Toddler Activities: Colorful Butterflies to Welcome Spring
Toddler Activities: Coffee Filter Butterflies
DESCRIPTION
Here is a simple toddler activity that will create one of a kind butterflies. A great introductory activity to a unit on Spring or
butterflies.
MATERIALS
Coffee filters
Water Color Paints and brush
Spray bottle with water
Clothespin
Wiggly eyes
5" pipe cleaner per butterfly.
Acrylic paint/brush
Elmer's or Craft Glue (recommended)
OTHER MATERIALS
Newspaper
Paper Towels
Scissors
Small magnet or Fishing line to hang (optional)
Small plastic tub for water to rinse brush
STEPS
- Cover your work area with newspaper. Place a couple paper towels on newspaper. Flatten a coffee filter on paper towel.
- Spritz coffee filter with water lightly.
- Paint with watercolors.
- Let dry on papertowels.
- Paint the clothespin with acrylic paint and when dry, glue on the wiggly eyes.
- When the coffee filters are dry, fold accordian style about a half inch each fold. Smaller folds add more detail but are harder for younger children.
- Pinch the filter in the middle and insert into the clothes pin. We put it in the small space created by the curve of the clip. Fan out the wings gently.
- Bend the pipe cleaner in half and curl the ends.
- Insert into clip opening and release pin to hold in place.
- Glue on magnet with craft glue or tie with fishing line to hang.
OTHER IDEAS
EASIEST METHOD
Color the filters, let dry, accordian fold.
Cut one pipe cleaner in half. Bend in half and center folded filter. Twist and bend at tip to form the antenna.
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
We used tube water colors which allowed for bright colors and controlled selection of colors.
EDUCATIONAL NOTE
A butterfly is an insect. They have an unusual life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage,
and then the beautiful metamorphosis into the colorful winged adult form called a butterfly.
Butterflies are usually active during the day and rest at night when it's cold.
Butterflies identify other butterflies by their colors.
A great way to introduce an activity is to find a book about the topic.
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