Together Tuesday: Metamorph-art

Reading about the life cycle of the butterfly? Then try this art activity to illustrate!
You will need a white paper butterfly wing shape, green paper, half a pipe cleaner, wool roving in your choice of caterpillar-y colors, wire for antennae (if desired), a tiny white pom pom and some paint.
First, paint one side of the butterfly wing cut out to resemble butterfly wings. Leave the other side white. To make the caterpillar, wrap wool roving around the pipe cleaner until it has reached the desired size. Needle felt into place, or use a tiny bit of glue to hold the ends of the roving in place. Add wire antennae if desired. Cut the green paper into a leaf shape and add the little white pom pom.
The pom pom is the egg. Once your egg, “hatches’ remove it and replace it on the leaf with the caterpillar. Let the caterpillar “eat” as much of the leaf as possible. My kids like tearing the leaf up a little at a time at this point. Once the caterpillar has eaten his fill, wrap him in the wing paper, with the white side showing. Now is has made his chrysalis. Open the chrysalis and now you have a beautiful butterfly!
We usually do this activity over a few days time. The kids make the items on the first day and let the egg sit. Overnight, I replace the egg with the caterpillar. The caterpillar eats the leaf the next day and the next night I put it in the chrysalis. The following morning the kids find the chrysalises and open it to find their butterflies!

from Earth*School: Going Buggy, copyright 2005-2009