1-2-3 Come Make A Keepsake Butterfly Craft With Me

Are you studying butterflies for spring? This was one of my Y5's favorite units.   Because butterflies are such a popular theme, I designed this keepsake butterfly card your students can make for their mom for Mother's Day.  

If you're all set for Mother's Day, the packet is very versatile, as  I’ve included 3 stationery templates to choose from to glue a butterfly to:  Fluttering by with a Mother’s Day Hi; Fluttering by with a Father’s Day Hi; and Fluttering by with a friendly Hi.

Students take off their shoe and trace it on their color choice of folded construction paper.  When they cut out their “butterfly wing” they will have two.  These sweet little feet become the "wings"of a butterfly that they decorate.

So that children know where to glue their butterfly’s wings, make a sample to share with them. So that their "wings" are not too far apart or too close together, explain that they should use the thorax as a guide before they glue everything down.

Because we had already studied butterflies, my students were familiar with the science vocabulary. If yours are not, this activity is a fun way to learn.

  Show students several ways they can arrange their butterfly. I think gluing them at a diagonal is pretty cool, and offers another teachable moment to introduce that spatial direction word, to help grow their vocabularies.

Beforehand, cut a variety of colors for the butterfly’s body and fold them.  I made a template for 3 different size thoraxes to accommodate the different shoe sizes of students.   Next, they glue only the head and bottom tip of the thorax down, so that it is 3 dimensional.  

For extra 3D pop, cut a small slit around the top of the btterfly's head. (I use an Exacto knife). Students bend a pipe cleaner in half to make a V-tip, and then curl the ends around a pencil. 

Insert the tip into the slit and tape the end on the back.  Students make adjustments by bending the antennae forward a bit.   If you don't want to fuss with this step, have children draw antennae on with a crayon or marker.

Run the little heart poem template off on a variety of colors of construction paper.  "I made this card especially for you. The butterfly's wings were traced from my shoe." There are 6 on a page, so rough cut them. Students choose one, trim and glue it to the corner of their card.   

Discuss symmetry and have children decorate their butterfly’s wings, by drawing shapes or designs on them, dotting with a bingo dauber, or Q-tip, or using stamps or stickers.

For that finishing touch, I added some dashed lines to look like the flit and flutter path of a butterfly.  Glitter and wiggle eyes would also add pizzazz.   Click on the link to view/download the Fluttering By Butterfly craftivity. 

Thanks for visiting today.  If you'd like to see some more Mother's Day FREEBIES click on the link to zip on over to that section of my site, where you'll find 30 more options! I also have an entire board on Pinterest designated for more free Mother's Day ideas, activities and crafts.

Well that's it for today.  My feet have hit the floor running this morning, as I'll be flitting to the vet with my poodle pup Chloe, along with a toddler and baby.  Hopefully this won't be too crazy...LOVE being a grama!  Wishing you an energy-filled day.

"As with the butterfly, adversity is necessary to build character in people." -Joseph B. Wirthlin