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STEM Activities for Kids- STEAMsational

Science experiments and STEM for active kids!

in Spring STEM Activities

3D MONARCH BUTTERFLY MODEL SCIENCE EXPERIMENT FOR KIDS

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Butterfly season where we live in Dallas is in the fall and mid-spring. Monarch butterflies pass right through Dallas when they fly south for the winter and north for warmer temperatures. We’ll often see tons of the colorful Monarch butterflies starting in the beginning of April. For this spring science experiment, we made a 3D butterfly model of a Monarch butterfly.

Monkey has always loved butterflies, so in preparation for Texas Monarch season this year, we decided to do mini thematic units on Monarch butterflies and butterfly science. It’s the perfect addition to your spring STEM activities!

Love Monarch butterflies? You won't want to miss this fun STEM-focused lesson on Monarch butterflies and creating a 3D butterfly model of a Monarch butterfly. Learn how to make a 3D butterfly model and have fun with this educational monarch butterfly craft for kids. #scienceexperiment #stemactivity #thematicunit #springactivities
spring stem challenges

HOW TO MAKE A 3D BUTTERFLY MODEL OF A MONARCH BUTTERFLY

Follow along to learn how to make your very own 3D butterfly model! For more spring science experiments try making eggshell gardens, making Earth day slime, conducting weather science experiments, or dissecting a flower. 

WHAT ARE SPRING SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS?

Science experiments for kids are a fun way to bring the concepts of science to life. There are a lot of reasons to do hands on science experiments with kids, but you don’t ever have to do seasonal science experiments. A spring science experiment is simply a science experiment that focuses on spring topics, typically botany, insect science, biology, flower science, and animal science. Kids naturally love learning about the world around them and there is no better time for that then spring!

WHY TRY SPRING SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS?

By the time spring rolls around, kids are ready for a break. They want to get outdoors and explore and are ready for summer break already. When you introduce spring science experiments into the classroom during the spring season, you give kids a chance to get outdoors, feel the change in the weather, and learn a little bit about what happens to the earth during the spring season. Spring is a wonderful time to explore seed science, outdoor science, animal science, and a lot more!

THE SCIENCE OF MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

During our study, we learned all about why Monarch butterflies have the parts they do and what each part does. Monkey examined Monarch diagrams to determine that just like all butterflies, Monarch butterflies have a head, compound eyes, a thorax, an abdomen, six legs, a probiscus, and four wings. We studied the structure of the wings and read about the diet, life cycle, and migration patterns. 

I asked questions about why Monkey thought butterflies ended up with the body style, parts, and wing patterns that they did to give her some critical thinking practice during our project.

Monkey said she wants to plant milkweed in our patio garden to attract Monarchs this spring, so we’ll see how that goes!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD YOUR MONARCH BUTTERFLY MODEL

Love Monarch butterflies? You won't want to miss this fun STEM unit study learning about Monarch butterflies and creating a 3D Monarch model.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  

  • Drinking straws
  • Pom poms
  • Cardstock paper in white, black, and orange
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks

 

HOW TO MAKE A 3D BUTTERFLY MODEL

butterflyfAfter completing our butterfly science study, we decided to make a 3D model of a Monarch butterfly. We only used craft supplies that we had on hand, so our colors aren’t quite accurate, but Monkey completed the design on her own with little help from me.

We used this page from Encyclopedia Britannica Kids as a diagram for our 3D butterfly model.

MONARCH BUTTERFLY MODEL DIRECTIONS

We created our butterfly science model by using the diagram as a guide. We wanted our Monarch butterfly to have all of the necessary parts and be somewhat realistic in scale. I think our version ended up being about twice as large as a standard Monarch, but that’s OK.

First, Monkey constructed the body from two large and one medium-sized pom poms. We used hot glue for the pom poms to speed drying time.Love Monarch butterflies? You won't want to miss this fun STEM unit study learning about Monarch butterflies and creating a 3D Monarch model.

Next, she cut legs, the antenna, and the proboscis from drinking straws. Monarch butterflies have four long legs and two short, so we made sure to adjust our leg length. We attached these with hot glue.

I helped her cut the wings from cardstock paper. We ended up layering orange over the black paper, then cutting out little pieces of white paper to make the white spots on the edge of the Monarch’s wings. We built the wings before gluing them to the butterflies body.

Love Monarch butterflies? You won't want to miss this fun STEM unit study learning about Monarch butterflies and creating a 3D Monarch model.

When the Monarchs show up this spring, we’ll be ready armed with our new butterfly science knowledge!

BUILD A COMPLETE BUTTERFLY THEMATIC UNIT!

Love Monarch butterflies? You won't want to miss this fun STEM unit study learning about Monarch butterflies and creating a 3D Monarch model.

Find the Letter B is for Butterflies from 3 Boys and a Dog

DIY Ruffle Butterfly Bookmark from Living Ideas

Butterfly Life Cycle for Kids (Free Printables) from The Natural Homeschool

LEGO butterflies from Planet Smarty Pants

Easy Kid Craft: Colorful Spring Butterfly Suncatcher from Crafty Mama in ME

Where to see Butterflies in Nature from FrogMom

Cupcake Liner Butterfly Craft from Raising Little Superheroes

Butterfly Books for Children from The Jenny Evolution

How to Meet a Butterfly from Bambini Travel

Butterfly Sensory Painting from Parenting Chaos

Planting a Butterfly Garden from Our Daily Craft

Butterfly Sensory Bin with Scavenger Hunt and Life Cycle Activities {Free Printables} from Living Montessori Now

Butterfly DIY Window Clings from Gym Craft Laundry

Exploring Butterfly Wing Patterns from CraftCreateCalm

Butterfly I Spy Game from Simple Fun for Kids

Life Cycle of a Butterfly Worksheet from Living Life and Learning

Marshmallow Stamping Butterflys & Other Bug {with free printables} from Play Dough & Popsicles

Preschool Butterfly Songs from Preschool Powol Packets

Visiting a Butterfly House from Something 2 Offer

How to Raise a Butterfly {with Free Butterfly Journal} from Books and Giggles

MORE THEMATIC UNITS TO TRY

Love cows? Then you will love this free unit study all about a cow's digestive system and animal nutrition!

Need more science, technology, engineering, or math activities? You've come to the right place! These STEM activities for kids are fun and educational!

i-2Bam-2Ba-2Bbunny-2Bunit-2Bstudy

Looking for bubble wrap activities for preschool? This fun bubble wrap number hopscotch game is a fun way to introduce numbers using gross motor function.

Celebrate National Peanut Month with these fun books about the history of peanuts! Learn all about the popular ground nut in these books.

Filed Under: Spring STEM Activities Tagged With: biology, elementary, spring

About Brenda Priddy

Brenda grew up thinking she hated science.

But when her 4-year- old daughter was more interested in reading science facts than fairy tales, Brenda realized she had to learn more about science to keep up with her daughter.

Through simple at-home science experiments, Brenda developed a passion for science and now acts as an advocate for STEM education for kids at her website STEAMsational.com.

« Simple and Educational STEM Projects for Toddlers
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Copyright Heirloom Media 2019

Adult supervision is recommended for the projects on this blog. Please read the instructions and recommended ages for each activity before deciding if the activity is appropriate for the children or child who will be doing the activity. Schooling a Monkey is not responsible for any damage or injuries that occur while replicating any of our activities. We strongly recommend taking any and all safety precautions before completing any of the activities listed here.

Schooling Active Monkeys is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

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