Sturdy for Common Things

Waiting For Wings Storytime

Last week, I came across this article in the Lawrence Journal World about an early abundance of caterpillars this year, which will naturally lead to an abundance of butterflies in the Lawrence area.

It was my inspiration behind last Sunday’s caterpillar and butterfly storytime…

Waiting For Wings Storytime Line-up:

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert

A colorful and educational book about the butterfly life cycle.

Butterfly Life Cycle Flannel Board

Adapted from  In the Children’s Room

First comes a butterfly and lays an egg

And out comes a caterpillar with oh so many legs.

See the caterpillar spin and spin,

A little chrysalis to sleep in,

Now we wait and see, shhh…

When out of the cocoon, my oh my,

There comes a beautiful butterfly.

 

The Caterpillow Fight by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Jill Barton

A goofy book about a group of rowdy caterpillars.

Caterpillar, Caterpillar Hand Rhyme

Adapted from Jane Johnson

Caterpillar, Caterpillar brown and furry,

(Hold hand out with pointer finger out sideways)

Winter’s coming and you’d better hurry.

(Move pointer finger in and out)

Find a leaf under witch to creep,

(Hold out other hand flat like a leaf and move caterpillar linger under it)

Spin a chrysalis in which to sleep,

(Spin caterpillar pointer finger around leaf hand, then grab caterpillar finger with leaf hand to make a chrysalis)

And when warm weather comes your way,

(Keep holding caterpillar finger with other hand.)

You’ll be a butterfly and fly away!

(Lock thumbs and flap hands upward.)

 

Farfallina & Marcel  by Holly Keller

This is such a darling book and the kids really enjoyed it. Had to find extra copies of Farfallina & Marcel for a few families to take home with them that day.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

We ended storytime with everyone’s favorite. I had the kids join in whenever we came to the phrase, “…but he was still hungry!”

Butterfly Crafts:

We made two very similar butterfly crafts. The first one, tissue paper butterfly rings, I thought might be too girly for the boys, so I also had a magazine butterfly station. I don’t know why I thought that would be less girly than the rings and even so, the boys ended up making the rings after all. Lesson learned.

Materials used for both crafts: Colorful magazines, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, and scissors.

Butterfly Ring Craft:

First cut pipe cleaner in half. Save both halves.

Bend one of the pipe cleaner haves into a “v”.

Scrunch a small square or two or three of tissue paper into a bow shape.

Slide bow into pipe cleaner “v”,

Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner a couple times,

And then bend butterfly antennae into desired shape.

Using the other pipe cleaner half for the ring, cut in half again.

Push one of the pieces underneath the bottom of the butterfly.

Wrap into a ring shape.

Voila. Butterfly ring.

Magazine Butterfly Craft:

Found this craft idea here. The magazine butterfly is very similar to the butterfly ring. Only slightly more difficult.

Tear out colorful magazine pages.

Cut into squares about 5×5 inches.

Fold into thin strips.

Using a full length pipe cleaner, shape into a “v” shape, and twist the bottom twice.

Pinch one or two folded magazine pages in the center and slide into pipe cleaner “v” and twist the pipe cleaner ends together two or three times, securing the wings.

Shape antenna.

image sources: waiting for wings, caterpillow fight, farfallina & marcel, the very hungry catterpillar