About this coloring page
A chrysalis with three curved stripes hangs from a short thread under a thick branch, and a leaf dangles nearby. To the right, a small butterfly with knobbed antennae has just flown free. Two little circles and a four-pointed sparkle float below.
The chrysalis and branch are big, easy shapes, but the butterfly is small with tight spaces around its body. This page makes it easy to point at each stage and talk about what happens in between.
Color ideas
- Color the chrysalis jade green and add gold along the three curved stripes, like a real monarch chrysalis.
- Make the branch a warm brown and the hanging leaf a fresh green with a darker center line.
- Color the newly emerged butterfly bright orange so it stands out against the green chrysalis.
Did you know?
- Inside a chrysalis, the caterpillar's body breaks down and rebuilds itself into a butterfly.
- Butterflies form a chrysalis from their own hardened skin, while many moths spin a cocoon of silk.
- When a butterfly first comes out, its wings are crumpled and damp, and it rests while they spread and dry.
Try this
Draw the missing stages of the life cycle in a circle around the page: a tiny egg on a leaf and a caterpillar munching, with arrows leading to the chrysalis and the butterfly.
