Animal Life Cycle Activities for Kindergarten Science

This free lesson provides hands-on animal life cycle activities for Kindergarten science. Students explore how living things grow and change by sequencing stages, observing real objects, and creating simple models. The activities are designed for Early Primary classrooms and can also support preschool or Grade 1 learners who are beginning to study how animals develop over time.

Overview

Students investigate how animals change as they grow. Across multiple days, children compare their own growth to animals such as butterflies, frogs, insects, and birds. They practice sorting, sequencing, observing, and describing. By the end of the unit, students understand that all animals start small, pass through stages, and become adults that can produce new life.

Subject Connections

Students use speaking and listening skills to describe observations, create drawings and simple labels in writing, and use counting and ordering in a science context. Art is incorporated through models, wheels, and mini books. Health connections include understanding growth and the role of food in development.

Learning Goals

• Recognize that animals grow and change over time
• Identify stages in at least two animal life cycles
• Place events in the correct order
• Compare baby animals and adults
• Describe how living things need food to grow

Materials

• Picture cards of animal stages
• Paper, crayons, markers, glue, and scissors
• Chart paper or whiteboard
• Plastic eggs or small containers
• Hand lenses
• Books or short videos about animals (any age-appropriate source)
• Egg (raw or hard-boiled) for teacher demonstration
• Student journals or stapled booklets

Preparation

• Print or prepare life cycle picture sets for butterfly and frog
• Create student journals by stapling 4–6 blank pages
• Prepare sorting trays or envelopes for picture cards
• Gather safe observation materials and cleaning supplies

Teaching Procedure

Each session fits a standard class period of 45–50 minutes. The full sequence runs approximately 2 school weeks.

Session 1 – What Does Growing Mean?

1. Show student baby photos (or teacher examples) and ask students what has changed. Students describe size, abilities, and appearance differences while the teacher records ideas on chart paper.
2. Activity: Teacher tells students they will become growth detectives. Using paper and crayons, each student draws themselves as a baby and as they are now. Students physically compare drawings and explain one difference to a partner. They create a two-page mini booklet showing “then” and “now.”
3. Teacher introduces the term “life cycle.” Students repeat the phrase and act out baby, growing, and adult stages using body movements.

Session 2 – Butterfly Life Cycle

1. Teacher reads or shows a short butterfly story or video. Students listen for what the animal looked like at the beginning and end.
2. Teacher places four picture cards (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly) in mixed order. Students help arrange them correctly and explain why.
3. Activity: Teacher gives each student a set of simple stage pictures, glue, and folded paper. Students physically cut and place the stages in order and create a butterfly life cycle booklet. They orally describe each page to the teacher or a partner.

Session 3 – Frog Growth and Observation

1. Teacher introduces frog stages using images. Students compare tadpoles and adult frogs.
2. Students observe a demonstration egg (teacher cracks into a clear bowl or shows model). With hand lenses, students carefully look and describe parts they notice while the teacher records words.
3. Students draw a tadpole and an adult frog in their journals and dictate one sentence about how they are different.

Session 4 – Insects and Sorting

1. Teacher reviews that different animals have different life cycles. Students recall butterfly and frog sequences.
2. Activity: Teacher places plastic eggs or containers with small animal pictures inside around the room. Students pick one, predict the animal using a clue read aloud, open it, and match it to a life cycle chart. Students demonstrate understanding by placing their animal in the correct category.
3. Students complete a sorting activity placing animals into “lays eggs” or “does not lay eggs” groups.

Session 5 – Baby Animals and Food

1. Teacher shows images of baby and adult animals. Students match pairs and explain similarities.
2. Teacher discusses why animals need food to grow. Students share what they ate that day.
3. Students draw a baby animal, its food, and its adult form in their journal.

Session 6 – Life Cycle Project

1. Teacher reviews all animals studied. Students choose one animal.
2. Students create a life cycle wheel or poster showing at least four stages using drawings and simple labels.
3. Students present their work and describe the order of stages to the class.

Assessment

Teacher checks student sequencing accuracy, participation in discussion, and ability to explain stages. Final project must show stages in correct order and include an oral explanation.

Differentiation

• Students who cannot write may dictate or draw
• Provide pre-cut images for fine motor support
• Advanced students label stages using invented spelling

Grade Adaptation

For preschool, reduce writing and focus on matching and movement activities. For Grade 1, add simple sentences describing each stage and compare two different animals.

Extension Ideas

• Maintain a class observation journal of plants or insects outside
• Create a classroom timeline showing student growth
• Invite students to interview a family member about growing up