Use these printable butterfly templates to learn about symmetry with crayons, loose parts or out in your forest classroom.
Printable butterfly templates for easy symmetry activities
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Butterflies are the perfect animal for learning about symmetry. These printable butterfly templates give you many options for symmetry activities, using a variety of materials.
How to use this printable
Print the butterfly templates (see below).
There are three butterfly options: a blank butterfly, a butterfly with a simple shape pattern on one side, and a butterfly with a more complex shape pattern on one side.
Try one of these three ways to play:
Colour-in butterflies
Set out the butterflies with coloured pencils and invite your children to colour in the blank side of the butterfly so that it is symmetrical with the shapes they can see.
Children can start with the simple shape arrangement and then try and see if they can complete the more complex one. They will need to think about shapes, colours, size, and placement.
As an extension activity, they can create their own design on one side of the blank butterfly printable and then challenge a friend to complete the other side.
Loose parts butterflies
You can also set out the blank butterfly printable with a selection of loose parts and invite your children to create symmetrical patterns on the wings. Try sequins, small card shapes, buttons, pom poms, cut-up paper straws… anything goes!
This option works very well as a finger gym as manipulating the small loose parts is a great workout for fine motor skills.
Nature butterflies
Take the blank butterfly printable out with you to your garden classroom or forest school and use nature finds such as small leaves, petals, and seeds to create the patterns on the wings.
More symmetry activities
Try these symmetry activities too:
:: radial symmetry with circles
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bri says
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Just discovered your work, with various and accurate activities, I love it, thank you for sharing