Bugs, animals and ocean creatures all go through different life cycles and kids love learning how animals grow from babies to adults. Some insects and animals don’t look anything at all like they did as babies..
If you’re learning about animals and bugs, it’s always a good idea to go through some life cycles. These life cycle worksheets for kids include plant, animal and insect life cycles with more to come.
Life cycles are the perfect way to learn about new animals and insects and to observe the circle of life.
As you go on a hike or walk in nature, see if you can point out any bugs or animals where you can discuss their life cycles. We had a frog in the pond in the backyard which led to great discussions about the frog life cycle.
Their life cycle is more distinctive and unique as they start their lives without any legs and they grow in later.
Our favorite life cycle is the butterfly, I told my kids how afraid of caterpillars I was but that I loved butterflies, but they told me it was the same thing so I should love caterpillars too. I just can’t, they gross me out, how they move, ugh.
Recommended Life Cycle Books for Kids
You can’t go wrong readying any of these life cycle books with these wonderous illustrations that worksheets can’t always capture.
The Amazing Life Cycle of Plants (Look and Wonder)
A Frog’s LifeThe Apple and the Seed: A Story of the Plant Life Cycle and the Human Life CycleFly, Monarch! Fly!
Plant life cycles
Plants go from seed to full-grown plants that can look completely different from each other. Apples grow on trees while pumpkins grow on vines on the ground. It’s great to see a mixture of plant life cycles since they differ so much.
Insect life cycles
Insect life cycles vary widely as you see the eggs turn to larvae and then to their adult forms. Insects can change drastically and it’s fun to guess which larva become which adults.
Butterfly life cycle worksheets
Honey Bee Life Cycle Worksheets
Spider Life Cycle for Kids – although they are not technically an insect I grouped them into the bug category.
Animal life cycles
See how babies grow to their adult forms, their changes can be quite drastic and it’s fun to see kids explore different animals species and discover what they look like as babies. It can be hard to match up sometimes.
Sea turtle life cycle worksheets
Recommended Life Cycle Toys
Life cycles can be fun to explore using toys and games to make learning about life cycles more hands-on and fun. While we can’t always get our hands on a set of caterpillars to watch them grow into butterflies, toys and games can be the next best replacement.
Safari Ltd Life Cycle of a Monarch ButterflySafari Ltd Life Cycle of a Green Bean PlantAmerican Educational Products MAG-203 Magnetic Lifecycle Puzzle Activity SetInsect Lore Giant Butterfly Kit: Deluxe 18
If you have a backyard, you can plant insect friendly plants to attract butterflies, bees, and birds so that you can watch life cycles as they happen in nature.
I have cilantro in our garden that brings the black swallowtail caterpillars, which was really fun to watch them grow as they were really tiny and they grew quickly.
If you’re going to plant them but also want to eat them, just plant some extra so you can share with the caterpillars. It was a fun summer activity.
