Introduce your children to the metamorphic lifecycle of moths and butterflies. Collecting and observing caterpillars will foster their interest in the natural world and increase their awareness of the local environment.
How long will it take?
Approximately 20 to 30 minutes to set up.
What you will need
glass jar
some caterpillars
plant for food
magnifying glass
Step-by-step guide
1 Help your children to look carefully around your garden, in the park or countryside near you for some caterpillars. Damaged leaves provide clues to where they might be.
When they find some, they need to put them in a glass jar. It is very important that they put some of the plant where they found the caterpillars into the jar as well. Most caterpillars only like one sort of food - they are very fussy!
3 Your children need to keep checking each day that the caterpillars have enough food and that it is nice and fresh.
4 They will not need to put any air holes in the lid of the jar, especially if they take the lid off once a day.
5 Now they just need to watch and wait . . . and wait . . . and wait!
6 Their caterpillars should get bigger, and might even shed their skin.
7 After a while, they will turn into a chrysalis. They will look as if they are dead, but wait patiently.
8 One day each chrysalis will hatch into a butterfly or a moth. Now your children can let them out into the garden.