Explore butterfly activities, songs, and books for kids with this butterfly weekly planner inspired by Waiting for Wings. Hands-on learning, crafts, and engaging resources to teach the butterfly life cycle through play.
We have provided links to the books we recommend in this week’s theme. If you purchase via the links we may earn a small commission.
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Waiting on Wings Inspired Weekly Planner
Step into the magical world of butterflies with this week’s planner inspired by the beautifully illustrated book Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert. Just like the book captures the wonder of a butterfly’s life cycle, this planner is designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and learning in your child as they explore how caterpillars transform and take flight.
Inside this week’s Butterfly Planner, you’ll find a delightful mix of hands-on butterfly activities, engaging songs, and carefully selected books to bring the theme to life. From sensory play and alphabet games to simple science explorations and colorful crafts, each activity invites your child to learn through play while building early literacy, math, and observation skills.
Get ready to flutter, create, and discover together as you turn everyday moments into meaningful learning experiences inspired by nature’s tiny transformation experts.
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
This book is a beautifully illustrated picture book that introduces young readers to the life cycle of butterflies. Told through simple, rhyming text, the story follows butterflies from tiny eggs hidden on leaves to hungry caterpillars, then into chrysalises, and finally emerging as colorful butterflies ready to fly.
Along the way, children learn how butterflies grow, change, and find food, while vibrant collage artwork brings each stage to life. The book also includes helpful facts about butterflies, flowers, and how to create a butterfly-friendly garden, making it both a story and an early science introduction.
Don’t have the book? You can listen to a Read Aloud of Waiting for Wings on YouTube.
Butterfly Songs for Preschoolers
Get ready to flap, stretch, and sing along with these fun butterfly-themed songs that bring movement and learning together! These song videos invite children to pretend to fly like butterflies, build coordination, and explore the butterfly life cycle through music and motion. With playful actions and catchy tunes, kids will stay engaged while learning important concepts like how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.
From wiggling and dancing to discovering the magic of metamorphosis, these songs are the perfect way to add music, movement, and a little bit of science to your butterfly week!
Fly Like a Butterfly | YogaPalooza
Flitter-Flutter Butterflies | Pinkfong
Life Cycle of a Butterfly | Jack Hartmann
Elmo’s Butterfly Friend Lyric Video | Elmo’s Sing Along Series
Butterfly Themed Schedule of Activities for Preschoolers
Each week we provide a simple plan of activities for you and your preschoolers to do together. Although we don’t have a strict schedule the one shown below works really well if you are planning a full week.
If not you can always carry out the activities on a single day or across a couple.
Waiting on Wings Inspired Butterfly Weekly Planner for Preschoolers
Butterfly Weekly Planner for Preschoolers
Use dyed pasta to make a colorful butterfly sensory bin during your next butterfly theme. Lots of sensory and math skills to explore with it!
This butterfly cover up alphabet activity is a fun way to learn letters and sounds. It's an alphabet game is perfect for your insect theme this spring!
You can also use the Printable Butterfly Alphabet Game for Kids or word on reading with this Butterfly Sight Word Game.
Make working on counting and number recognition more fun with this butterfly themed number matching activity. Print this number activity our for free.
You can also explore this caterpillar math activity with lids.
Explore a few different options for Butterfly Snacks for this week's theme. Explore all of these Butterfly Snacks like Butterfly Pretzels, Fruit Butterflies, Caterpillars, Waffle Butterflies, and PB & J Butterflies.
Sneak in some STEM fun with this Caterpillar to Butterfly STEM Activity.
Butterfly Crafts are a wonderful craft for this time of year – they are wonderful for waiting for Spring to arrive and they are fun to make right through the Summer. We finally had a go at some classic “Coffee Filter Butterflies” – great fun exploring color theory.
You can also create these Recycled Art Butterfly Prints or this beautiful Butterfly Suncatcher Craft.
Butterfly Books for Preschoolers
Dive deeper into the fascinating world of butterflies with this collection of beautifully written and illustrated children’s books. From learning about the life cycle and science behind butterflies to enjoying stories that spark imagination, these selections offer something for every young reader.
These books introduce children to butterfly facts in an engaging way, while beloved stories bring the magic of transformation to life. You’ll also find informative reads that explain the life cycle in simple terms and interactive titles that invite curiosity and discovery. For a fun math connection, some stories even add a unique twist to your reading time.
- Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons
- A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- The Amazing Life Cycle of Butterflies by Kay Barnham
- Pebbles and the Biggest Number by Joey Benun
- Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen
You can explore even more butterfly-themed stories in our full collection of Butterfly Books for Kids —and don’t miss our special list dedicated just to Monarch Butterfly Books for even more fluttering fun!
As you explore butterflies with your child this week, take time to notice the little moments of wonder—watching closely, asking questions, creating, moving, and learning together. Whether you’re reading a favorite story, singing a butterfly song, or completing a hands-on activity, each experience helps bring the magic of transformation to life in a meaningful way.
We hope this butterfly-themed planner inspires curiosity, creativity, and connection in your home or classroom. Be sure to revisit these activities anytime you’re looking to extend learning, and continue discovering even more ways to explore nature with your child.
You may also enjoy these additional activities with your child…
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