Free Life Cycle Worksheets for Kids – Fun & Educational Printables

Looking for engaging life cycle worksheets to teach kids about plant and animal growth?

These printable activities help kids explore how plants, animals, and insects grow and change, making them a great addition to any science unit.

Designed for K-5 students, these free science worksheets require no prep—just print and go!

Whether you’re studying butterfly metamorphosis, the frog life cycle, or the stages of plant growth, these resources provide hands-on learning for curious minds.

Explore a variety of printable activities, from coloring pages to sequencing exercises, and make life cycles an exciting part of your lessons.

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Animal Life Cycle Worksheets

Understanding how animals grow and change is a key part of science learning.

These animal life cycle worksheets help kids explore the fascinating transformations different species undergo, from metamorphosis to hatching and growing into adults.

Insect Life Cycle Worksheets

Discover how insects (and spiders) change from eggs to adults with these printable worksheets.

Kids will explore the unique growth stages of ants, bees, butterflies, and ladybugs, as well as the life cycle of spiders.

• Ant life cycle worksheets – Learn how ants grow from eggs to larvae, pupae, and adult workers or queens.
• Honey bee life cycle printable – Discover how honey bees develop and why they are important pollinators.
• Life cycle of a butterfly worksheet – Track the complete metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly.
• Butterfly life cycle word search – Reinforce vocabulary related to butterfly development stages.
• Butterfly word scramble – Unscramble words related to the butterfly life cycle.
• Ladybug life cycle worksheet – Explore how ladybugs change from eggs to pupae to adult beetles.
• Spider cycle worksheet – Understand how spiders hatch from eggs and grow into skilled hunters.

Aquatic & Amphibian Life Cycle Worksheets

Explore how aquatic creatures like crabs, frogs, and sea turtles grow and adapt to their environments.

From tadpoles transforming into frogs to sea turtles making their journey to the ocean, these worksheets bring science to life.

• Crab life cycle worksheets – Learn how crabs grow through multiple molts before reaching adulthood.
• Life cycle of a frog worksheet – Follow a frog’s journey from egg to tadpole to adult.
• Sea turtle life cycle worksheets – Explore how sea turtles hatch on sandy beaches and migrate to the ocean.

Bird Life Cycle Worksheets

From eggs to fully grown birds, these worksheets introduce kids to the unique life stages of different bird species, including chickens, geese, and penguins.

• Life cycle of a chicken worksheet – Learn how a chick grows inside an egg before hatching.
• Goose life cycle printable – Discover the stages of a goose’s life, from hatching to migration.
• Life cycle of a penguin worksheet – Explore how penguins grow and adapt to cold environments.
• Life cycle of a turkey worksheet – Understand how turkeys hatch and grow in different habitats.

Mammal Life Cycle Worksheets

Mammals grow in different ways, but all start as babies and develop skills to survive. These worksheets explore the life cycles of various mammals, from rabbits to bats.

• Polar bear life cycle printable – Learn how polar bear cubs survive in icy environments.
• Life cycle of a rabbit worksheet – Explore how rabbits rapidly reproduce and develop.
• Life cycle of a reindeer printables – Discover how reindeer migrate and grow in the wild.
• Free life cycle of a groundhog worksheet – Understand how groundhogs hibernate and develop.
• Life cycle of a hedgehog worksheet – Learn about hedgehog growth and survival tactics.
• Life cycle of a bat worksheet – Follow the stages of a bat’s development from pup to adult.

Natural Life Cycle Worksheets

Understanding natural cycles helps kids see how plants grow, rocks change, and water moves through the environment.

These life cycle worksheets cover everything from seed growth to the rock and water cycles.

Plant Life Cycle Worksheets

Explore how plants grow from tiny seeds to full-grown plants with these life cycle of a plant activities.

• Apple life cycle worksheet – Follow how an apple grows from a seed to a fruit-bearing tree.
• Life cycle of a plant worksheets – Explore the growth process of various plants from seed germination to flowering.
• Life cycle of a Christmas tree worksheet – Learn how evergreen trees grow and why they are special.
• Free printable pumpkin life cycle worksheet – Discover how pumpkins grow from seeds to fully grown gourds.
• Sunflower life cycle coloring page – Track the stages of sunflower growth from seed to bloom.

Rock Cycle Worksheets

Learn how rocks change over time through weathering, erosion, and heat with these hands-on printables.

• Types of rocks worksheet printable – Learn about sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.
• Rock cycle activity worksheet – Explore how rocks transform over time through erosion and heat.
• Rock cycle crossword puzzle – Reinforce key vocabulary related to the rock cycle.

Water & Snow Cycle Worksheets

Discover how water moves through its different stages, from evaporation to precipitation.

• Life cycle of a snowflake worksheet – Explore how snowflakes form and change through the seasons.
• Free printable water cycle worksheets – Learn how water moves through the environment.

Life Cycle Coloring Pages

These educational coloring pages provide a fun way for kids to visualize how plants, animals, and natural elements grow and change. Perfect for hands-on learning, rainy day activities, or classroom projects!

Animal Life Cycle Coloring Pages

• Bee life cycle coloring sheet: Buzz into the world of bees, from tiny eggs to buzzing adults.
• Life cycle of a butterfly coloring page: Flutter through each stage, from caterpillar to beautiful butterfly.
• Chicken life cycle coloring page: Hatch into the life of chickens, from eggs to clucking adults.
• Frog life cycle coloring sheet: Leap from tadpoles to hopping frogs in this watery world.
• Life cycle of a ladybug coloring page: Spot the changes from tiny eggs to dotted ladybugs.
• Life cycle of a sea turtle coloring page: Dive into the journey of sea turtles, from sandy nests to the ocean.

Plant Life Cycle Coloring Pages

• Life cycle of a Christmas tree coloring page – Grow from a seedling into a festive Christmas tree.
• Life cycle of a pumpkin coloring page – Blossom from seeds to a plump pumpkin, ready for Halloween.
• Plant life cycle coloring page – Illustrate how different plants grow and reproduce.
• Carrot life cycle coloring page – Track the development of a carrot from seed to vegetable.

Natural Cycle Coloring Pages

• Rock cycle coloring page – Show the transformation of rocks over time.
• Water cycle coloring page – Illustrate the continuous movement of water through the environment.

Use these coloring pages to reinforce life cycle learning while encouraging creativity. Perfect for science centers, early learners, and hands-on activities!

Hands-On Life Cycle Activities for Kids

While worksheets provide a great way to visualize life cycles, hands-on activities make the learning experience even more memorable. Here are some of our favorite interactive ways to explore life cycles:

• Life cycle playdough mats – A fun way for kids to model each stage of a life cycle using playdough. Includes four different life cycles.
• Butterfly garden kit – Watching caterpillars transform into butterflies is an unforgettable experience. We did this for three years, and it was the highlight of our science studies!
• Life cycle matching card set – Includes plastic figurines of frogs, ladybugs, and butterflies to help kids understand animal life cycles in a hands-on way.
• Giant magnetic plant life cycle – A visual way to explore how plants grow by adding magnets to a whiteboard as kids learn each stage.

Pair these activities with life cycle books for even more learning opportunities!

Best Books to Explore Life Cycles

Adding books to your life cycle studies helps reinforce key concepts and makes learning more engaging. These kid-friendly books introduce the stages of growth in plants, animals, and insects in an easy-to-understand way.

• Life Cycles: Everything from Start to Finish – This beautifully illustrated book covers how plants and animals grow and change, from tiny seeds to full-grown creatures. A great all-in-one resource!
• Science Vocabulary Readers Set: Life Cycles – This set of engaging nonfiction books breaks down life cycles with vivid illustrations and simple explanations, perfect for younger learners.
• Water cycle – A great addition if you’re exploring how water moves through nature, from rain to evaporation and back again.

If you’re specifically studying butterflies, check out our best butterfly books for kids, including fiction and nonfiction picks.

Last Updated on 9 April 2025 by Clare Brown