Toddler S.T.E.M. Storytime: Butterfly Life Cycle
Updated: Jul 25, 2019
Introduction: This Storytime is developed specially for children two and three years old and their caregivers. Enjoy 45 minutes of books, songs, rhymes, fingerplays, socialization and a craft with other young children and their caregivers. Each session of toddler storytime consists of a variety of activities that incorporate reading, writing, singing, talking and playing.
Date: Friday
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Age Range: 2 to 3 years old
Skills Supported: STEM, motor skills, visual tracking skills, and the letter "B".
Frequency: Weekly
Attendance: 20 children and their parent/caregiver
Staff or Volunteer Needed: 1 staff member, 2 volunteer's
Format: Registration is required. No drop-in patrons are refused
Budget: $ 18.00
Supplies:
Butterfly Kit: $14.00
Butterfly Felt Board Template
Colored Paper (red, blue, green, yellow, orange)
Pictures of Butterflies from the Internet
Laminating Paper
Sandpaper
Glue
Magnifying Glass
White Cardstock
Pom Pom's: $4.00
Pipe Cleaners (assorted colors)
Glue
Scissors
Paper Plates
Pencils
Books shared: (from storytime)
Gotta Go! Gotta Go! by Sam Swope
What Happens Next? Caterpillar to Butterfly by Scholastic
Other Books to Display on Book Cart at Storytime:
Butterfly, Butterfly: a slide-and-seek book by Emma Parrish
Butterfly Chase by Lana Crespin
Butterfly Colors and Counting by Jerry Pallotta
The Butterfly Counting Book by Jerry Pallotta
Caterpillar Colors, Butterfly Dreams by Joanne Barkan
Caterpillar to Butterfly by Lisa Herrington (nonfiction)
Caterpillar Spring, Butterfly Summer by Susan Hood
Elmer and Butterfly by David McKee
Fly Butterfly, Fly by Dana Meachen Rau (nonfiction)
Olivia and the Butterfly Adventure by Natalie Shaw (Boardbook)
Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin, Jr.
Include additional age appropriate information books on various topics.
Storytime Preparation:
Using the internet, print out pretty pictures of real butterflies, laminate and hang in the program room before the storytime.
1. Storytime Introduction:
Welcome to Toddler Storytime. My name is Ms. Debbie. I am so glad to see you today. Our storytime is designed to be participated by everyone. We will share books, rhymes, and songs with your children. We encourage everyone to participate, but no worries if this doesn't happen. Sometimes when a child sees you participate, they might join in, but if your child is not in the mood, that is okay as well. Our storytime can tend to be a little chaotic, but that is okay too. If your child becomes disruptive, please take them outside the program room and then join us again when your child has settled down. This is normal, it is part of the process. So let's start with our opening song.
2. Opening Song:
How Many Friends are Here Today
(Credit: No Time For Flash Cards. 2016, January 30).
How many friends are here today?
How many friends are here today
Let's count it out!
Let's clap it out!
Let's dance it out!
There are ______ friends on their feet!
Now it's time to take your seat!
3. Early Literacy Aside: Explain:
It is not to early at the toddler age to begin to cultivate the love for science by encouraging your child to be curious and ask questions. Sensory activities are important to include because toddlers use their senses to try and understand the world around them.
(Ghoting & Martin-Diaz, 2013, pp. 99-100)
4. Theme Talk:
Butterflies, where do they come from? Look all around our program room. Do you see any butterflies? (Print copies of butterflies, laminate, and hang around the room). Children and their parent/caregiver walk around the room, looking at the different butterflies. Today we are going to read some books about these beautiful flying insects.
5. Action Song:
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.
(Credit: Childhood)
6. Book:
Gotta Go! Gotta Go! by Sam Swope
(Image: Goodreads, n.d.)
7. Shakers Shaker Song - Sung to the tune of “London Bridge
Lyrics:
Shake your shakers, shake, shake, shake,
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
Shake your shakers, shake, shake, shake,
Shake your shakers!
Other Verses:
Shake your shakers high, high, high,
Shake your shakers low, low, low,
Shake your shakers fast, fast, fast,
Shake your shakers slow, slow, slow
(Credit: Mulvenna, 2013, January 17)
8. Early Literacy: Example
Children are curious about their world. There is so much to know! You help them learn by sharing with them what you know. You can help them find new information by reading books that include information about a scientific concept, like how butterflies grow. All this knowledge will help them understand these concepts later in school. (Ghoting & Martin-Diaz, 2013, p. 234).
9a. Activity:
Children will use a magnifying glass to inspect the caterpillars in our butterfly garden. Children will be able to see the larva or pupa stage of the butterfly. We will reintroduce this stem program when the caterpillar begins to emerge from their chrysalis. (June program)
or if not done in June:
9b. Felt board
Print out, color and laminate butterflies. (color - solid colors). Glue sandpaper to the back of each butterfly.
Give a child a butterfly. Go around the room and have children stand up and show everyone their butterfly asking them and/or telling them the color of their butterfly.
After everyone has a chance to share their butterflies color. Call out a color and have child stand up and place their butterfly on the flannel board.
10. Nonfiction Book:
What Happens Next? Caterpillar to Butterfly by Scholastic
(Credit: Goodreads, n.d.)
11. Five Little Butterflies
Lyrics:
Five little butterflies on flowers galore,
One flew off and then there were four.
Four little butterflies among the sweet peas,
One flew off and then there were three.
Three little butterflies with nothing to do,
One flew off and then there were two.
Two little butterflies resting in the sun,
She flew off and than there were one!
(Credit: Theme Stations, 2017)
Use the butterfly felt pieces to help sing this song.
12. Early Literacy Aside: Empower
Some children who don't like to listen to stories might be happy to listen to information books on topics like butterflies. You don't need to read all the words in these books, and you don't have to read them from cover to cover. On our book cart are various age appropriate information books you could show your child. See if any interest him/her including some butterfly books.
13. Song:
If You're Friendly and You Know It
Lyrics:
If You're friendly and you know it, clap your hands.
If your friendly and you know it, clap your hands.
If your friendly and you know it, and you really want to show it,
If your friendly and you know it, clap your hands!
If You're friendly and you know it, stomp your feet,
If your friendly and you know it, stomp your feet.
If your friendly and you know it, and you really want to show it, If your friendly and you know it, stomp your feet!
If You're friendly and you know it, pat your head,
If your friendly and you know it, pat your head.
If your friendly and you know it, and you really want to show it,
If your friendly and you know it, pat your head!
(Credit: childhood)
14. Closing Song:
(Credit: L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. (2014, September 28).
Goodbye Bubbles (Bubble Machine will be used)
Goodbye Bubbles
Goodbye Bubbles
Time to Go
Time to Go
I will help you
I will help you
With a blow
With a blow
15. Craft:
Prep: Paint cups with acrylic paint or spray paint. (spring colors)
Supplies:
small foam cup
acrylic paint (color of your choice)
paintbrush
white cardstock paper
crayons
pipe cleaner
goggly eyes
glue
Directions:
Cut butterfly wings out of your white cardstock paper. Add details to them with wings and then decorate with crayons.
3. Make a small fold on the insides of the butterfly wings, add glue to the folds and glue them onto the sides of the foam cup.
Make template of butterfly wing and attach to this blog.
Glue your goggly eyes onto your foam cup and draw a mouth on your butterfly.
Cut your pipe cleaner in half. Curl one end on each piece to make antennae.
Poke them down into the top of the foam cup to make your butterfly antennae.
16. Takeaway: Parents/caregivers are given the Early Literacy Newsletter for Toddlers.
Children will also be given a letter "B" worksheet.
(Credit: Learn about nature, n.d.)
15. Preschool/Family Storytime Activity:
Prep:
Collect twigs from outside (small)
Cut out template of Butterfly Life Cycle and glue on a paper plate
Cut assorted pipe cleaners in 6" pieces (not black)
Cut tissue paper into 2" x 3" (20 pieces)
Cut tissue paper into 2" x 2."5" (40 pieces)
Cut black pipe cleaners into 2.5" pieces
Print out the Butterfly Life Cycle template on white cardstock.
Egg Section:
Print out Butterfly Life Template pg. 2
Cut out the leaf.
Glue mini pompoms onto the leaf to represent the eggs.
Glue the leaf and eggs onto the leaf section of your plate.
Caterpillar Section:
Take two 6" pipe cleaner pieces and twist together. (two different colors)
Wrap the twisted pipe cleaners around a pencil.
Slide it off.
Glue your caterpillar onto the caterpillar section of your plate.
Chrysalis:
Cut a piece of tissue paper 2" x 3".
Twist the top and the bottom of the rectangle to form a chrysalis shape.
Glue it next to the twig on your paper plate.
Butterfly Section:
Choose two colors of tissue paper to use for your butterfly wings. Cut them into 2" x 2 1/2" pieces.
Stack the pieces of tissue paper together and round the corners with your scissors.
Cut a black pipe cleaner so it's 2.5" long. scrunch up the center of both pieces of tissue paper and twist your black pipe cleaner around it.
Glue your butterfly onto the plate.
References:
Ghoting, S.N., & Martin-Diaz, P. (2013). Storytimes for everyone!. Chicago, IL: ALA
Goodreads. (n.d.). Gotta Go! Gotta Go!. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/526210.Gotta_Go_Gotta_Go_
Goodreads. (n.d.). What Happens Next: Caterpillar to Butterfly [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21976335-what-happens-next-caterpillar-to-butterfly
Johnson County Library. (2014, May 13). Bubbles, Chalk and Wonder" Storytime [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.jocolibrary.org/kids/storytime-blog/bubbles-chalk-and-wonder-storytime
Learn About Nature. (n.d.). Butterfly Life Cycle Coloring page. Retrieved from https://www.thebutterflysite.com/22-butterfly-coloring-pages.html
L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. (2014, September 28). Goodbye bubbles. [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/RXXQqVx0gT0
Mulvenna, L. (2013, January 17). Shake Shake Shake [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://lisaslibraryland.blogspot.com/2013/07/shake-shake-shake.html
No Time For Flash Cards. (2016, January 30). Circle Time Chant. [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ECHXNMFVumM
Theme Stations. (2017). Butterflies. Retrieved from http://www.preschoolexpress.com/theme_station04/june04_butterflies.shtml
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