We know play dough is fabulous for fine motor skills and children love playing with it, but did you know play dough can also be a valuable tool for science lessons? Free Printable Life Cycle Of A Ladybug Play Dough Mats For Kids are a wonderful printable activity that gives you an easy, hands on way to teach life cycles. Your kids will love recreating the stages of a ladybug life cycle using their play dough.
This activity for practicing the life cycle of a ladybug for Kindergarten and Preschool has a place to create the life cycle with play dough, a spot to practice tracing the vocabulary word, and an “I can” sentence at the top of each page.
Stages included:
- ladybug lays eggs
- eggs on leaf
- ladybug larvae (larval stage)
- pupa
- ladybug
- ladybug with wings (adult ladybug)
How To Use This Life Cycle Activity:
Enter your email address in the box below to receive a link to download this free, printable ladybug life cycle play dough mat.
Once you download the activity, print it onto white card stock and laminate it.
If you don’t have a laminator, you can cover the page in clear contact paper or slip the pages into clear plastic sleeves.
Each card has a place to practice writing the vocabulary words eggs, larva, pupa, leaf, ladybug, and wings.
Your child can use their finger to trace the word, or use a dry erase marker to trace along the dotted line and write the word.
Help your child read the sentence at the top of each play dough mat. This would be a great time for them to point out any words or letters they recognize!
Using play dough, have your child create the different ladybug stages on their mats.
Talk about the different stages as they are forming their play dough.
Write down any questions your child has about the stages of the ladybug metamorphosis as they are working with the play dough and research them later with your child.
Other Resources For Learning About The Life Cycle Of A Ladybug:
Children learn best when they are given the opportunity to learn and practice content in multiple ways.
This life cycle of a ladybug activity is a wonderful, hands on way for children to practice the stages of the life cycle.
Here are some other resources for building a lesson about the life cycle of a ladybug for preschoolers! (or kindergartners!)
These Figurines Are Great For Acting Out The Ladybug Life Cycle For Kids!
Your kids will love acting out the different stages of the ladybug life cycle with these little figurines.
You can also use them in a bug themed sensory bin for some sensory learning fun!
Insect Lore Ladybug Life Cycle – 4 PC Insect Figure Shows Life Of Lady Bug
Grab this Ladybug Life Cycle Kit for an up close view of the ladybug life cycle!
Our Favorite Ladybug Books:
We can’t live without these!
Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:
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Life Cycle of a Ladybug (Pogo Books: Incredible Animal Life Cycles)Life Cycle of a Ladybug, The (Blastoff! Readers: Life Cycles)
It’s a Good Thing There Are Ladybugs (Rookie Read-About Science: It’s a Good Thing…)
A Ladybug’s Life (Nature Upclose)
Lady Bug (Life Cycles)
Are You A Ladybug? (Avenues)
LA Catarina/ Ladybug (Life Cycles) (Spanish Edition)
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