butterfly

From Caterpillar to Butterfly – Teaching Preschoolers About the Magical Metamorphosis

June 1, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Get Outside, Learning through Play and Experience 3 Comments

If you ask a group of preschoolers to name their favorite insect or bug, chances are you’ll get quite a few votes for the butterfly. They’re beautiful, gentle bugs, and their metamorphosis is simply spectacular. If you have little ones interested in the butterfly life cycle, particularly if you are using the butterfly habitat, you might want to try this activity!

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Butterfly Noodles

May 17, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Get Outside, Learning through Play and Experience, Snack Time Leave a Comment

Isn’t it funny how children are much more interested in eating something when it’s has a fun name? I have a hard time getting my children to eat Farfalle Alle Erbe Panna Rosa (a tasty little recipe from my sister-in-law you can find here), but if I call it “Butterfly Noodles”, they’re all over it!

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Eric Carle Author Study: Building Your Own Very Hungry Caterpillar

May 14, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Building Readers, Create, Get Outside, Learning through Play and Experience, Uncategorized 15 Comments

If you ask anyone to make list of favorite children’s authors, Eric Carle would almost certainly be on that list. His work is both prolific and magnificent. His simple text is brought to life by colorful texture and hands-on appeal. I love talking to children about Eric Carle as we do our bug unit, because he has so many fabulous books featuring bugs!

Start off your author study by showing a picture of Eric Carle and introducing him as an author and illustrator. Explain what those words mean, and point out that the children can be authors and illustrators too. Show a wide array of Eric Carle’s books and have the children talk about what the books have in common. You could list these features on a chart paper to reinforce what has been said, as well as the concepts of print. Throughout the unit, refer back to those distinguishing features again each time you pull out an Eric Carle book to share with the children. Stock your bookshelf with a variety of Eric Carle books- not just the bug ones- and let them explore!

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Preschool Study Theme: Insects, Bugs, and Other Creepy Crawlies

May 10, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Unit Themes 6 Comments

Bugs are just plain fascinating for kids! Send your little ones out on a search for ladybugs, rolly-pollies, or ants and they will scour the yard for hours, well, tens of minutes. But in the land of the little ones, that’s a very long time!

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Butterfly Fold Art

May 6, 2009 by notjustcute Filed Under: Create, Get Outside, Learning through Play and Experience 1 Comment

Here’s a great butterfly art project that is not only fun and fancy, but reinforces small motor skills and creativity, as well as the concept of symmetry.