This butterfly life cycle paper plate craft turns a science lesson into something kids can hold. The plate gets split into four sections, and each stage is made from pantry staples: rice eggs, a rotini caterpillar, a shell pasta chrysalis and a bow tie butterfly.
It’s a favorite for spring science units, and it makes a great visual to hang up while you watch real caterpillars grow.
What You Need for This Paper Plate Butterfly Life Cycle Craft
Butterfly Life Cycle Paper Plate Craft (visual directions + template)
Get the printableLarge white paper plate
View on AmazonBlack marker
View on AmazonRuler
View on AmazonGreen, brown and blue construction paper
View on AmazonWhite school glue
View on AmazonKid scissors
View on AmazonWhite rice
View on AmazonRotini, shell and bow tie pasta
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How to Make a Paper Plate Butterfly Life Cycle
Divide the plate into four sections
Use a ruler and black marker to split the plate into four equal sections.
Make the egg stage
Cut a leaf from green paper, glue it in the first section, and sprinkle white rice on top for the tiny eggs.
Make the caterpillar stage
Glue a brown paper branch and a small green leaf in the second section, then add a rotini noodle as the caterpillar.
Make the chrysalis stage
Glue another brown branch in the third section and attach a shell pasta to it as the chrysalis.
Make the butterfly stage
Glue a bow tie pasta in the last section for the butterfly. Kids can color it with markers first if they like.
Label each stage
Write egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly in each section, then draw arrows between them to show the cycle.
Add the title
Glue a blue paper rectangle in the center and write “Life Cycle of a Butterfly.” Let it dry flat before hanging.
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Paper Plate Butterfly Life Cycle Craft for Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten
Preschool
Paint, glue and decorate. You handle the tricky cutting, and kids point to each picture step as they go.
Pre-K
Trace the template and cut the straight lines. Follow the visual steps in order.
Kindergarten and up
Cut out every piece, add their own details, and retell the steps in order.
Get the Printable Visual Directions
Doing this with a group? The printable has picture steps for every part of the butterfly life cycle, plus a template you can trace.
🎟️ Blog reader deal
Use code LIFECYCLEPLATE at checkout to get this craft free.
What’s included
- A picture supply list
- Visual step-by-step directions
- Photo step cards
- A printable template
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- Preschool and kindergarten classrooms
- Special education and speech therapy
- Following directions practice
- Thematic units
- Homeschool art time
Paper Plate Butterfly Life Cycle Craft FAQ
Egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa) and butterfly. On this plate, rice is the eggs, rotini is the caterpillar, shell pasta is the chrysalis and bow tie pasta is the butterfly.
Rotini for the caterpillar, small shells for the chrysalis and bow ties for the butterfly. White school glue holds the pasta best.
Ages 3 to 6. Preschoolers paint and glue with a little help, and kindergartners can trace and cut the pieces themselves.
Yes. Crayons, markers or torn construction paper work too and are less messy.
You can freehand the pieces, but the template and picture steps help kids work on their own and make it easy to do with a class.
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Did you try it? Tell us how it went!
We love seeing these activities out in the wild: the lumpy letters, the snack breaks, the proud “I made a B!” moments. Leave a star rating, tell other parents what worked (and what totally didn’t), and add a photo of your setup if you’d like.
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