Live Butterfly Garden: Teaching Children About Nature
Science and nature are a very big part of our lives. Children are like sponges and they love to learn through action. You can easily teach your child about nature and science by going on outings to parks and ponds. Show your child how the birds are collecting twigs for their nest or how the tadpoles are going to transform to frogs.
Children love interesting things and they love to see new things so the more interesting you make science and nature the more they are going to remember. The live butterfly garden is my favorite way to teach children about nature.
Children love the live butterfly garden because they get to experience nature first hand. With it they are able to see the life of a caterpillar and more importantly let the butterfly go after a few days.
I have a friend who every year in the early spring she buys her nieces a butterfly garden so they can watch them grow. About three days after the butterflies emerge, they all get together and all set the butterflies free.
Her niece's are not only learning about the nature of butterflies but they are learning a wonderful lesson about letting go of the things they love. Plus they will have the happy memories for a lifetime.
They also had a live butterfly garden at my sons preschool he was so excited about watching the caterpillars turn into butterflies that that was all he talked about for weeks.
So what does a live butterfly garden entail?
A live butterfly garden comes with a mesh cage and 5-6 larvae that will turn into caterpillars and then into butterflies. All of the food that will be needed is provided.
Then what?
The children can watch as the progress of the larvae turning into a caterpillar, the caterpillar spinning his cocoon, and the butterfly emerging. It will take a few weeks to all take place. About 3 days after the butteries emerge you will need to set them free so they can find food so make sure it's nice outside when you buy a live butterfly garden.
The butterfly garden offers children a close up of the entire process but it is not the only way to teach your child. Teaching your child about nature should be fun and exciting but it does not have to cost a thing.