Pretzel Butterflies

‘Tis the season for chasing butterflies! And, wow, they sure fly fast. Every time we find one outside, it’s like hitting the lottery. So when I suggested making butterflies at snack time, the kids were all about it. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a local favorite, so we re-read it, snacked and made some butterflies. If you have the Cat in the Hat Learning Library Collection, I highly recommed My, Oh My – A Butterfly by Tish Rabe for a more in-depth look at butterflies. Here is what you’ll need to do this at home.

Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle or My, Oh My – A Butterfly by Tish Rabe

Supplies Needed:

• Pretzels
• Veggies Straws or Pretzel sticks
• Liquid glue
• Construction paper
• Marker (optional)

For snack time crafts, I always set out containers to separate snacks the kids can eat from the snacks they can craft with. This particular craft came about after my son decided to make a “trail” of pretzels on the floor from his bedroom to the kitchen. I still do not understand why, but according to him, “how else was he supposed to make the trail?” In any case, it was extra imperative that these pretzels be set aside from the edible ones.

We first used Veggie Straws to create one caterpillar and 2-3 butterfly bodies. I wanted the kids to make the connection between the body of a caterpillar and the transformation into butterfly that still includes a version of its former body. We used a marker to draw feet and antennae on the caterpillar and just antennae on the future butterfly bodies. Be generous with the glue to ensure the Veggie Straws stick to the paper.

Add four large globs of glue next to the other 2-3 Veggie Straws to set your pretzels in. Be sure to either take off the salt or glue on the unsalted side of the pretzel. Again, be generous with the glue or place the glue on the pretzel first then place it down. This will be more difficult for younger children to do, but older ones may have the fine motor skills to keep it on the pretzel. Then lie it flat and let it dry! The paper will be a little heavy depending on how many butterflies you make, so be sure everything is dry before you move it or display it.