Butterfly Sensory Activity and Craft

Spring is in the air, flowers are blooming, and beautiful winged butterflies are flitting about.

Get your kids excited about the new season with a butterfly sensory bin and an optional follow up craft!

Thank you Safari for sponsoring this post! They have generously offered my readers 20% off their entire store! Use this link to automatically have the coupon applied to your order, or use the code “JulieNixon1” at checkout.

Materials:

White Tissue Paper

Watercolor Paints and Brush

Scissors

Bin or Other Container

Safari Ltd “Toob” Butterfly Figurines

Optional Craft Materials:

Contact Paper or Laminator and Sheets

 

Step One: Paint the Tissue Paper

Lay out the white tissue paper on a table and invite your kids to paint as much as possible. The idea is to have lots and lots of color.

This first step is great for ANY age. Process art is all about the journey, not the destination.

One caution. Don’t use so much water that the paper gets soaked through and rips. You could use other paints besides watercolors, but I wanted something that would dry quickly.

 

Step Two: Cut the Tissue Paper Into Squares

Once the paint has dried (five minutes if you used water colors), cut the paper into long strips. Then stack the strips and cut little squares.

It doesn’t have to be perfect and if your children are ready for scissors, this is a great way for them to practice their skills!

If your kids are too young for scissors, they could work on their pincer grasp and simply tear the paper, as long as it doesn’t get all wadded up.

 

Step Three: Place Strips in a Container and Add Safari Ltd. “Toob” Butterflies

Sensory bins have two major benefits.

1. They are a super inviting way for kids to get tactile sensory input. All kids have sensory needs and sensory bins are a great way to get that need met!
2. They encourage imaginative play. They might seem so simple that they’re boring. But I’ve placed countless sensory bins in front of kids and am always shocked at the creativity that blossoms with this open ended “toy”.

 

While kids hands are engaged in a sensory bin, you may find that conversation flows more easily. I like to ask my kids age appropriate questions. For my three year old, we talk about colors, shapes, and numbers. For my older boys, we discuss anatomy, the benefits of butterflies, and of course, metamorphosis!

The butterflies don’t have to remain in the sensory bins. We had some freshly cut lilacs on the table so the butterflies did their favorite thing!

Optional Step Four: Use the Tissue Paper to Make Your Own Butterflies

Grab the painted tissue paper and have your child press it down on a sheet of contact paper on inside the laminating sheets.

Place another sheet of contact paper over the top, or if using a laminator, run it through the machine.

Using a dry erase marker, or free handing it, trace the outline of a butterfly.

Then simply cut out your colorful butterfly!

Butterflies can fill your child with wonder and ignite their imaginations!

Safari Ltd has graciously offered my readers 20% off everything in their store! Use this link to automatically have the coupon applied to your order, or use the code “JulieNixon1” at checkout.

Safari has have thousands of figurines for sale in every theme you could ever imagine (like these musical instrument ones we adored)! They also have science focused models. And our personal favorite, nature and outdoor hiking tools like binoculars and bug jars!