image by marieI have always been awed by the symbolism of the caterpillar turning into a butterfly and Jesus being in the tomb and rising again. If your child is familiar with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Use this example to explain Jesus' resurrection to your child. This example can also be used to explain life without Christ and then having a new life once a person has accepted Jesus as their personal Savior.
Draw on the coffee filter with washable markers. Using a water bottle, squirt water on the coffee filter. Watch the colors run together. Allow to dry. Scrunch up the middle of the coffee filter and wrap with a pipe cleaner to look like antennae. Spread the wings out.
Paint the palms of the child's hands. On a piece of construction paper, stamp the hands down (thumbs down, fingers pointing in opposite directions, handprints touching). Clean off both hands. Painting only the index finger black, stamp down the center of the handprints to make the butterfly's body. Add googly eyes and two antennas. Add the title "Jesus is Alive!"
Paint the bottoms of your child’s feet and press them onto paper, with the left foot on the right side and the right foot on the left side. Leave a small gap between the footprints to draw the butterfly's body, adding a long oval for the body, a circle for the head, and antennae on top.
Print the ABC Butterfly. Have the child write:
Admit – I sin.
Believe – Jesus died for me.
Choose – I need God.
Cut out the butterfly pieces. Glue the pieces together on a piece of construction paper. Decorate.
Print the Butterfly printable. Fold the paper in half and open back up. Drop paint around the fold line. Fold one side onto the other. Gently push the paint around to cover both sides of the butterfly. Carefully open the butterfly to see a mirror image.
Roll-a-Picture are fun games to play to incorporate fine motor skills, visual perception skills, taking turns, and family time! Think Cootie with a pencil. Several options are available to get you started!
Cut a paper egg carton to make a single line of containers. Turn upside down and paint each container. Add black pipecleaners for antennae, a mouth, and googly eyes. (To use with the Wordless Book theme, paint the caterpillar black, red, white, gold, and green.)
While I have never personally used a butterfly garden kit, my children have experienced the joy of raising butterflies in their classrooms at school. It’s a wonderful, hands-on way for kids to observe the transformation of caterpillars into butterflies. You can easily tie this activity to Easter as a symbol of new life or use it as a fun and educational springtime project.
image by debraGlue on a clothes pin colored pom poms. Add googly eyes. Put the clothes pin caterpillar inside a toilet roll and talked about how Jesus was put inside the tomb. (To use with the Wordless Book theme, use colors black, red, white, gold, and green.)
Hermie: A Common Caterpillar by Max Lucado tells the story of Hermie, a caterpillar who feels ordinary and overlooked compared to others. As Hermie struggles with his insecurities, he learns that God has a special plan for everyone, even the seemingly "common." This heartwarming story teaches children about self-worth, trust in God, and the idea that each person is unique and important in their own way.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle follows the journey of a small caterpillar as he eats his way through a variety of foods over a week's time. Starting with one apple and gradually increasing his intake, the caterpillar's appetite grows until he transforms into a beautiful butterfly. This classic story contains repetitive text, a focus on counting, days of the week, and the life cycle of a butterfly.
The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach is humorous book about a caterpillar struggling to be patient during his transformation into a butterfly. Written similarly to the Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series, caterpillar tries to rush through the process, learning valuable lessons about patience, growth, and embracing change along the way. With playful dialogue and vibrant illustrations, this book makes the concept of patience both fun and easy for children to understand.
In this delightful sequel to The Very Impatient Caterpillar, The Little Butterfly that Could by Ross Burach follows the butterfly on migration. Filled with doubt, the little butterfly learns an important lesson about perseverance and not stopping even when things are tough.
Caterpillar to Butterfly
Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Without the child seeing, place a coffee filter (decorations above) into a cardboard tube.
“Let’s pretend this tube is a caterpillar, just like the hungry caterpillar in the book.” Show the tube to the child while covering the sides to hide the butterfly inside. “The caterpillar in our story ate and ate until he was very full. Next a caterpillar wraps a cocoon around himself.” Show image in book and wrap your hands tightly around the tube without the child seeing the butterfly inside. “Inside the cocoon it is very quiet and dark. The caterpillar stays there for a long time.”
“Some would think this is the end of the caterpillar. After dying on the cross, Jesus was placed in a very quiet and dark tomb for three days. Many people thought this was the end of Jesus. But we know that the caterpillar doesn’t stay in the cocoon and Jesus didn’t stay in the tomb. Let’s slowly count to three. 1-2-3. When the caterpillar is ready, he pushes, stretches, and shakes off the cocoon.” Slowly push out butterfly and spread wings. “The caterpillar didn’t stay in the tomb. The caterpillar became a beautiful butterfly. Jesus didn’t stay in the tomb either. After three days, Jesus came out of the tomb! Jesus is alive.”
