2015 Update: This page has been refreshed.
Butterfly interest is fueling some excellent ideas from my three year old at the moment. Its a shame we didn’t start it earlier but what we are doing now should be ground work for a similar project next year. So, we are using the butterflies to explore some other ideas that are relevant to her current interests.
Butterfly Information Links and Project Outline
Colouring – pen control. Some people feel colouring pages limit creativity but I like the opportunity to work on colouring within lines without following formal exercises all the time. We have lots of opportunities for free art too.
Shapes – I am cutting large shapes in different colours out of sugar paper, laminating them and then using them to construct larger pictures. Ovals, triangles, diamonds and circles are particularly suitable for butterflies. This seems to be working well for shape naming and symmetry work.
Letters – First letters of different butterflies are excellent as is using a moveable alphabet to spell them (go for English names first if the Latin ones worry you!).
Matching – I am creating 3 sets of cards; two simple ones which are butterflies on shapes which can be used separately or together for a more complex matching game.There will also be a set of classified cards with butterfly graphics and their Latin and English names to be used separately or together.
Modelling – Well, fabrics in this instance. We are going to make a cushion cover using bits of scrap stuck with fabric glue on to a butterfly shape I will sew to a cushion cover. We can then do further discussion on stuffing etc which I reckon will be a good large muscle exersize too!
Counting and sorting – I am looking for some small butterflies to do this with (of the toy variety!) and would love some suggestions!
Time Line – Life cycle. There is a nice jigsaw available for this which I plan to get but there are also lots of resources on the net. Plasticine modelling the various stages also seems like a good idea!
Further Pages on MuddlePuddle
– set of seven images within shapes to match and sort.
Matching Cards Set 2 – as above in complimenting colours
Matching Cards Set 3 Page1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8
– a set of images based on real butterflies with Latin names.. I need to research further but they appear more exotic than your average UK ones.
