Free Bugs and Butterflies Preschool Lesson Plans
Spring is the perfect time for bugs and butterflies preschool lesson plans, giving little learners a chance to explore the tiny creatures all around them. As part of spring preschool themes, this topic introduces children to insects through hands-on activities, playful exploration, and fun science lessons.
Bug and butterfly activities help build observation skills, encourage curiosity, and make science feel so fun! With engaging books, songs, and simple experiments, this theme is a great way to bring nature into the classroom! Ready to grab your free preschool lesson plans for bugs and butterflies theme?
Spring is buzzing with excitement—literally! That’s why bugs and butterflies preschool lesson plans are a fun and engaging way to bring nature into the classroom.
As part of spring preschool themes, this topic lets kiddos explore wiggly worms, busy bees, fluttering butterflies, and other tiny creatures through hands-on activities. Whether they’re watching a caterpillar transform into a butterfly, digging in the dirt to find insects, or making their own bug crafts, preschoolers love learning about the world of bugs.
Bugs and butterflies capture the curiosity of preschoolers, and these lesson plans maximize on that! With hands-on activities, outdoor exploration, and plenty of learning through play, kids can develop important science skills while having tons of fun!
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Bugs and Butterflies Lesson Plans for Preschoolers
These fun and engaging bugs and butterfly activities are perfect for homeschool preschool or just fun activities to do at home or at school. With literacy, math, and science ideas, plus art fun, this set of activities is sure to help your plan your bug theme!
Literacy Activities for Bugs and Butterflies Preschool Theme
Ladybug Visual Discrimination – Visual discrimination is an important skill that helps preschoolers see and recognize differences in objects. This transfers over to differences in letter and number shapes, too. Try these Lady Bug Visual Discrimination Cards. If you don’t have access to a printer, try lining up 3-5 similar toys and ask questions like, “Which one has___?”
Insect Pre-Writing Cards – These printable insect-themed shape cards doubles as both a math activity and a writing activity. But these pages aren’t limited to tracing with a pencil. Try having your preschooler push a button or coin along the shape outline. Or, place the pages in page protectors for a quick dry erase pocket that can be used over and over again.
Children’s Books about Bugs and Butterflies
High-quality picture books set the stage for a new theme! We have picked out our favorite picture books for a bugs and butterflies preschool theme.
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- Barner, Bob (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Kendall-Gardner, Sydney M (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Hardcover Book
- Teckentrup, Britta (Author)
- Tiger Tales (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Hardcover Book
- Rabe, Tish (Author)
- DiTerlizzi, Angela (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Bugs and Butterflies Preschool Theme Math and Science Activities
Butterfly Life Cycle Cards – These butterfly life cycle cards teach a little science as well as counting. Preschoolers say the number on the card, use playdough to count the number and then count the number of butterflies that hatch.
Insect Fact Cards – This is a set of insect fact cards. There are twelve cards and each one features a picture of an insect and strange facts about it. These cards don’t have to be printed to be enjoyed and used, so if you don’t have access to a printer, you can read these fact cards to your child using your computer, tablet, or phone.
Playful Activities for a Bugs and Butterflies Preschool Theme
Nature Hunt – Go on a nature hunt to find bugs and butterflies. Look under rocks and leaves. Look under logs and under loose tree bark. Even if there is still snow on the ground, you might find some bugs hibernating.
Paper Plate Insect – Paint a paper plate to look like a beetle. Add paper or pipe cleaner legs and googly eyes. Or use an empty egg carton and add pipe cleaner legs and make your own insect!
Simple Sensory Bin – Fill a bin or bowl with a shallow layer of dried black beans. Hide some toy bugs inside the beans and invite your preschooler to find all the bugs. If you don’t have toy bugs at home, try a homemade substitute like bottle caps, pom poms, small blocks, or even hand-drawn doodles.
Inside Activities for a Bugs and Butterflies Preschool Theme
Grasshopper Jump -Lay out some washcloths on the floor, in a row or scattered about, but so that they are about two or three feet apart. Now invite your preschooler to pretend to be a grasshopper and hop from washcloth to washcloth. Challenge your preschooler to think of other bugs and how they move and repeat the activity.
Playdough Bug Fossils – Whip up this fail-proof playdough recipe and make bug fossils. Just roll a pancake out of the play dough and push some toy insects into the play dough. Pretend the impressions are fossils. This activity is perfect for building fine motor skills!
Magazine Bug Hunt – Search through books, magazines, and newspapers for pictures of insects. Have your preschooler describe the insects.
Fun Activities for a Bugs and Butterflies Preschool Theme
Blow Bubbles – Blowing bubbles itself is always fun for preschoolers. Take it up a notch by adding some kids’ music and preschoolers can dance while they pop the bubbles.
Free the Insects – Have some masking tape laying around? Tear off several small pieces and tape them to the table or countertop, then invite your preschooler to pick the tape off. Keep it bugs and butterfly theme related by actually taping toy plastic insects to the tabletop. Then your preschooler can ”free” the insects! Picking the tape is excellent fine motor work and will help develop their muscles for formal writing.
Get Online Activities for a Bugs and Butterflies Preschool Theme
Read a Book – Go to Storylineonline.net and listen to the book Please, Please Bees! by Gerald Kelly and read by Rashida Jones. Look for a red button under the video called “Activity Guides” to find more bug-related activities that pair with the book.
Insect Facts – Go to National Geographic Kids online and watch some of these videos of incredible insects. Ask your preschooler which insect they would want to be and why.
Butterfly Fingerplay – Practice counting, opposites, and rhyming by playing along with this Two Little Butterflies Fingerplay. Try adding new verses based on things your preschooler is familiar with or needs help understanding.
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Get Your Free Bugs and Butterflies Preschool Lesson Plans Here
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Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching a Bugs and Butterflies Theme
You may have a few questions about teaching this preschool theme! Check out these frequently asked questions for how to teach your preschoolers about bugs and butterflies.
Interacting with insects can help children appreciate and take care of nature. Learning about the purpose of insects is important when considering how the world works and appreciating their role in our environment. Plus, they can learn about the life cycle of the insect and its various stages and how we can relate to that as human beings.
Head outside! Exploring bugs is one of the best ways for preschoolers to learn and engage with insects. Feel free to add books to learn about different types of bugs that you may not see in your everyday life. Playful bug games or bug art is also a great way to learn more about the insect world.
This theme is a great springtime learning theme and goes well with gardening, rain and clouds, birds, or even the seasons.
Bugs and Butterflies Toys for the Classroom
Sometimes having extra theme-based items make for an exciting and engaging theme! These bugs and butterfly toys and counters bring extra buggy fun to your learning theme! Check out the list of our favorite bugs and butterfly toys below!
- Safe Exploration – Double-mesh ventilation panels and door let young fans safely watch their tiny…
- Complete Collection Kit – This 4-piece outdoor play toys set has a roomy critter case, specialized…
- BUG-BUILDING GAME: It’s the mix and matching, bug-building game for kids. Be the first player to…
- NO READING REQUIRED: Players first choose a Cootie bug body and head. Then they spin the spinner and…
- 【3 Years Old Montessori Toys】Colorful counting ladybugs toys are made of high quality natural…
- 【Parent-Child Interaction Toy】 Interesting matching & counting ladybugs toys, put the ladybugs…
- These creepy crawly counters turn learning early math concepts into fun adventures
- Master early math standards such as grouping, sorting, patterning, classifying objects, and counting
- A FUN WAY TO COUNT – Proving that counting toys for toddlers can be loads of fun. Kids learn the…
- NATURAL MATERIALS – These Montessori toys for 3 year olds are made from child-friendly natural…
- Learn and Play: Our life cycle toys for kids are designed to provide an interactive learning…
- Hands-on Discovery: Life cycle set includes bug viewer with magnifying glasses, flashlights, a…
- SPARK INTEREST IN SCIENCE: Turn your child’s natural fascination with insects into an early…
- ENCOURAGE: Inspire imaginative play and curiosity! This jumbo insect set is the perfect introduction…
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
Our local Neighbourhood House provides for many Children’s Services including:-Mother Goose, Playgroup, 3 Year Old Kinder as well as Child Care three days a week. Although our centre remains open no children are attending due to parent’s concerns about the virus.
I read one of the comments above regarding pre-schoolers and the lack of materials that parents may have at home for them to use to keep them actively occupied. As I am still going into work on a daily basis and the children are not required to be Home Schooled due to their age we have been working on providing appropriate age group activity packs for parents to collect and use with their children at home. These include a variety of paper, paint, clag, chalk, glitter, confetti, crayons and a sheet giving suggestions that can be used by parents to make use of what is in their pack.
With our 3 Year Old Kinder group they have received the same basic package but also the craft, literacy and numeracy activities, pre cut and slipped into plastic pockets, with sample pictures and instructions and any additional materials that they may need.an that we would have been doing with them if they were attending the sessions. The response from parents has been fantastic and they are also emailing us the pictures of their children completing their activities which we respond to and will be able to continue adding these to the individual portfolios that the children get at the end of the year. With this group we will be providing the activity packages on a monthly basis allowing us to continue with our planned program ensuring the continued development of each child.
You may ask where do the supplies for these packs come from but if you think about it you are only using what you would be using during the term anyway with the children. The only difference is that you are providing parents with the resources but more importantly as the educator you are continuing with engaging with both your parents and their children.
Cheers Carol from Australia
I love the work your center is doing! What a blessing it is for your preschoolers!
thank you so much for the lessons
any fun ideas for mothers day
thanks
Thank you so much for this excellent resource. I teach special needs pre-k and this was so helpful to my families who are now at home due to Covid-19. I’m hoping that you will have more resources such as this available in the near future.
You are very welcome, Beth. I will keep publishing lesson plans like these as long as there is a need.
Hi Sarah,
Clicked on the download button and filled out my information twice and have yet to receive the Bugs and Butterflies packet. Please advise. I’m excited to start it with my little “bug.”
Hi Jen. Email me at
Sarah@stayathomeeducator.com
and I can help you better.
Hi Sarah,
I’m also Sarah and I teach Pre-K at a Catholic school and have a class of 29(!) children! I wanted to thank you for your resources that you’ve created to help teachers reach out to families and help the learning continue at home during this crazy time.
I’m wondering if there is something misfiring on the link to download, because when I click to submit, it just sits and spins and spins. Perhaps there is just a ton of traffic on the website right now, so that could be affecting it. I will try again in a bit.
Thank you, again, for your awesome ideas! One of these days, I’d like to find out more information about how to create these resources myself, as I have a TON of ideas and would love to share with others!
Sending my best to you and yours,
Sarah Gosma
Hi Sarah,
Did you get the download? If not, email me at
Sarah@stayathomeeducator.com
and I can help you better. And you’re right. This post has received a ton of traction, so there are bound to be a few hiccups.
I love your content and would love this free printable but anytime I go to the ‘click here to download…” button, it’ll allow me to put my email in but will only spin continuously when I hit the subscribe button. It will never go through and all ow it to be fully submitted! So frustrating! It’ll allow me to subscribe on the normal button below but it doesn’t lead me to the free printable on this post. If that makes sense 🙂 I’d love to use these- any help would be appreciated!
Email me at
Sarah@stayathomeeducator.com
and I can help you better.