What you need

  1. A variety of coloured paper
  2. Butterfly-shaped templates to draw around - download resources for templates and print them so they’re 5-10 cm wide
  3. Extra-large thick card or a notice board on a large wall

Intro

Butterflies – the most graceful and beautiful creature in the insect family. Seeing them flutter past, land briefly and disappear is magical for anyone. Let’s let the wild ones fly free and make some of our own out of paper. Lots of them, in all colours of the rainbow! We’ll then arrange them into a work of art for all to see.

This activity is great for a group and is best done over a few sessions, as there is a lot of cutting involved. 

Top tip

Does someone have trouble using scissors? Just use the larger butterflies, as they’re easier to cut out and will still look great

The Activity

  1. Draw as many butterflies as you need for your paper (could be 25, 100 or more) onto different coloured pieces of paper using the templates
  2. Cut out the butterflies while playing some beautiful music to keep everyone entertained – we like Mozart’s “Piano Sonata No1 in C Major” or Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee”
  3. Cut out the butterflies (this will take a long time, so it needs to be done over several sessions)
  4. Once all the butterflies are ready, fold them in half and open again to give the effect of fluttering wings
  5. Arrange the butterflies on the card or notice board – you can put them randomly flying around, in neat rows, or in a formation fluttering upwards
  6. Glue down the spines if you’re using card, or pin them down if you’re using a notice board
  7. Put this joyful butterfly picture somewhere where people can enjoy the colourful dancing wings

PDF Resource