larva stage)
    
  • Shell (Chrysalis/pupa stage)
    
  • Bowtie (Butterfly/adult stage)
    
• Hot glue or tape
  
• Marker for labeling

Instructions:

1. Divide your paper or plate into four equal parts.
   
2. Decorate each section with fun backgrounds—paint, markers, stickers—anything your child enjoys!
   
3. In each section, glue one type of pasta in clockwise order to represent the butterfly’s life cycle:
   
   • Ditalini (Egg)
     
   • Rotini (Caterpillar)
     
   • Shell (Chrysalis)
     
   • Bowtie (Butterfly)
     

Use a marker to label each stage to help reinforce learning.

Extra Additions:

Book Pairing:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is the perfect read-aloud to start this activity. As you read, ask your child questions like:

• “What is happening to the caterpillar?”
  
• “How do you think it changes?”
  
• “What happens at the end?”

Cooked Pasta Twist:

Feeling adventurous? Cooked pasta could bring this to life in a whole new way! Use sauces, fruits, or veggies to make a food scene or edible life cycle.

Extension for Older Kids:

Dive deeper into:

• Other animal life cycles
  
• Science facts about each butterfly stage
  
• Raising live caterpillars and watching metamorphosis happen in real-time!

Final Thoughts:

This craft is simple, fun, and flexible—perfect for guiding your child through learning while using everyday items like food. Whether you stick to uncooked noodles or go big with a full butterfly-themed meal, this activity is sure to be a memorable one. We hope you love this butterfly life cycle craft for kids!

Check out some of our other favorite crafts here and one of our movement lesson plans here!

x.o. Faith