I have some kids in my daycare who love all things “pretty,” especially butterflies. And as teachers, we know when introducing new concepts to children, it’s easiest to come at the idea from an angle that they are already interested in. Recently, we were learning about the life cycle of a butterfly and I thought making some Butterfly Life Cycle Pasta Bracelets would be a fun activity that they would really be interested in exploring!
*Pair with our Life Cycle Emergent Readers for Pre-K & Kindergarten!
Butterfly Life Cycle Pasta Bracelets
Of course, when we did this craft it was open-ended and the kids, while understanding that the different pieces of pasta represented different stages of the butterfly’s life cycle and that a butterfly needs to go through all 4 stages, decided they wanted to only paint and use the “egg” and “butterfly” pieces. And that’s okay!
Even if this was going on cardstock instead of a bracelet, it’s important to allow children at this age to make their own associations with their work. One child expressed that she didn’t like the “worm” stages (caterpillar and chrysalis) but she still understood that they happened.
Supplies Needed:
- 4 different shapes of pasta:
- farfalle (butterfly)
- macaroni
- penne
- rotini (wheels)
- Cardboard roll
- Paint
- Glue
We used a large cardboard roll from a chip container that was leftover from Miss G’s Princess Bracelets. But a smaller size would probably be less frustrating and prone to slipping off. My kids just wanted to be the same as Miss G and didn’t want a smaller roll.
How to Make the Butterfly Pasta Bracelet
Cut the cardboard roll into strips to make the base of the bracelets (older children can help with this).
Start off by encouraging the kids to paint their pasta and cardboard rolls, and allow to dry.
Once the paint is dry, provide the glue and encourage the kids to attach the pasta life stages on their bracelets – preferably in order. But again, my perspective is that exposure to the idea is more important than perfect execution.
Allow the glue to dry. When they are ready, encourage the kids to wear their bracelets and describe the life cycle of the butterfly!
After making their bracelets, the kids involved were very interested in describing their knowledge of the butterfly life cycle – including the caterpillar and chrysalis phases – while showing off their handiwork.
This was a fun, open-ended craft that is affordable for the classroom and fun for all kids!
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