Creation Kids - creative Christian curriculum for today's creative kids

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Beautiful Butterflies
(God's Animals)
by Sandra Harris

Learning to obey is not always an easy lesson. The Monarch Butterfly demonstrates why obedience is important.

Characteristic: Obedience to God; listening to our conscience.

Bible Verse: “We will obey God’s voice.” Joshua 24:24

Concepts:

There are 15,000 to 20,000 species of butterflies. The largest has a wingspan of 11 inches; the smallest have wingspans of about 3/8 inch. They come in all colors from pale tints to intense brights. Nearly every part of the world has some type of butterfly native to it.

Monarch butterflies are famous for their long flight south for the winter. They must obey the instinct (or instructions) God gave them. If they disobey, they will die in the cold winter weather of the north.

God’s word tells us what to do and what not to do for our safety. God has also given each of us a conscience, an inner voice that tells us what is right and what is wrong. If we listen to and obey God’s word and our conscience, we can stay out of a whole lot of trouble.

Center Activities

Games: Most games teach the importance of following rules. Play some of your favorites or try these:
Simon Says
Follow the Leader
Chutes and Ladders
Telephone (or Gossip)

Music: Play a children’s music tape or CD. Turn the volume up and down slowly. How low can you set it before the children can no longer hear it? Is God’s voice and our conscience quieter than this? How can we hear God’s voice? How can we hear our conscience? (Note: the more slowly you turn down the volume, the longer the kids will be able to hear the music. This is because their ears have time to adjust to each new level of sound/volume.)

Manipulatives: Build a network of roads and or train tracks for vehicles to travel on. While working, discuss basic traffic rules (drive on certain side of road, obey traffic signals, watch out for other drivers, etc.). Discuss the importance of being alert and listening to your surroundings when you drive. Why do drivers need to listen and be ready to make quick decisions? Can you think of times when a child must listen and be ready to obey quickly? (Crossing the street, being in a crowd, swimming, etc.)

Crafts: Butterfly Prints

Fold a sheet of construction paper or ink jet printer paper in half (either way is fine). With the fold on your left, draw a capital letter B that is slightly exaggerated so that the round parts resemble butterfly wings. Cut on the lines. Open and lay flat on several sheets of old newspaper. Dribble 2-4 colors of tempera paint on one half of the butterfly. Carefully refold the butterfly and press gently but firmly with your hands so that the paint inside spreads and mixes. Unfold carefully and lay butterfly on a flat surface until paint dries. From construction paper, cut out a small circle for the head and two narrow strips of paper for the antennae. Glue these in place.

Storytime:
Read Pinocchio by Collodi throughout the week, or watch your favorite video version. (Or do both!)

Enrichment Ideas

1. Make several butterfly prints to display on a bulletin board or to hang from the ceiling on strings.

2. Tell the story of Jonah and the Whale. Do the children see any similarities between the Pinocchio story and Jonah?

3. Look for books about butterflies at the library. Can you find a Monarch butterfly? What are the Monarch’s special identification characteristics?

4. Compare and contrast butterflies and moths with older children.

5. Study photographs of butterflies. Does one wing always look exactly like the other wing, only in reverse?

6. Do a web search on butterfly gardens. Make plans to plant a small butterfly garden this spring.

7. Make a Butterfly Print T-shirt(click here).

8. Look for some of these newer books (age recommendations by publishers):
Waiting for Wings, Lois Ehlert, 4-8
Gotta Go! Gotta Go!, Sam Swope, 4-8
Toddler Story Book: Caterpillar’s Wish, Mary Murphy, baby-age 3
Butterflies (First Discovery Books), Claude Delafosse, 4-8
The Butterfly House, Eve Bunting, 4-8
Where Butterflies Grow, Joanne Ryder, 4-8
Monarch Butterfly, Gail Gibbons, 4-8
Clara Caterpillar, Pamela Duncun Edwards, 4-8
Miss Hallburg’s Butterfly Garden, Gay Bishop Borstrom, 4-8
Butterflies for Kids, E. Jaediker Norsgaard, 9-12
Monarch Magic: Butterfly Activities & Nature Discoveries, 9-12
Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies, Mel Boring, 9-12