Caterpillar to Butterfly Craft

Last year around this time we had a butterfly garden.  It was such an amazing

experience for the girls to see each stage of the butterfly's life!  I think we will do it again next spring. 

In the meantime, I thought a craft that changed from a caterpillar to a butterfly would be a fun refresher!

Supplies:
Clothespin
Pom poms
Glue
Small wiggly eyes/beads
Coffee filter
Markers
Toilet paper tube
Streamer
Tape

1)  Glue pom poms onto a clothespin to make a caterpillar.

2)  Glue on eyes.  I didn't have any wiggly eyes that were small enough, so we substituted beads.

3)  Use markers or watercolor paints to color a coffee filter.

At this point, we oohed and aahed over the caterpillars they created.  The girls went to bed, and I finished these steps.  I thought it would be a fun surprise, but you could have your child do each step themselves.

4)  Scrunch the coffee filter and clip with the clothespin to form butterfly wings.

5)  Place the butterfly in a toilet paper tube.  Tape and wrap a streamer around the tube to form a chrysalis.

The next day, I asked the girls where the caterpillars went.  We "found" the chrysalises and decided the caterpillars must be in them!  Later, I cut a slit in the bottom of the tube and pulled the butterfly out slightly.

The girls helped the butterflies emerge from their chrysalises!