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    Home » Key Stage 2 Science » Edible Butterfly Life Cycle

    Edible Butterfly Life Cycle

    April 20, 2022 By Emma Vanstone 1 Comment

    This fun and creative activity helps children visualise a Butterfly Life Cycle by encouraging them to think of edible items to represent each stage of the cycle.

    This activity would be great for younger children read alongside The Very Hungry Caterpillar too!

    Don’t forget I have lots more kitchen science experiments to try if you enjoy this one!

    The Butterfly Life cycle

    There are four stages in the life cycle of a butterfly which can take anywhere between one month to a whole year!

    Cartoon of a butterfly life cycle including eggs, caterpillar, pupa and butterfly.

    Stage 1 – Butterfly Egg

    The first stage is the egg. Butterfly eggs are very small and round or oval. If you look carefully you might even see a teeny tiny caterpillar growing inside them! The actual shape of the egg depend on the type of butterfly inside. Butterfly eggs are laid on leaves.

    Stage 2 – Caterpillar ( Larva )

    We call butterfly larva caterpillars and it is these that hatch from the tiny eggs in stage 1. Caterpillars mostly eat!

    Did you know that mother butterflies lay their eggs on a type of leaf their caterpillars will like? This is because caterpillars cannot easily travel to find a source of food they like.

    The skin of a caterpillar doesn’t grow with the caterpillar so they shed their skin several times as they grow.

    The caterpillars you can see below are from an Insect Lore Butterfly World set. I would 100% recommend getting it, releasing the adult butterflies into the world was just amazing!

    Butterfly larva from insectlore

    Stage 3 – Chrysalis ( Pupa )

    Once the caterpillar is fully grown it forms a pupa or chrysalis around itself. Inside the chrysalis a transformation called metamorphosis occurs.

    lots of pupa or chrysalis lined up on wooden rods

    Stage 4 – Butterfly

    Once the process of metamorphosis is complete the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis!

    Female adult butterflies reproduce and lay eggs on leaves ready for the life cycle to start again.

    Butterfly in flowers on a child's hand

    Egg – Caterpillar – Chrysalis – Butterfly

    candy butterfly life cycle - science for kids

    How to make an edible butterfly life cycle

    What you’ll need

    Marshmallows, yoghurt raisins – eggs

    Sweet Caterpillars, spring onion – caterpillars – you could use two different sizes here to show how the caterpillar grows.

    Liquorice, long marshmallows, physalis – chrysalis.

    Pasta bows, orange segments – butterfly

    Paper plate or use my FREE printable life cycle.

    Image of a free printable butterfly life cycle

    Instructions for Butterfly Life Cycle

    Look at all the items you have available and find the best match for each life cycle stage.

    Place the items in the correct order on a paper plate and add arrows to show the direction of change.

    Ask a friend if they can tell what each stage represents.

    Caterpillars often shed their skin and eat lots of leaves, can you add these stages into your life cycle.

    Extension ideas

    Can you make a fruit and vegetable version of the butterfly life cycle?

    Fruit butterfly life cycle on a paper plate
    Butterfly Life cycle illustrated on a plate with peas, oranges and leaves.

    Can you create an edible life cycle for a frog or ant?

    Butterfly wings are symmetrical; can you draw a symmetrical butterfly?

    More Science for Kids

    Find out what dinosaurs ate by making dino poop!

    Make a flowering plant life cycle plate!

    Suitable for Key Stage 2 Science

    Living Things and their Habitats

    This activity was featured in Primary Science magazine from the ASE. Members can download content for free, including lots more activities like this one.

    You can also find this activity in our first book Science Sparks!

    Easy edible butterfly life cycle activity. Create an edible model of the lifecycle of a butterfly using fruit/vegetables or sweets #scienceforkids #biologyforkids #butterflylifecycle

    If you like edible experiments, you’ll love my new book, Snackable Science too!

    Affiliate links

    Printable butterfly life cycle sheet

    Last Updated on July 18, 2022 by Emma Vanstone

    « What is Hooke’s Law?
    Why are butterflies brightly coloured? »

    Safety Notice

    Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

    These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Scarlet

      April 07, 2019 at 9:09 pm

      Well, now that is clever! I have seen lots of life cycle crafts but I love the added element of having it be edible.

      Reply

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