Life Cycle of a Butterfly: Free KS1 Science Worksheet

What is on the worksheet

The worksheet fits onto one A4 page so it is quick to print and easy to use. At the centre is a single clear line drawing showing the four life-cycle stages, arranged clockwise from the top left: a leaf with a cluster of tiny eggs, a caterpillar, a chrysalis hanging from a twig, and an open-winged butterfly.

There are two short activities. The first invites children to colour each stage, with a short list of colours to follow. The second asks them to write the name of each stage, using a word bank (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly) so that children who are still building confidence with writing can take part too.

How to use it at home or in the classroom

Before children start, talk through the picture together and point to each stage in turn. Ask what they think happens next and let them trace the order clockwise with a finger, from the eggs round to the butterfly and back to the eggs. Children can also draw arrows between the pictures to show the cycle repeating.

Colouring first gives children time to look closely at each stage. As they colour, they often notice details such as the caterpillar's body segments and tiny legs, or the butterfly's matching wings. A common mix-up is to think the butterfly is a new animal that hatches from the chrysalis: it is the same animal, changed. Once the picture is coloured, move on to naming the stages, encouraging children to sound out the words and check them against the word bank. In a classroom, the sheet works well as a follow-up to observing real caterpillars or watching a short time-lapse video.

What your child will learn

Children will learn to name and sequence the four stages of a butterfly's life cycle and to understand that a butterfly looks very different at each stage while still being the same animal. This supports the wider Key Stage 1 idea that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults.

The worksheet also builds early scientific skills: observing carefully, ordering events, and using the correct vocabulary. The word bank gives children practice in matching spoken words to written ones, linking science learning with early reading and writing.

A note for teachers

This sheet supports the Year 2 'Animals, including humans' objective on offspring growing into adults, and pairs naturally with work on life cycles and minibeasts. It can be used as a whole-class introduction, an independent task, or an assessment of whether children can sequence and name the stages.

For differentiation, more confident writers can cover the word bank and write the stage names from memory, while children who need more support can match cut-out word cards to each picture before writing. The single uncluttered illustration also makes it suitable for children with additional needs who benefit from clear, simple imagery.

Frequently asked questions