How to Make a Butterfly in a Cocoon

Making a butterfly in a cocoon is a delightful project for you to do with your preschooler or young elementary-age child. Describe for the child how a caterpillar spins a cocoon to make itself a bed and crawls into it for a nice long nap. When it awakens, the rather homely caterpillar has miraculously turned into a beautiful butterfly. Then help your child make this fun and easy craft to demonstrate your story. The final element of surprise will be met with pleasure and amazement.

Things You'll Need

• Egg carton
• Scissors
• Paint
• Markers
• Wiggle eyes
• Pipe cleaner
• Glue
• Thumbtack
• String
• Tape
• Brown paper lunch bag
• Colored tissue paper

Instructions

1. Remove the lid from the egg carton with scissors. Cut the carton's bottom apart lengthwise down the middle, creating two rows of six cells each. Cut one of the rows in half so that you will have a set of three cells, which will become the caterpillar's "humps."

2. Ask your child to decorate the caterpillar's humps with paints or markers.

3. Glue wiggly eyes on one of the end humps to begin creating its head. Cut a pipe cleaner in half and poke both pieces through the head to make antennae. Flip the caterpillar over and fold the poked ends of pipe cleaner flat against the inside of the cell to secure them into place. Turn the critter back over and curl the ends of the antennae. Have your child use markers to add a smile to finish the caterpillar's face and head.

4. Set the caterpillar inside the paper lunch bag. Roll the bag's opening to close it, creating the cocoon. Tape the end of a piece of string to the rolled section of the bag. Stick a thumbtack into the ceiling and hang the other end of the string from it. Leave it in place for two or three days.

5. Cut two butterfly wings out of the colored tissue paper while your child is asleep. Tape or glue the wings to the caterpillar's back. Put the butterfly into the cocoon and hang it back up. When you're ready, take the cocoon down and give it to your child. Ask her to check to see if the caterpillar has changed.