Birds, Bees, and Butterflies

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Age Level(s): Toddler - 3rd Grade
Subject(s): Science, Music, & Art

Introduction
There are so many beautiful things on this earth. What are some beautiful things? (Let the children respond.) What are some insects, bugs, and animals that can fly? (Let the children respond.) There are birds, bees, butterflies, flies, etc. that fly. What part of their bodies help them fly? (Wings.) For younger children, you may have to respond right away.

Songs
Sing a song: These songs are more for home or church schools.

1. "Birds, Bees, and Pretty Butterflies" by Elton Smith and Christine Goglin. You can listen to the music at Songs Of Praise and print sheet music from:

Page 1
Page 2

2. "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" Children's Songbook, page 228 published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Color a Picture or Make a Craft
Have your children color a picture or make a butterfly.

Rain Forest Alliance To find different rainforest birds coloring pages on this site.  Click on "Education", then click on "Kids", and then on "Coloring Pages".  (They have teacher resources and crafts.)
Coastal Coloring Book There are various birds on this page.  If the link changes, go to their homepage and click on "Fun, Educational".
Butterfly Pattern: Symmetry
Pratt's Themes: Animals, Insects, Flowers, Garden, & More

Listen and Dance to Music
Play the music "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" composed by Rimskij-Korsakov.

Download NOW -- The Flight of the Bumble-Bee Sheet Music, Midi, & MP3 Digital Files

You can find different midi's of this at:
Karadar.com: Classical Music: Rimsky-Korsakov - Bumblebee Flight
Virtual Sheet Music - The Flight of the Bumble-bee.

Have the children walk around and pretend they are flying like bumble bees. You can have then hold a picture of a bumble bee they have colored or they can put their arms out as if they were wings.

Hand Butterfly or Hand Butterfly Shadow
Have the children make a butterfly by placing their thumbs together and move their other fingers like the wings of a butterfly.  Have them make their shadows between a lamp and a light colored wall or door.

Note:  Younger children may not understand how to do it so let them do it however they like.  It may not  look like a butterfly to you but it is to them.

Riddles, Games, and Fingerplays
You can use some of the riddles with older children for the introduction of this lesson. The fingerplays and game can be used for younger children.  This are some I have read in different places.

Go to 13: I Am Thankful for Birds and Insects to find riddles the children can guess what animal it is (bird, bee, butterfly) a Butterfly game, fingerplays titled "Two Little Tweety Birds" and "Beehive".

Find more ideas at Bees, Birds, Butterflies.