Paper Roll Firefly Craft for Preschoolers

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Today I have the pleasure of sharing a super easy paper roll firefly craft for preschoolers and young children.

With just a little cutting, sticking and tracing, your preschooler will have their very own firefly to play with in just a few simple steps – this is fantastic craft for exercising those all important fine motor skills and can be paired with a few firefly facts (these can be found at the bottom of this post).

So if you’re looking for a sweet summer project for your children and have a few paper rolls lurking in the recycling bin, then this a lovely activity to try.

And once your preschooler has completed the firefly craft, they may also apply their creativity to making a paper roll lady bug, butterfly or bee!

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• Paper Plate Ladybug
• Paper Plate Ant Craft for Preschoolers
• 3D Spider Craft
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How to Make a Paper Roll Firefly Craft for Preschool

Materials

• Yellow, White, and Brown Paper
• Paper Roll
• Googly Eyes
• Pipe Cleaner
• Sequin or Paper Circles
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Marker Pen
• Sticky Tape

Optional Firefly Template:

The Firefly Template is available to members of the Arty Crafty Kids club. 
Members will need to log in to access the templates: https://www.artycraftykids.com/product/paper-roll-firefly-craft-template/

Not a Member? 

Watch the Firefly Step-by-Step Video Tutorial:

Let’s Make a Firefly!

Step 1: Wrap the Paper Roll

Cut a long strip of brown paper to the width of the paper roll.

Apply glue to one end of the brown paper and secure it to the paper roll.

Gently wrap the paper around the roll.

Apply glue to the other end of the paper strip and glue it to the paper roll.

Step 2: Draw a Tear Drop Shape onto Yellow Paper

Next, draw a tear drop shape onto a piece of yellow paper – this will become the fireflies glowing abdomen.

Step 3: Draw a Circle to Create the Fireflies Head

Draw a circular shape onto a piece of brown paper and carefully cut it out.

Step 4: Glue Googly Eyed and Draw a Smile

Glue a pair of googly eyes onto the circle, draw a little smile and add a pair of rosy cheeks.

The cheeks are just a cute extra and can be made from paper, sequins or even a half bead embellishment. They may also be drawn with a marker pen.

Step 5: Secure the Pipe Cleaner Antennae

Cut a pipe cleaner to an appropriate “Antennae” size and secure to the back of the firefly’s head with a small piece of sticky tape.

Step 6: Draw two Large Brown Wings and Two Smaller White Wings

Draw a pair of large wing shapes onto a sheet of brown paper.

Draw a pair of small wing shapes onto a sheet of white paper.

Cut all 4 wings out.

Step 7: Glue the Fireflies Head and “Glow”

Glue the Firefly’s head and “glow” to the paper roll.

Step 8: Glue the White Wings to the Fireflies Body

Next, glue the pair of white wings to the back of the firefly’s body.

Step 9: Glue the Large Brown Wings to the Fireflies Body

Position and glue the large brown wings behind the white wings to create a layered effect.

The Paper Roll Firefly Craft for Preschoolers is Complete!

The paper roll firefly craft is complete! I hope your little people have the most wonderful time recreating this simple paper roll craft.

As always, we love to Arty Crafty Kids’ creativity in action and if you happen to share their completed makes on social media, please do give us a tag or/and use the #artycraftykids – happy crafting!

Extend the Learning with a Few Firefly Facts!

Fireflies are one of the most popular insects among kids. They are often seen in fields and woods during the summertime. And while they can be found all over the world, they are most common in tropical climates.

• Did you know that fireflies are actually beetles? The scientific name for fireflies is Lampyridae.
• There are over 2,000 species of firefly found all over the world.
• Most fireflies are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night.
• The light produced by a firefly is called bioluminescence. Some fireflies can produce light that is green, yellow, or even orange!
• Some species of firefly even have a poisonous defense mechanism that they use to protect themselves from predators.

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