Flutterbyes: A Tale of Tiny Transformations

From wiggly beginnings to wings on the wind — a gentle story of change.

🧠 For Educators and Parents

Perfect for little learners aged 3 to 7 — whether you're in the UK (EYFS/KS1) or further afield. This nature-based post gently introduces the butterfly life cycle through storytelling, rhyme, and art. Ideal for minibeast topics, seasons, or early science themes in classrooms or at home.

🎬 Watch the Flutterbyes Short

📖 Story Section

In a quiet corner of the forest, Wilee sniffed something new.

Not a squirrel. Not a stick. Something… tiny.

On the underside of a leaf, like drops of morning dew, sat a row of pale, round eggs. Wilee tilted his head and watched.

Days passed. Then — wiggle, munch, wriggle — out came tiny caterpillars, hungrier than a hedgehog at breakfast.

Wilee followed as they crawled and munched and grew, shedding their skins like old jumpers.

One caterpillar found a quiet twig. It hung upside down and curled into a hook.

Slowly, it wrapped itself in a silky case — a chrysalis.

“Is that the end?” Wilee wondered.

But the forest knew better.

Days passed again. The case darkened and shimmered. Inside, a quiet magic stirred.

Then, one morning, the shell cracked.

Out came a pair of crinkled wings — red and gold like autumn leaves.

“Flutterbye,” Wilee said softly, as it rose into the sky.

Another. Then another.

Dozens of Flutterbyes floated through the trees like flying flowers.

Wilee wagged his tail and watched them go.

Have you ever seen a Flutterbye take its very first flight?

✍️ Poem – For Read-Aloud or Display

First an egg upon a leaf,  
Tiny still and quite beneath.  

Out pops wriggly caterpillar,  
Hungry, stretchy, growing bigger!  

Climb and curl into a shell,  
Rest inside and dream a spell…  

Then with wings so bright and wide,  
Off it flutters — flutterbye!

🎨 Activity – Design Your Own Flutterbye

Encourage imagination, observation, and creativity.

Printable Sheet Includes:

• Bold-lined butterfly outline
• Space to name it and colour the wings
• Creative prompts:
  • What colours are its wings?
  • Where does it fly?
  • What makes it special?

Optional classroom prompt:
“If your Flutterbye had a message on its wings, what would it say?”

🖍️ Download the Activity Sheet

[Insert download button or link for PDF activity sheet here]

📚 Closing

Change can be slow. Quiet. Magical.
And when it arrives… it might just fly.

Watch for more gentle lessons in nature from Andrew the Pen Maker, where every story begins with a pen — and every adventure ends with wonder.

Butterflies in the Meadow: Feather Spots Something Magical!

🐦 Feather’s Forest News

"A Flutter of Wings!"

Oh my feathers — I saw something magical this morning!

I was up early, just as the sun slipped through the trees, when I noticed the meadow was fluttering! Butterflies everywhere — dancing on the breeze, dipping between flowers, wings glinting like treasure.

But it wasn’t just their beauty that caught my eye… it felt like something bigger was beginning. A story. A secret. A whole hidden world waiting to be told…

🎥 I filmed what I could — have a peek below!

🦋 Next Wednesday, I’ll be back with the full Flutterbyes tale — from tiny egg to enchanted flight.

There’s even an activity for curious little wings!

I can’t wait to show you.
See you soon!

— Feather 📸

Wimbledon in the Woods

Teaching Kids Sportsmanship Through Tennis

🧠 For Educators and Parents:
This week, we’re celebrating friendly competition with a tennis tournament like no other — the Magical Woodland Wimbledon! This story highlights the importance of sportsmanship, resilience, and how we can support our friends, even when we’re not always the winner. It’s a fun way to teach children that while winning is good, winning isn’t everything.

📖 Story Section:

🌳 The Magical Woodland Wimbledon 🎾

The day of the tournament had arrived, and the animals gathered in the clearing for the Magical Woodland Wimbledon! The excitement was palpable, and the air buzzed with anticipation. Just like the big Wimbledon matches on TV, the woodland players were ready to give it their all.

Ella vs. Toby in the first semi-final began with a fierce rally. Toby had been practicing his serves all week, but when the game started, he found himself getting nervous. Every time he missed, his face fell a little. Ella noticed this and smiled gently. She knew her little brother was trying his best, and she had a plan to help him feel good about the game — no matter the result.

She hit the ball back gently, making sure Toby had every chance to score. When Toby made a perfect shot, Ella cheered. “Well done, Toby! You’ve got it!” In the end, she let Toby win the game without telling him. His eyes lit up when he realized he had won, and he jumped up, full of excitement. “I did it, Ella! I won!”

Ella beamed, “You did great, Toby!” She hugged him, proud of how hard he tried.

Next came the semi-final between Pip and Fergus.

Pip the Squirrel, quick and clever, darted around the court, his tail bouncing behind him. He was small but full of energy, always looking for ways to outwit his opponent.

Fergus the Fox, on the other hand, was strong and determined, his quick reflexes matching his confidence. From the start, it was clear that Fergus’s strength would be tough for Pip to match. With each powerful serve, the ball zipped across the net, making Pip scramble to keep up. “I’m not sure I can win this one!” Pip laughed, panting. But even though Fergus won the game, he made sure to encourage Pip. “You played really well, Pip! Don’t worry, next time it’ll be your turn to win!”

As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, the final game started — Fergus vs. Toby. The crowd of woodland creatures cheered from their makeshift log stands, just like the fans at Wimbledon. The game was fast and thrilling, with Toby matching Fergus’s power with his own quick feet. “Just like the real Wimbledon!” Toby thought, his heart racing with excitement. He could almost hear the crowd on the TV in his mind. The ball flew over the net in rapid exchanges, each point met with cheers from the animal spectators.

The game seemed evenly matched, but as the sky grew darker and darker, the umpire blew the whistle. “It’s too dark to finish the game,” the umpire called, much to the disappointment of the players and spectators. Toby looked up at the sky, feeling a little sad. He was enjoying the game, but he also understood. “Maybe tomorrow we can finish it,” he said, trying to smile.

Fergus, seeing the disappointment in Toby’s eyes, placed a paw on his shoulder. “You did great, Toby,” he said kindly. “We’ll finish it next time.” The umpire called the game a draw, and the animals clapped in appreciation. The fun was in the play, not the final score.

Have you ever played a game where the fun of the game was more important than the result?

🎨 Activity Section:

Tennis in the Clearing!

Let’s get into the Wimbledon spirit going with a fun tennis-themed activity!

• Colour the big Game! 🖍️
  In the image below, you’ll see the exciting game between Ella and Toby! Colour in the scene and make it as bright as the sun in the clearing!
• Design Your Own Tennis Kit! 🎨
  When you've finished the game design your kit in your favourite colours with stripes, polka dots or anything you like!

Teachers can use this activity to discuss what it means to be a good sport, both in victory and defeat.  Download A4 Printable Here

📚 Closing

Stay tuned for more adventures in Feather’s Forest! In the future posts, we’ll explore how kindness and teamwork can make everything we do more fun.

And if you're tuning into Wimbledon this weekend, enjoy the matches — and maybe a portion of strawberries and cream too!

"Featured characters appear in the Andrew the Pen Maker illustrated book series, bringing fun woodland adventures and valuable life lessons."

🐜 Flying Ants Take to the Skies!

Feather’s Forest News – Breaking Bug Report

🧠 For Educators and Parents

This combined story and seasonal update is ideal for EYFS and KS1 children. Use it to spark outdoor observation and story-based reflection around Flying Ant Day, insect life cycles, and planning for the future.

The short video, gentle story, and nature facts all connect to real-world seasonal behaviour — with just a hint of storytelling magic.

🌤️ What’s Happening?

Feather the robin has spotted a sudden flurry of wings — ants on the move! It’s not even July, but the heat has brought Flying Ant Day early this year.

Local resident Archie the Ant explains: “We call it Launch Day.”

But this isn’t a random ant invasion — it’s nature’s great wedding flight. Every summer, winged male and queen ants take to the skies to find mates and begin new colonies.

Feather snapped photos of ants launching from tree trunks, paving cracks… even Wilee’s tail! (He shook them off — but only gently.)

🔍 What to Spot Outside

• Winged ants on paths, pavements, or windowsills
• Birds swooping low to snatch flying snacks
• Ants climbing high before takeoff
• A sudden shimmer or buzz in still, warm air

✨ Did You Know?

• Flying Ant Day isn’t just one day — it’s triggered by warm, humid weather
• Only queens and males grow wings — they fly to mate, then land to dig new nests
• Some queens shed their wings after flying and begin digging tunnels that very day

📖 Read-Aloud Story – “Archie’s Launch Day”

This gentle woodland story brings the moment to life, perfect for circle time or nature-themed story sessions.

The heat came early this year — and so did the wings.

Archie the Ant stood tall on his hill. Around him, young ants shimmered in the sunlight. It was Launch Day — their one chance to fly.

He took a deep breath, flexed his new wings, and leapt into the sky.

The breeze carried him high above the moss and tree roots. Archie looped once in the air, then glided down toward a smaller hill not far away — a quiet mound of soft soil, just waiting for something new.

As he landed, Archie unfolded a neatly drawn plan.

It showed tunnels, chambers, and a big round nursery.

He gave a firm nod. “This’ll do nicely,” he said.

Back on his old hill, the others were still launching.

And far beyond the forest — across fields and gardens, parks and pavements — other ants were doing the same.

All over the land, wings were folding, and plans were opening.
New hills were being chosen. New tunnels were being dreamed up.
Tiny architects were getting to work.

One day to fly.
A lifetime to build.

🎬 Watch the Short

See Archie’s big moment come to life in this 55-second animated short. Wings, plans, and tiny dreams — all taking flight!

📚 Coming Soon

Archie may be small, but his ideas are mighty. Keep an eye out for more from him in upcoming Andrew the Pen Maker stories — where even the tiniest plans can lead to something wonderful.