Life Cycle of a Firefly!
Life Cycle of a Firefly
Aren’t fireflies just the coolest? For most of us, they remind us of our childhood where it seems we spent a lot more time outdoors than our own children do.
As I shared with my kids some of those memories of catching “lightning bugs” in a jar, the homeschool mom in me decided to go one step further and have them help me research some more fun information and activities related to our study of fireflies. Below you’ll find links and ideas for:
- our All About Fireflies Life Cycle Unit Study (You’ll see the “click here to get your copy” link below.)
- a list of fun facts about fireflies
- YouTube videos about fireflies
- books about fireflies
- craft ideas for younger and older kids
Fun Facts about Fireflies
- They’re not actually flies at all! They’re beetles.
- There are over 2,000 species of fireflies! Their scientific name is Lampyridae. (It’s the Greek word for “light.”)
- Fireflies of different species flash in different patterns.
- Their light shows are almost always an audition for a mate.
- Not all species are capable of lighting up. Instead, some use pheromones to attract mates.
- When fireflies are attacked, they shed drops of blood. The blood contains poisonous chemicals that create a bitter taste. Most animals have learned this and avoid munching on fireflies.
- The average lifespan of a firefly is 2 months.
If you decide to collect fireflies to observe for a few hours, do not punch holes in the lid. They need humid, moist air to survive, and there will be plenty of air in the jar for several hours. Just be sure to release them close to where you collected them!
Life Cycle of a Firefly-Printable Pack
In our firefly printable pack, there are 11 pages highlighting the Life Cycle of the Firefly! Have your little ones color the pages, or have your older kiddos fill out the factoids on each page! This is great for grades 2 – 5!
When you’re all done creating your mini book, grab a Mason jar and head outside at dark to see if you’re able to catch any of these magical creatures!
Below, you’ll see a link to go to our store and download your own Life Cycle of a Firefly printable pack. But don’t stop reading! Under the link, I’ve shared more resources about fireflies that you can use just for fun or as part of your homeschool (or both)!
More Resources About Fireflies
YouTube Videos
Even though the YouTube videos below are for kids, we still always suggest watching them before having your children watch them. We do our best to make sure the videos we share are family-friendly, but you should make the final decision for your own children.
Books
We recommend (as we did with the YouTube videos above) that the parent read each book before reading it with your young children. We do our best to recommend books that are appropriate for the whole family, but the parent should make the final choice.
This is a beautiful rhyming book for young children about what fireflies do.
This interactive book is about a firefly who gets lost and needs help finding her way home. Readers can encourage her to fly faster, suggest directions to take, and make a wish.
This book includes fun facts about fireflies, simple projects, and more!
Glowing Animals: National Geographic Readers
This National Geographic Reader includes information about all kinds of bioluminescent animals and how they glow, the reasons they glow, and more!
Craft Ideas
Firefly Suncatcher from i heart arts n crafts
Unlike other suncatchers, this one only requires basic materials that you may already have at home.
These adorable bandage lightning bugs (or fireflies!) are so easy to make! (You may need to order the googly eyes and yellow bandages. Some fireflies glow green or even red, though, so use those colors if you’d rather.) This would make a super quick and easy group project for a co-op class too.
Fingerprint Lightning Bug Art Project
This is a cute but easy fingerprint craft project for young children.
Glow in the Dark Firefly Art Lesson
This is a beautiful art project for older kids (or even teens). Or you can simplify it if you’d like to do it with young children.
These glowstick fireflies are going to get your kids’ attention! They are easy to make and would be perfect for an outdoor nighttime glow party.
You May Also Like:
Interested in studying the wildlife in your own backyard this summer? You may also enjoy some of these other insect and life-cycle studies!
Life Cycle of a Bee
Life Cycle of a Dragonfly
Life Cycle of an Ant
