16 Butterfly Templates and Templates
Butterfly templates are perfect for symmetry practice because each butterfly's left and right wings mirror each other. A classic preschool activity is to paint one wing, fold the paper in half and press, so the paint prints onto the other wing. This collection of 16 templates offers clean outlines in many arrangements. There is a simple butterfly, a plain outline and a fun version for little ones, plus one large front view that fills the page. Others show a butterfly in side profile, a pair hugging, a pair stacked wing to wing and a butterfly with tall folded wings. Several pages stack three, four or five butterflies in a column, and one arranges them in a spiral. Cut them out and string them as a mobile, tape them to a window or glue them onto craft sticks as puppets. For a realistic touch, copy a monarch with orange wings, black veins and white dots, or a swallowtail in yellow and black. Rainbow butterflies are always a hit too.
From blank template to decorated wings
Simple Butterfly is the plainest, with eight wide wing zones and no face, good for ages 3 to 5 or for cutting and tracing. Cute Butterfly adds a face and rows of round spots for ages 4 to 7. Butterfly Outline shows vein lines and spots in a lifelike layout for ages 5 to 8. Fun Butterfly is the busiest, with eight hearts and many small spirals that suit kids around 6 to 9.
Symmetry painting activity
Use Simple Butterfly for a mirror lesson. Kids color only the left wings, then try to copy the exact colors and patterns onto the right side. For a science tie in, color Butterfly Outline like a monarch with orange panels, black veins and white dots, then compare it with a photo of a real one. Cut out the finished wings, fold them at the body and hang them from string.
