Butterfly Hanging Garden

by Margy Davidson

Age: Preschool and up
Time: 30 minutes or more
Type of Activity: Art

Materials needed:

• Monarch butterfly pictures. (Click here to print: Butterflies 1, Butterflies 2, Butterflies 3.)
• Milkweed picture (Click here to print.)
• Flower pictures (Click here to print: Plant 1, Plant 2.)
• Construction or other colored paper
• Felt squares in different colors
• Scissors
• Crayons, color pencils, and/or magic markers
• Glue stick or all purpose glue
• Tape -- both regular and double stick

What to do:

1. Print out the pictures of the Monarch butterfly and the plants that you want to include in your "garden."
2. Have your child color them.
3. If your child can use scissors safely, then let him cut out the colored pictures. If not, then do it yourself.
4. Have your child arrange his pictures on the brightly colored paper. Glue them on.
5. Hang in a sunny location!

Variation: Cut out different flower shapes in felt or construction paper. These can be glued onto a heavier paper such as poster board.

Tip: Older children may be interested in having the plants and butterflies look exactly like the real ones.

More on: Butterfly Migration