We went to the butterfly house at the zoo this past weekend. Oh my! Such beautiful butterflies. We had fun standing still and watching them flutter around us. We each held out a finger silently hoping a butterfly would land on one of us. Our favorite part of the butterfly house is looking through the window and seeing the caterpillar to butterfly process. All the cocoons of different sizes hung in rows; the newly emerged butterflies trying wings for the first time.
The process of caterpillar to butterfly is a great spring theme for toddlers and preschoolers. Spring brings so many changes to the world around our little ones. Butterflies are just one beautiful example of how spring transforms something plain into something colorful.
I love this list of songs because they all teach the caterpillar to butterfly cycle. Each song captures the beauty of this process in a unique way. These songs are a great way to reinforce the concepts taught in books, poems or activities. They would make a great soundtrack for a crafting session, a butterfly hunt, or free play time. They can also take front stage by letting kids explore instruments while listening.
Caterpillar to Butterfly Songs
- Katy Caterpillar by Key Wilde and Mr Clarke on Animal Tales
- Butterfly by Laura Doherty on In a Heartbeat
- Flutter by Butterfly by Fun O’Clock on In the Nick of Time
- Butterfly by Bari Koral on Anna and the Cupcakes
- Butterfly Away by the Harmonica Pocket on Sundrops
- Wooly Wooly Bear by Laura Doherty on In a Heartbeat
Caterpillar to Butterfly Life Cycle
Butterflies begin as an egg. When the egg hatches, a caterpillar emerges. The caterpillar grows, eating leaves. Then the caterpillar spins itself into a cocoon. Inside the cocoon, the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. Once the transformation is complete, the butterfly breaks out of the cocoon. At first the butterfly’s wings are still damp. The butterfly cannot fly until the wings have dried off. Once the wings have dried, the caterpillar to butterfly transformation is complete and the butterfly takes to the sky.
Find this and more caterpillar to butterfly coloring pages at Super Coloring.
It is probably also the main reason why I love April showers so much. Rain, storms, thunder and lightning have always filled me with awe and appreciation for nature. I love the sound of rain dripping, dropping and tapping on my windows and roof.
Spring is such a fun time for me because everything seems to come alive again after the stillness of winter. Just as plants turn green, shoots spring up, and birds build nests, preschoolers seem to explode in growth during the spring. The sunshine, rain and warmer weather is good for physical growth as well as all areas of a child’s development. The spring songs for preschool I chose for this list celebrate the sun, the rain, rainbows, and the tender feelings and bursting energy of little ones.
