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Montessori-Inspired Life Cycle Activities

March 24, 2014 By Deb Chitwood 9 Comments

Spring is the perfect time for life cycle activities. And there are lots of hands-on materials that can make learning about life cycles extra fun for young children.

I had fun reviewing six life cycle materials from Safari Ltd. Today, I’m sharing some simple life cycle activities – one activity for each of the life cycles I reviewed.

Disclosure: I received each of the 6 Safari Ltd. life cycle sets to review. This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Life Cycle of a Bean Plant

Life Cycle of a Bean Plant

Life Cycle of a Bean Plant

I used the Safari Ltd. Life Cycle of a Green Bean Plant and free bean plant life cycle printables from Twinkl for this activity. You could also use the free learning the plant life cycle printable from Exploring Nature. I used a large plastic tray and large hemmed work rug from Montessori Services for the layout.

Life Cycle of a Bean Plant Layout

Life Cycle of a Bean Plant Layout

Life Cycle of a Bean Plant and Seed Planting ActivitiesI also have a post with Life cycle of a Bean Plant and Seed Planting Activities.

Check out my Montessori-Inspired Botany/Gardening Unit for lots of gardening activities.

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

For this activity, I used the Safari Ltd. Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly and free butterfly life cycle cards from The Helpful Garden. (Note: The cards I used are no longer available, but you’ll find similar free monarch butterfly life cycle cards by The Laminatrix at Teachers Pay Teachers.)

Life Cycle of a Butterfly Layout

Life Cycle of a Butterfly Layout

Butterfly Sensory Bin with Scavenger Hunt and Life Cycle Activities {Free Printables}

Check out my Butterfly Sensory Bin with Scavenger Hunt and Life Cycle Activities {Free Printables} for more butterfly life cycle activities.

Free Caterpillar to Butterfly Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities

You’ll find a number of butterfly life cycle activities (including raising painted lady butterflies) here.

Check out my Montessori-Inspired Caterpillar-Butterfly Unit for lots of caterpillar and butterfly activities.

Life Cycle of a Ladybug

Life Cycle of a Ladybug

Life Cycle of a Ladybug

For this activity, I used the Safari Ltd. Life Cycle of a Ladybug. The printable I used is not longer free, but you’ll find free ladybug (and many other animals) life cycle printables at The Pinay Homeschooler.

Life Cycle of a Ladybug Layout

Life Cycle of a Ladybug Layout

Check out my Montessori-Inspired Ladybug Activities Using Free Printables (including a life cycle sensory tub) and Free Ladybug Printables and Montessori-Inspired Ladybug Activities for more ladybug activities and resources.

Life Cycle of a Frog

Life Cycle of a Frog

Life Cycle of a Frog

For this activity, I used the Safari Ltd. Life Cycle of a Frog and free life cycle of a frog with definitions from Montessori 123.

Life Cycle of a Frog Layout

Life Cycle of a Frog Layout

Montessori Frog Life Cycle Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

See also my Montessori Frog Life Cycle Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers.

Lots of Learning and Fun with Frogs Sensory Bin_Pinterest

I have even more frog life cycle activities in my Lots of Learning and Fun with Frogs Sensory Bin.

Check out my Montessori-Inspired Frog Activities for more frog resources and activities.

Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle

Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle

Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle

For this activity, I used the Safari Ltd. Life Cycle of a Green Sea Turtle and free life cycle of a sea turtle cards from Montessori Motivation at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle Layout

Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle Layout

Check out my Montessori-Inspired Turtle Activities roundup post for more turtle activities and resources.

Life Cycle of a Chicken

Life Cycle of a Chicken Layout

This activity uses the Safari Ltd. Life Cycle of a Chicken and the free life cycle of a chicken fact cards and flow chart from Learn Create Love. It’s one of the activities I shared in my Montessori-Inspired Easter Egg Activities Using Free Printables at PreK + K Sharing. Here I used a medium-sized tray from Montessori Services.

Life Cycle of a Chicken Layout

There are great life cycle booklets and other life cycle printables from Montessori Print Shop that can be used to extend any life cycle study.

Note: there are 4 more Safari Ltd. life cycle sets that I didn’t review: Life Cycle of a Honey Bee, Life Cycle of a Luna Moth, Life Cycle of a Stag Beetle, and Life Cycle of a Mosquito.

More Life Cycle Posts at Living Montessori Now

Ant Sensory Bin with Scavenger Hunt and Life Cycle Activities
Ant Sensory Bin with Scavenger Hunt and Life Cycle Activities

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Filed Under: Activities - Cultural, Montessori Monday Tagged With: Life Cycles, Montessori, Montessori Monday, Montessori-inspired life cycle activities, Safari Ltd., Safari Ltd. Life Cycles

Previous Post: « Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Next Post: Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – India »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anastasia says

    March 24, 2014 at 5:12 am

    thank you for opportunity to share! What a great bunch of life cycle resources!

    Reply
  2. Dayna says

    March 24, 2014 at 7:33 am

    I love these! I entered yesterday for the Safari tubes. We love Safari LTD. Thank you for hosting this link up as always it is such a great resource for planning my homeschool plans.

    Reply
  3. Melissa says

    March 24, 2014 at 10:34 am

    These are great, Deb! Seeing your layouts is inspiring, and your links to free printables are a fantastic resource. Thanks so much for writing this post!

    Reply
  4. Tearri Rivers says

    March 24, 2014 at 8:10 pm

    I have missed visiting here, I am way too excited about being able to participate in the linkup(Brain Builders), by the way I love how easy it is and how you are able to share with a click with other social medias. As always I leave feeling inspire. I am about to go partying through your archives. Thanks so much for sharing and I can’t wait to share my post using your book. Have a great week Deb!

    Reply
  5. Deanna says

    March 25, 2014 at 7:34 am

    Sparkle box has some great free cards for turtle and chicken life cycles. I used them this month with my preschooler. http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/topic/living/hen-growth/#.UzGTnfldV8F

    Reply
  6. Carrie says

    April 4, 2014 at 5:36 pm

    Some great life cycle ideas!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!

    Reply
  7. Jacquie says

    May 10, 2014 at 8:59 pm

    LOVE these life cycle learning layouts! I’m featuring the sea turtle lifecycle in our weekly round-up this week. Thanks so much for sharing at Discover & Explore!

    Reply
  8. Amy says

    May 16, 2017 at 10:11 pm

    Hello Deb, these life cycle resources are awesome.Very inspiring.I have been searching some inspiring life cycles for my two and half-year-old daughter and I come through your blog! I bought Safari Ltd Life Cycle for her and she was so happy when I got this to her! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing post.

    Reply

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