Reuniting Kids w/ Nature - Caterpillars to Butterflies

Source

MATERIALS:
Everything you need for this activity can be ordered directly from: The Butterfly & Nature Gift Store

TIME FRAME: 
Four weeks


PROCEDURE:

• Order your caterpillars!
• If you do not already have a Butterfly House, order one of those, too (it can be re-used over and over)!
• Wait patiently for them arrive.
• Follow all of the directions that come with your caterpillars and their home.
• Once your caterpillars have transformed, observe them carefully for a few hours to one day, then kindly release them so they can live their lives in freedom! Be careful not to touch their wings though!  It could hurt them.

REFLECTION:
What happened?  Did all of your caterpillars survive and grow?  Did they grow at the same rate or at different rates?  How long did it take for them to go into their chrysalis form?  How long after that did it take for them to transform into butterflies and hatch?  How did the butterflies look once hatched?

CONNECTIONS: 

Butterflies play an important role as pollinators, as food sources and as an overall indicator of an ecosystems health!

TIDBITS: 

Did you know that the tiniest butterfly is only 1/8 inch?  Or that the largest is about 12 inches?!   Or that butterflies can only see the colors red, green and yellow?  The average butterfly can fly 12 piles per hour, while the average human can only run between 5 and 15 miles per hour depending on the distance!

TIPS & IMAGININGS:

Imagine how it would feel to fly around on your own set of wings!  

Butterflies can taste with their feet so they can tell whether a plant is poisonous or might be a safe place to lay their eggs…  Imagine how it might feel to be able to taste with your feet!  Be careful where you step!

This activity is part of a series of low cost, hands on activities that can be used by anyone who has a passion for nature and who believes that a child's time spent in nature is not only important, but necessary.  Each activity was either created by me or gathered from a variety of sources.  You can find the complete list of all of the activities on my Nature Activities tab.

xoxo,

M

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