My daughter’s Kindergarten class is currently learning about insects. A week ago we got a letter home saying that each child is required to create an insect to display during the end of the year open house.  I asked my daughter what insect she wanted to do and she said….you guessed it…”a beautiful butterfly”.  I thought, “thank goodness, sounds easier to build than a cricket!” In addition, to doing a fun craft project with her, this was also an opportunity to make sure she understand what makes an insect and insect and what butterflies do.

We reviewed that insects are made up of the 3 body parts:

1. Head

2. Thorax

3. Abdomen

Supplies

1.  2 Styrofoam balls that are 5 inches.
2. 1 Styrofoam ball that is 2.5 inches
3. Black Acrylic Paint
4. Eyes
5. 6 black pipe cleaners
6. 6 bobby pens
7. Glue Gun
8. Butterfly wings.  Butterfly Wing Template.  I used my cricket to cut mine.

Optional Display:

1. Shoe box
2. Blue Construction paper
3. Green construction pater
4. Pencil or pen
5. Eraser
6. Fake flower

Instructions

1. Paint styrofoam balls black.  Let dry for 8 hours.

2. Poke styrofoam with bobby pens and add hot glue around it.  Connect all 3 body parts.

3. Legs: Bend 3 black pipe cleaners and cut them in half.

4. Attach 3 pipe cleaners to each side of the 2nd styrofoam ball with a hot glue gun. Bend the bottom of the legs to look like feet.

5. Antenna: Bend the top of 2 black pipe cleaners into circles and attach to the top of the butterfly head (smallest styrofoam ball)

6. Eyes:  Hot glue eyes.  Hold in place until dry.

 

7. Mouth: Curl a black pipe cleaners and attach under eyes of the butterfly head.

 

8. Cut out butterfly wings in color of your choice.  I used a template cut out on my Cricket and used 2 colors.

 

9. Attach wings with 2 bobby pens on each side.

 

Optional Display:

1. Cut the front of a shoe box.
2. Glue green paper for grass and blue paper for sky.
3. Use a hot glue gun to blue eraser to green paper. Hole of eraser should be pointing up. Let dry.
4. Attach pen or pencil to eraser.
5. Attach butterfly to sharp point of pen or pencil.
6. Hot glue a fake flower to side of shoe box.