Butterflies and Moths Sort - Free Printable

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You are invited to download the posters and picture cards with butterflies and moths – learning printables for preschool and kindergarten children. Use this resource with clear true-to-life images to create hands-on spring and summer activities for your students. This resource will come in handy if you are planning to explore insects in your Montessori and early childhood classroom.

About butterflies and moths

Butterflies are beautiful insects that come in many different colors and patterns. They have large wings that are covered in scales and can range in size from tiny to very large. Most butterflies feed on nectar from flowers and have a long, tube-like tongue called a proboscis to help them do this. Butterflies start their lives as eggs, then hatch into caterpillars before transforming into chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, they undergo a magical metamorphosis and emerge as a butterfly.

Moths are insects that look similar to butterflies. They are mostly active at night and are attracted to light. Moths come in a variety of sizes, colors, and patterns. They have wings that are covered in tiny scales, which give them their unique appearance. Moths play an important role in the ecosystem as they are pollinators and a food source for other animals. However, some species of moths can cause damage to crops and clothing. Some of the most well-known species of moths include Luna Moths, Cecropia Moths, and Polyphemus Moths.

Moths and butterflies are both insects with wings, but there are some differences between them. One main difference is their antennae. Moths have feathery antennae while butterflies have thin and smooth antennae with a small ball at the end. Another difference is the shape of their wings. Butterflies have wings that are more colorful and have a thin body, while moths have a fuzzy body and wings that are usually brown or gray. Moths are also active at night, while butterflies are more active during the day.

butterflies and Moths printable

Butterflies and moths poster, sorting and matching cards for littles (pre-k and K students) – match, glue onto a watercolor background.

Are your students becoming more and more excited about the changes that take place in nature? With the arrival of Spring, children enjoy observing insects come alive.

Younger children can be encouraged to match colored pictures to the black and white version and sort the insects into two categories. Prepare glue-and-paste activities. Cut insect cards, laminate, attach the hook, and loop dots to add an extra challenge for little fingers. Older children might be inspired to research and create their own book of moths and butterflies that dwell in your area, explore how butterflies and moths are different and the characteristics that are common for both groups of insects, glue cutouts, or draw and label the insects.

Here is what’s included:

2 x moths and butterflies – poster
1 x sorting mat – background
1 x page with images of butterflies and moths for matching

I love this idea @raisingmaeve had. Jess enlarged the background and used adhesive to create this wonderful little activity for her child.
If you would like to enlarge the background, here is how you can do it. Hit Print. Make sure in your Advanced Settings ‘Print As Image’ has been deselected. Then hit ‘Poster’ and set your ‘Tile Scale’ according to how large you would like your poster to be. If you set it at 100%, it will print on two sheets. Trim sheets as needed and connect your poster pieces using scotch tape.

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