Preschool Bug Activity - Caterpillar Advent Calendar

Is your preschooler excited for Christmas day? Have they already eaten or inadvertently destroyed their Advent Calendar? Give them a new Advent Calendar and teach your preschooler the life cycle of a butterfly with this fun preschool bug activity.

What your Preschooler will Learn:

1. The life cycle of a butterfly (a caterpillar turns into a cocoon and then into a butterfly)
2. Counting down to Christmas 

What you'll need for the Advent Calendar:

1. Construction paper
2. Scissors
3. Cotton Balls
4. Markers and/or paint
5. Glue
6. Stapler (optional)
7. Decorative materials such as markers, paint, chalk, glitter, glue

What to do for the Advent Calendar:

Step one: Cut a wiggly, cylindrical shape out of your construction paper. It should be similar to a long balloons clowns make balloon animals out of. You're going to be gluing a cotton ball onto it each day until Dec. 24th so make sure it's long enough to fit enough cotton balls.

Step two: Make a happy caterpillar face on one side of your caterpillar.

Step three: Have your preschooler color the cotton balls using the markers or the paint.

Step four: Create two cocoon shapes for your caterpillar. It should be wider and longer than your caterpillar. Glue or staple your two cocoon shapes together, leaving one side open so you can place your caterpillar inside the cocoon. Write Dec. 24th on it. Have your preschooler decorate it using markers, crayons, glitter and whatever they want. Put it in a safe place. You won't need it until Dec. 24th.

Step five: Cut a butterfly pattern out of your construction paper. If you are having difficulty, fold a piece of paper in half, and cut a B-shape out of it, being careful not to cut along the folded side. Glue a small circular head and two small antana to the top. Have your preschooler decorate your butterfly using markers, paint and glitter. If your preschooler is old enough, have them only decorate only one half of their butterfly using paint and then fold the other half down so the butterfly's two halves are the same. Put your butterfly in a safe place. You won't need it until Dec. 25th.

Step six: Each day help your preschooler glue a cotton ball to your paper caterpillar. On Dec. 24th help your preschooler slide the caterpillar into the cocoon. When your preschooler isn't watching, replace the caterpillar with the butterfly they decorated. On Dec. 25th, whenever you have a free moment, explain how the caterpillar changed into a butterfly.

Variations on the Advent Calendar:

Modify this preschool bug activity for whatever winter Holiday you celebrate.

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