Bugs & Butterflies Week for Kids: Easy Activities, Books, Snacks & Fun Ideas
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Looking for a simple way to add some fun and structure to your summer at home with little ones? Theme Week Summer was designed with preschool and early elementary-aged kids in mind, giving you a low-pressure rhythm for the season with flexible, intentional ideas. Each week centers around a new theme, and you can grab my free printables to create your own summer schedule and plan out books to read, activities to try, snacks to make, and more! 👉 Click here to visit the main blog post and get your free calendar and planning worksheet.
This week’s theme is Bugs & Butterflies—a fun and simple theme that lets kids explore the tiny creatures all around them. We aren’t making any big plans this week, but we are getting a butterfly kit and some caterpillars so we can watch them grow and change over the rest of the summer. I also picked up a few low-cost bug collector kits so the kids can catch, observe, and release all the creepy crawly things they discover in our backyard!
Theme Week Summer: Easy Ideas for an Intentional Summer at Home
Theme Week Summer is all about simple, intentional fun at home with your preschoolers and early elementary kids! Grab free printables to plan your own summer themes and follow along with weekly inspiration, activities, books, snacks, and more.
Bugs & Butterflies 🐞🐛🦋
Bugs & Butterflies Week is a great chance to slow down and explore nature up close. Whether you're heading out for a backyard bug hunt or releasing your own butterflies, this blog post is filled with simple and fun ideas to make the most of this theme. You'll find easy activity ideas, themed snacks, sweet read-alouds, and some bug-tastic shows and movies to enjoy together.
Activities to Do
Go on a backyard bug scavenger hunt
Start a butterfly kit and observe caterpillars growing
Use magnifying glasses or bug viewers to inspect insects
Create a bug hotel with natural materials
Make butterfly crafts using coffee filters or paper plates
Draw or color your favorite bugs
shop activities & crafts
see ideas on pinterest
Places to Visit
Local to Lancaster, PA:
Visit the Butterfly Atrium at Hershey Gardens (great indoor option but does require admission)
The North Museum (located in Lancaster City, has exhibits of insects & butterflies)
The Lancaster Science Factory (located in Lancaster City), has an outdoor environmental exhibit that showcases butterflies
(New!) The Butterfly Garden at the Groff Memorial Park in New Holland, PA (just opened on June 7, 2025)
Take a walk at a local park or nature trail to look for butterflies and bugs
Visit a garden center or public garden with pollinator-friendly plants
Explore a local nature center or kids science museum with bug exhibits
Snacks to Eat
Check out the carousel below for some of the cutest and easiest bug and butterfly-themed snack ideas I found on Pinterest!
Some ideas include:
Butterfly-shaped sandwiches or fruit trays
Dirt pudding cups with gummy worms
Celery caterpillars with peanut butter and raisins
Butterfly crackers and cheese snacks
Bug and Butterfly-shaped fruit snacks and gummies
see ideas on pinterest
shop snack supplies
Books to Read
See the carousel below for our favorite bug and butterfly-themed picture books!
A few highlights:
Look for books about metamorphosis, bugs, and backyard critters
Favorites include "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," "Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!" and "Waiting for Wings"
Shows to Watch
Bugs & Butterflies TV Shows for Preschoolers
Bluey – "Butterflies" (Season 1, Episode 3) – Streaming on Disney+
Peppa Pig – "Nature Trail" (Season 2, Episode 52) – Streaming on Paramount+
Sesame Street – "Grover and the Butterfly" (Season 39, Episode 4) – Streaming on Max (HBO)
Wild Kratts – "Butterfly Drama" (Season 1, Episode 3) – Streaming on PBS Kids
Bug Diaries – Entire series focuses on bugs – Streaming on Prime Video
Bugs & Butterflies Movies for Preschoolers
A Bug's Life – Streaming on Disney+
Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants – Streaming on Peacock
The Ant Bully – Streaming on Prime Video
James and the Giant Peach – Streaming on Disney+
Bee Movie – Streaming on Netflix
Mulan - Streaming on Disney+ - hear me out! it’s not exactly bug-related, but there is a super cute little cricket character in the movie!
Memory Verse
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Here’s a recap of our Bugs & Butterflies Week:
Here’s a peek at what we actually did during Bugs & Butterflies Week! 🐞🐛🦋
Stay tuned!
Bugs & Butterflies Week doesn’t need a lot of planning to be fun—just a little curiosity and a willingness to explore! From simple crafts and backyard bug hunts to observing caterpillars transform into butterflies, this theme offers so many ways to connect with nature and enjoy the small wonders around us.
