Butterfly Life Cycle for Kids: From Egg to Butterfly (Kindergarten to Grade 2 Science)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. Every living thing has a life cycle. That means the way it is born, grows up and has young of its own. Today we are learning the butterfly life cycle, and it has four stages.

Stage one is the egg. A mother butterfly lays tiny eggs on a leaf. Each egg is about the size of a pinhead. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed, the only plant their caterpillars eat.

Stage two is the caterpillar. It hatches from the egg, and the first thing it eats is its own eggshell! Then it munches leaves and grows so fast that it sheds its skin several times.

Stage three is the chrysalis. The caterpillar hangs upside down and forms a hard case around itself. It looks like it is resting, but inside, its body is changing completely.

Stage four is the butterfly. After about two weeks, a butterfly pushes out of the chrysalis. It waits for its wings to dry, then flies off to sip nectar from flowers through a long tube, like a straw.

Then the butterfly lays eggs, and it all starts again. That is why we call it a cycle. A puppy looks like its parents, but a baby caterpillar looks nothing like a butterfly!

Now it's your turn. What comes after the caterpillar stage? Pause and try. The chrysalis! The caterpillar forms a chrysalis, and inside it changes into a butterfly.

Great job! Remember, the butterfly life cycle goes egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly, then around again. Practice the butterfly life cycle in the Science Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!