Concentration
Toddlers watch a caregiver help a pretend butterfly fly and stop flying.
Be Prepared: Use the provided pattern to cut a simple butterfly shape from bold-colored construction paper or felt.
[Invite several toddlers to join you to watch a pretend butterfly. Slowly move the butterfly back and forth in front of the toddlers.]
We can have fun playing with a make-believe butterfly. I am going to pretend our butterfly is flying. Watch how I help the butterfly fly.
[Flutter the butterfly back and forth in front of you as toddlers watch.]
I am moving the butterfly. Our butterfly is flying.
Our butterfly is getting hungry! The butterfly stops moving so it can eat.
[Hold the butterfly still for the toddlers to see. You may wish to hold the butterfly in the palm of your hand as if it landed.]
Now our butterfly is eating. I stopped moving our butterfly so it could eat. We eat when we get hungry.
[Begin moving the butterfly again.]
Our butterfly is done eating. The butterfly is flying again. Flying, flying, flying.
Now our butterfly is getting sleepy. Our butterfly stops flying so it can sleep.
[Hold the butterfly still for toddlers to see. You may wish to hold the butterfly in the palm of your hand as if it landed.]
Our butterfly is sleeping now. Sleeping, sleeping, sleeping.
Should I help our butterfly wake up so it can fly one more time?
[If one or more toddlers respond positively, repeat part of the process of flying and stopping the butterfly.]
I helped our butterfly fly. I moved our butterfly and we pretended the butterfly was flying. Then I stopped moving our butterfly. The butterfly was not flying. We had fun watching the butterfly fly and then stop!
Concentration
Toddlers practice helping a pretend butterfly fly and stop flying.
Be Prepared: Use the provided pattern to cut simple butterfly shapes from bold-colored construction paper or felt.
Invite several toddlers to join you to play with pretend butterflies. Introduce one of the pretend butterflies and flutter it back and forth in front of you as if it were flying. Example: “We are going to have fun playing with pretend butterflies. Our butterflies are going to fly around. I am pretending my butterfly is flying. See how I help my butterfly to fly?” Give each toddler a pretend butterfly to hold. Provide time for toddlers to explore their butterflies. Then invite toddlers to help their butterfly fly like you are. Example: “Let’s all pretend that our butterflies are flying. You can help your butterfly fly like I am!” Describe toddlers’ actions. Examples: “Amani is moving her butterfly back and forth in the air just like I am. Amani’s butterfly is flying!” “We are moving our butterflies together. Our butterflies are flying!”
Announce that the butterflies are hungry and it is time for them to stop flying. We will stop flying our butterflies so they can eat. Draw attention to how you stopped moving your butterfly. Example: “I am not moving my butterfly. My butterfly stopped flying. My butterfly is eating. It is not flying.” Encourage toddlers to stop moving their butterflies and hold their butterflies still while they eat. “Let’s all stop moving our butterflies. Our butterflies will stop flying so they can eat.” Demonstrate holding your butterfly in the palm of your hand while it eats. Encourage toddlers to do the same.
Explain that the butterflies finished eating. Begin to move your butterfly again and encourage toddlers to do the same. After several moments of the butterflies flying, explain that the butterflies are getting sleepy. It is time for the butterflies to stop flying so they can sleep. Stop moving your butterfly and encourage toddlers to do the same. Example: “We stopped moving our butterflies. Our butterflies stopped flying. The butterflies are sleeping.” Again, demonstrate holding your butterfly in the palm of your hand while it sleeps. Encourage toddlers to do the same.
Conclude the activity by acknowledging toddlers’ efforts to move and stop moving their butterfly. Example: “We had fun playing with our pretend butterflies. We helped our butterflies fly. Then we made our butterflies stop flying. Now our butterflies are sleeping!”
Option 1 promotes toddlers’ concentration skills in watching you move a pretend butterfly, whereas Option 2 promotes concentration skills in manipulating a pretend butterfly, especially with fly and stop actions. There also is important concentration work in connecting your words to actions with the pretend butterflies. Encourage toddlers to fly their pretend butterflies in ways they wish. It is not necessary to copy your precise movements. Some toddlers may wish to stand. If a toddler leaves the play area with his/her butterfly, encourage him/her to eventually come back. Example: “I see James leaving with his butterfly. I hope James’ butterfly flies back! Butterflies like to be together.”
Stopping the movement of the pretend butterfly will be challenging for some toddlers. Offer reminders and draw attention to how most butterflies are now still. Example: “It is time for our butterflies to stop flying. Our butterflies are eating now. We do not move around when we eat. We hold out butterflies still, like this.” See Extra Support tips.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: chunky, age-appropriate crayons, light-colored construction paper
Invite several toddlers to create their own pretend butterflies. Encourage toddlers to make marks on their paper. Ask if they would like you to fold their paper in half to create butterfly wings. Invite toddlers to fly their butterflies and then to have them stop to eat or sleep.
Materials Needed: age-appropriate crayons, light-colored construction paper
Involve preschool-age and older children in the Interest Area activity. Older children may enjoy guided use of scissors to cut a simple butterfly shape. Help children fold their paper in half to create butterfly wings. Children of all ages will enjoy Option 2, and an older child may wish to lead the activity. Older infants may enjoy holding a large toy butterfly or being held and “flown” around during the activity.
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