We have been planning and working on the back yard what seems like forever. Being in quarantine, this became a top priority for us in order to get the kids outside. Part of that plan is to make the backyard a place where the kids can learn and discover every time they step outside. As kids, my sister and I spent countless hours outside climbing and looking at things… I want those same memories for my kids but IMPROVED. We were looking at dead snails and looking for shiny rocks… Beyond interesting things to look at, I also wanted their experience to be educational.
“It’s guaranteed to be fun, magical and a learning experience for all!”
Bringing in plants that the kids would find interesting was important to me. On one of our last visits to the flea market, we visited our favorite plant stall and found two Milkweed plants. At $10 each they were the best investment I’ve made! These plants have brought us countless hours of entertainment and an incredible science lesson right before our eyes.
The kids can easily point out eggs on leaves and find caterpillars sleeping or munching on leaves. According to a caterpillars’ size, they love to guess what instar a caterpillar might be. When it reaches its 4th instar they know to keep a close eye on it so we can catch the magic of the chrysalis stage! Once the caterpillar wanders off the plant the kids collect it and bring it inside to watch it turn into a chrysalis. They wake up each morning looking for changes and check on it throughout the day to see if their butterfly is ready to emerge. Witnessing the magic of a Monarch transformation from egg to butterfly has been complete magic in our home. Especially during this time when we are all at home looking for anything interesting to do.
If you are interested in raising your own Monarch’s here is all you need…
- Organic Milkweed plants. Call up your local nursery. Some are offering contact-less pick up of plants.
- A nice sunny spot to place your plants and occasional water for it.
- THIS BOOK is perfect for kids to get started and is helpful in learning about raising Monarch’s. It is loaded with vibrant pictures and goes through the process step by step.
- THIS WEBSITE helped troubleshoot any problems or questions that arose. This is nature we are talking about. We had a few caterpillars that didn’t make it and this sight helped us understand why.
- A small butterfly enclosure like THIS ONE or make your own!
That’s it! I do not recommend bringing in the caterpillars and keeping them in containers like the book suggests, for two main reasons…
- They poop. A LOT. Unless, you are down to clean all that caterpillar poop. If the caterpillar is around its own frass it can get sick but, if it’s outside, it serves the plant as fertizer!
- They eat A LOT and they are picky about what leaves they munch on. Unless, you’re cool with running outside at all hours to get them fresh refills because they also insist the leaves be fresh!
What works best for me is to just keep an eye on the plant outside and bring the caterpillar in once it is done eating and ready to cocoon. I keep a small enclosure for the caterpillar inside. I cut some fresh leaves and put it in with the caterpillar, in case it felt snacky. Once inside, we watched closely to see it cocoon!
It’s really as simple as bringing in a milkweed plant! Butterflies are naturally drawn to them and lay eggs only on milkweed and caterpillars eat only those leaves! You don’t have to do much else beyond keeping the plant alive and watching it! It’s guaranteed to be fun, magical and a learning experience for all! As a bonus, Monarch butterflies are endangered and any effort you make in their conservation helps!
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