b is for butterfly - Preschool Week

Second week - the letter "b"

We went to a friend's house for our "b" class this week.
So, my lesson plan for what we are doing at home is not very extensive.

b is for butterfly

by my friend Annie

Books-
The Hungry Caterpillar - we are reading this (for the 100th time, perhaps).
Waiting for Wings - this is a really pretty book.  We loved it.
Five Stars for preschoolers.

Science - 
We ordered some caterpillars, so we can observe the life cycle of the Butterfly.
Right now they are pinned in the butterfly house, all in their own little Chrysalis.
We are waiting to watch the Painted Lady butterflies emerge!

More Science - 
Be the Butterfly.  We looked through the kaleidoscope lens of our magnifying glass,

to pretend like we were seeing our flower garden like a monarch.


And, more Science - 
Butterflies are pollinators.  So are birds, bees, & bats.  (More "b" things!)
So, we are talking about pollination this week.
We read "Flower, Why Do you Smell So Nice."
The book is okay.  It's the only kids book on pollination I could find at the library.
It has some evolution in it, that we just skipped.
And, the way it reads felt a little funny to us, the adults.
But, the kids think it is cute.
It is a conversation between a bee & a flower.
And, it was originally written in Italian, not English.
So, that may add to the awkwardness of it.

Craft - 
We made little fingerprint caterpillars &
used rubber stamps to add butterflies to our pictures.

Game - *
Butterfly Races!

You can make your own balance butterfly by going here.

Cooking - *
Pretzel Butterflies

Slowly melt Chocolate chips in a double broiler.
"Paste" your pretzel wings together with a little glob of peanut butter.
Dip your butterfly carefully into the hot chocolate.
Dip in sprinkles.
Set on wax paper & chill.

Bible - 
We are talking about butterflies representing our new life in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if any man is in Christ, 
he is a new creature; 
the old things passed away;
behold, new things have come."

History - 
Speaking of wings & flying, we read a little book on the Wright Brothers.
Up in the Sky
We learned about when man was able to "take flight" in the first airplane.

Outdoor Excursion - 
We may go to Natural Bridges this weekend, to see the butterfly museum.
It is not quite monarch migration season for us here.
They should arrive next month.

We went to see them last year, and didn't see too much.  But, it was still exciting.

We saw one butterfly up close.

* These ideas are both from the great homeschool blog, Along the Way.