Do your kids know the difference between plant and animal Life Cycles? Do they even know that plants and animals have life cycles? These free plant and animal life cycles printable worksheets and activities will be great resources for you to gather in making the very best life cycle unit.
Do plants and animals have a life cycle?
Although this is a question that many students may not think of themselves, they will be curious once they are aware. Kids get that like humans, animals also have a life cycle.
However, when it comes to plants, it is hard for kids to wrap their minds around a plant being a living thing. Yet, plants totally are living things and will be fun for kids to learn about.
Plants, just like animals (and humans) have a life cycle that shows how they live, grow, and change over a period of time.
What is animal and plant life called?
The common term for plant life is called “flora.” It describes all plant life particular to a specific region or habitat. The study of plant life is called botany.
All animal life present in a particular region, habitat, or geological period is called fauna. The study of animal life is zoology.
How are plant life cycles similar and different from animal life cycles?
Again, all life cycles are similar in that they start at birth and end in death. For both animals and plants, life starts at birth, ends in death while each involves some type of growth and reproduction.
The major difference between animal life cycles and plant life cycles is that plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or from water from the environment. Animal life cycles can not produce their own carbon requirements they must get it from eating plants or other animals.
Of course, an obvious difference is that animals are mobile because they have to go after the plants and animals for their energy source.
Plants are stationary in the soil or ground. They start off as a seed, grow, flower, and produce their very own seeds as well. Some plants complete this process in only weeks while other plants like trees can live for hundreds of years in this process.
Animals reproduce to form a new organism, it matures, and then those organisms reproduce themselves.
Did you know that plant and animal life cycles are often related?
Both plants and animals reproduce more when food is more abundant in their environment. Many times plants are dependent on animals for their own production while animals could not live without feeding on plants and other animals.
Learn About Lifecycles Through Nature Study
We have created several nature study resources in our online store, however the Nature Notebook is our bestseller!
Recommended Resource: Nature Notebook – Companion to Nature Anatomy by Julia RothmanIn the Nature Notebook, students will use a combination of written narration, drawing, and labeling alongside Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman (sold separately) to learn all about the Earth, plants, animals, and much more.
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Free Plant and Animal Life Cycles Printable Worksheets and Activities
Butterfly Life Cycle
Butterfly Life Cycle Sensory Bin – Sensory bins are a perfect way for your young learners to get involved with learning lessons with their siblings. It involves lots of colors and pasta that represent the butterfly’s life cycle. Super cool!
Life Cycle of a Butterfly Booklet – This life cycle of a butterfly-themed free printable is for 1st graders. What little one wouldn’t want to explore butterflies for science!?
Butterfly Life Cycle Printable Book – Your preschooler or kindergartener will enjoy this butterfly life cycle printable book to go alongside their lessons. They can also color the printable emergent reader book in whatever color they would like.
Butterfly Life Cycle Craft – This super engaging craft teaches kids about the complete metamorphosis of a butterfly’s life cycle. There are four different stages of metamorphosis.
Butterfly Life Cycle Craft with Free Printable Template – With this butterfly life cycle paper plate craft, kids can learn about this beautiful insect’s stages in life. Crafts make learning fun!
Playdough Butterfly Life Cycle Cards – This fine motor activity is a great way for kids to learn about butterfly life cycles in a fun way. Check out these free life cycle cards to use with playdough for kids.
Interactive Butterfly Life Cycle Craft – Need your kids to get a break away from printables and worksheets? This interactive butterfly Life Cycle craft and poem is a fun way for kids to stay engaged in this super cool topic.
Butterfly Life Cycle Necklace Craft – Check out this butterfly life cycle craft necklace – with a twist. This craft activity also comes with free printable butterfly life cycle cards as well.
We have a Free Butterflies Nature Study Pack available for download in our subscriber library.
Life Cycle of Ladybugs
Ladybug Life Cycle Coloring Page – This free informative worksheet will help your students learn about the names of each and every stage of the ladybug life cycle. Explore a lady bug’s circle of life.
Free Ladybug Life Cycle Packet – Whatever weather you are in ladybugs remind us of the good warmer temperatures. Kids will learn ladybug life cycle vocabulary words like larva and chrysalis.
Ladybug Life Cycle Worksheets – Get your kids ready for some learning about the ladybug life cycle with this free printable worksheet and diagrams. This freebie holds 2 pages with fill-in-the-blank life cycle sections and a drawing section.
Ladybug Life Cycle Sensory Activities – Don’t just give your kiddos worksheets or printables to learn about the life cycles of animals. Grab these ladybug life cycle activities to share with toddlers and preschoolers at home.
Ladybug Life Cycle Emergent Readers – These free ladybug life cycle emergent readers are perfect for your young learners. They can combine reading and science in one emergent reader to color and practice reading skills.
Other Insect Life Cycles
Rhino Beetle Life Cycle Worksheet – color the life cycle worksheet of a rhino beetle. These bigs aren’t very appealing to look at unless you have an insect explorer at home. Enjoy!
Grasshopper Life Cycle Worksheet – Grasshoppers start off their lives as an egg, they then transform to nymphs before maturing to an adult grasshopper. View all the different stages of its life cycle with this free download worksheet.
Cicada Life Cycle Worksheet – Cicada’s are large and loud insects. Check out each stage of its life with this informative worksheet download.
Life Cycle of a Fly – Oh flies how you haunt my summers! Why not make the best out of these buzzing insects while learning about their life cycle, larvae, and all.
Life Cycle of a Moth Worksheet – I literally have had a moth on my ceiling for the whole day. My ceiling is white and I think, it thinks he is camouflaging. NOT working Mr. Moth. Check out this life cycle of a moth free worksheet to color.
Honeybee Life Cycle Printables – My husband has recently attended a free class on keeping honey bees. It all sounds super interesting. Check out this free printable life cycle of a honey bee resource your whole family can enjoy.
Life Cycles of Animals
Sea Turtle Life Cycle Worksheet – There is a tiny island where we live in the Pacific that has loads of sea turtles. We love to go there just to inevitably see these majestic creatures of the sea. Help your kids learn all about them with this color the life cycle resource.
Salmon Life Cycle Worksheet – My family loves to eat salmon. My kids enjoy videos of them swimming upstream. That is a pretty cool sight to see. Help your kiddos study the life cycle of a fish – salmon, specifically.
Jellyfish Life Cycle Worksheet – Jellyfish are beautiful to look at. They are quite the visual specimens when they are floating in the sea. Show your kiddos some videos and help them enjoy learning about the jellyfish life cycle with this worksheet.
Animal Life Cycle Cards – Grab these free cards about the life cycle of animals for your students. Learn about all types of animals like birds, frogs, snakes, and more.
Bat Life Cycle Worksheet – Did you know the newborn bat is called a pup? Or that bats are born only after 50 to 60 days in their mother’s body? Check out more about the bat life cycle with this free printable worksheet.
Life Cycle Of An Egg Laying Snake – Egg-laying snakes usually find safe places to lay their eggs. It’s hard to think snakes look for anything safe because to us, they are anything but. Check out this free printable worksheet about the life cycle of these snakes.
Resources for the Life Cycle of Chickens
Chicken Life Cycle Cards – This science-themed life cycle lesson for kids will help them learn about a chicken’s life cycle. Check out the different games for kids to study this interesting topic.
Chicken Life Cycle Booklet – This Chicken Life Cycle Booklet is four pages and includes transition words, vocabulary words, event sequences, labels, pictures, and more.
Life Cycle of a Chicken Craft – Crafts are a fun way for kids to practice hand-eye coordination. This life cycle of a chicken craft will help your kids cut and paste worksheets and even hand-painted with this science craft for little ones.
Chicken Life Cycle Worksheet – From eggs (like the ones we eat) to hatchlings, chicks to roosters or hens, learning about chickens will be fun. Check out this color-the-life-cycle free worksheet download on chickens.
Life Cycle of a Frog
Frog Lifecycle Recycled Craft – A frog’s life cycle is pretty fascinating to young learners. This recycled craft is perfect for reviewing what they have learned about a frog’s life cycle. Children will transform tadpoles into a frog while retelling the process in their own words.
Frog Life Cycle Worksheet – Explore the cool evolution of a frog life cycle. From tiny eggs to tadpoles through the adult frog, the change is truly incredible. God is truly a master creator.
Life Cycle of a Frog Worksheet – This is an adorable activity to help your students learn about the frog life cycle. These toad images are adorable early learning life science resource.
Frog Life Cycle Notebooking Pages – These notebooking pages free printables are a fun learning activity to learn about the life cycle of a frog and related vocabulary words. There is even a space in the pages to record observations.
Frog Life Cycle Color Activity and Copywork – Follow the stages of life from egg to adult frog. There are varying versions – black & white and full-color illustrations.
Fine Motor Frog Life Cycle Craft – Crafts are the coolest. This fine motor frog life cycle activity is adorable. Make sure you take pictures as it is a keeper for sure.
Life Cycles of Plants Resources for your Science Unit
Free Plant Life Cycles Cut & Paste Activity – Your homeschool family will have fun exploring the world of plants with this cut and paste activity about the life cycle of plants. There are 13 different plants to learn about in this cool fine motor skill and learning activity.
Plant Life Cycle Cards – Grab this free worksheet downloadable plant life cycle flash cards. From seeds to grown plants, kids will arrange the stages of plant life in numbered order as they cut and paste flashcards in the process.
Life Cycle of Plants Worksheet and Diagram – These preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary can help kids observe with worksheets and diagrams. There are two different printable diagrams for kids to complete. – full color and black & white.
Plant Life Cycle Notebook Printables – This life cycle of a plant worksheet will help your kids learn what plants need to grow and write down their observations. Kids can label the parts of a plant, see their life cycle, and learn botany vocabulary words.
Plant Life Cycle File Folder Games – Help your kids first learn about God and then his creation. Check out this cool file folder game about flowers and plants during their life cycle.
Teaching About Lifecycles
If your children enjoy nature and learning about animals and plants they will LOVE learning about all of the different lifecycles of insects, animals, and plants. I love to teach about lifecycles in our homeschool. There are so many different printables, crafts, and activities available to create a fun, in-depth unit study on lifecycles.
Although plant life cycles and animal life cycles are different, they are equally important to our environment.
Just like animals and plants grow and mature in their life, we can also teach our kids about the maturity and growth of our spiritual life.
Our ultimate hope with our children is for them also to evolve spiritually from a newborn child in Christ to a mature Christian. Plant and animal life cycle lessons are a great way to incorporate this concept in ways kids can understand.
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Jeannette is a wife, mother and homeschooling mom. She has been mightily, saved by grace and is grateful for God’s sovereignty throughout her life’s journey. She has a Bachelor in English Education and her MBA. Jeannette is bi-lingual and currently lives in the Tongan Islands of the South Pacific. She posts daily freebies for homeschoolers!
