Spring is here! As the flowers start to bloom, the butterflies come back. Their bright colors quickly catch the eye of children, who go chasing after them. Embrace that curiosity and use song to teach them more about these delicate and beautiful pollinators.
One of the best way to teach kids new concepts is through song. Below are some songs you can sing and dance to with your children. For babies, you can sing along for them and clap their hands together with the beat. But these songs are probably best for toddlers. Ask them to come up with movements that go with the lyrics, or use the ones suggested with each song. Use props like scarves and streamers as your wings. Or you could even make your own butterfly wings together to help them really get into their imagination.
The Fuzzy Caterpillar
(to the tune of “The Eensy Weensy Spider”)
| Words | Action |
| The fuzzy caterpillar curled upon a leaf, | (curl into a ball) |
| Spun her little chrysalis | (spin around) |
| And then fell asleep. While she was sleeping, | (pretend to sleep) |
| She dreamed that she could fly, | (pretend to fly) |
| And later when she woke up | (pretend to wake up) |
| She was a butterfly! | (pretend to fly) |
The Butterfly Cycle
The Butterfly Song
(to the tune of “Up on the Housetop”)
| Words | Action |
| First comes a butterfly and lays an egg, | (poke up along your arm) |
| Out comes a caterpillar with many legs, | (wiggle your arms) |
| Oh see the caterpillar spin and spin, | (spin around with your child) |
| A little chrysalis to sleep in. | (pretend to sleep) |
| Oh, oh ,oh wait and see oh oh oh wait and see | (point to your eyes) |
| Out of the chrysalis,my oh my | (pretend you’re hatching) |
| out comes a pretty butterfly. | (fly around like a butterfly) |
Fly, Fly, Fly, Butterfly
For this song, “fly” around the room. Stand at fully height when singing the butterfly is flying high and squat when singing that the butterfly is flying low.
Caterpillar Life Cycle Song
by Megan Sheakoski
(Sung to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb)
| Words | Actions |
| A caterpillar has 12 eyes Has 12 eyes, has 12 eyes, A caterpillar has 12 eyes | (point to eyes) |
| So that he can see! | (cup hands around eyes like you are searching for something) |
| A caterpillar chews on leaves Chews on leaves, chews on leaves, A caterpillar chews on leaves | (mime hands like mouths opening and closing or pretend you are eating a leaf) |
| To get some energy! | (run in place) |
| Now he rests in a chrysalis A chrysalis, a chrysalis, Now he rests in a chrysalis | (curl in a ball on ground, pretend to sleep) |
| And becomes a butterfly! | (get up and fly around room) |
I hope that you and your child have fun singing and performing these songs together. If you want to do more music with your child, please come and join one of our parent and me Kindermusik group classes at our studio in San Jose, CA.
