Becoming Butterflies:

From Wondertime:
http://wondertime.go.com/
Each September, children at Cornerspring Children's House have an opportunity to become monarch butterfly authorities. Autumn, as preschoolers (and adults) will learn, is a crucial time for these fliers, since that is when they head to Mexico and Southern California, where they set up shop for the winter before heading back home, laying eggs along the way. The classroom shelves are filled with butterfly works, songs and stories about butterflies fill up much of circle time. Butterflies are on everyone’s minds.

With this sensorial activity students have the opportunity to "become" butterflies themselves. They create a paper flower that has a cup in its center for nectar (a.k.a. apple juice or sweetened water), and then sip the nectar through a straw. Butterflies and moths feed through a strawlike proboscis, a flexible tongue that coils up when not in use. Really. Just ask any preschooler.

Cut the paper, felt, or fabric into 2-inch-long petals.

Use a glue stick to glue petals around the plate.

Cover the bottom of the cup with glue, and press it into the center of the flower for 30 seconds to make sure it sets. (If the cup has a recessed bottom, cover the bottom rim with glue instead.)

Use the straw (you can cut it in half for easier handling) to sip juice from the cup like a butterfly.