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Summer Lesson Plans

Paper Plate Butterfly

Lesson Plan:  ​

Paper Plate Butterfly

Age Group:

Preschool

School-Age

Objectives:

​Children will:

• create a butterfly using a paper plate and other materials
• develop fine motor skills

​CDA Competency Standard:

​II.4.2a

• Activities and materials encourage children of varying abilities to develop their small muscles.

a) Individual fine motor skills are encouraged through a variety of developmentally appropriate materials and activities

II.7.1a

• Activities and materials encourage children to express themselves through the visual arts.

​a) Art materials and activities are available for children daily

Materials:

• ​paper plate
• 3 or more colors of paint
• pipe cleaner
• glue
• scissors
• hole punch (or cut small opening with scissors)
• string

Procedure:

1. fold paper plate in half
2. paint the bottom of the paper plate, the outer circle first switch colors and paint another circle inside that and then another circle inside the second circle.
3. cut medium triangle out of the center of the fold on the paper plate
4. cut the plate in half along the fold
5. with cut side out and the outside circular part of the plate together, overlap the outer circle and glue together
6. fold pipe cleaner in half and glue to the center of the butterfly
7. punch a hole, tie on string and hang

School-Age modifications:

1. more decorative cut outs along the fold before opening and cutting in half
2. paint symmetrical dots or shapes as last step 

Assessment:

• Observe and record as much as possible about fine motor skills used in painting, folding and cutting.
• Record how imaginative the children are with this project. (ie... wavy line circles, dotted lines, did they make faces etc.?)

Note:  Please provide appropriate supervision to the children in your care when completing all activities. You will need to decide what types of activities are safe for the children in your care.  Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when providing art and sensory experiences for children.  Toddlers require special caution, only use non-toxic materials, and do not allow toddlers to put things in their mouths that are a choking hazard. ​

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Traditional Creative Arts

Arts and craft activities include traditional creative arts which have been practiced for centuries (such as tapestry) as well as modern inventions (such as T-shirt art). Although most arts and crafts require a combination of patience, skill and speed, many of them can be learned at a basic level by everyone, including young children. Arts and crafts can be divided into different categories such as using:

• paper or canvas: calligraphy, card-making, collage, drawing, marbling, painting, pattern-and print-making, papier-mâché, paper-making, origami
• textiles: crocheting, embroidery, felting, knitting, lace-making, patchwork, quilting, rug-making, sewing, string art, tapestry, tatting, t-shirt art, weaving
• wood, metal or clay: carpentry, jewelry, marquetry, metalworking, pottery, sculpture, woodturning, woodworking
• plants or other materials: basket-weaving, beadwork, corndolly-making, doll-and toy-making, egg decorating, floral design, glassblowing, mosaics

Creative arts provide opportunities for young children to understand the world around them by experimenting with materials to discover their properties and possibilities. Examples of materials and equipment for creative arts include: paint and brushes, paper (of different colors, shapes, sizes) glue, scissors, play-dough, wood, metal and clay and associated equipment. (Remember to apply the health and safety procedures of the setting.)

Creative arts provide opportunities for young children to express their feelings and ideas, as well as develop their imaginative and creative skills. You should ensure that the creative activities provided are appropriate to the ages and developmental needs of the children you work with, and are in line with the overall plan for the setting.