Happy Friday: Homemade Butterfly Terrarium

onlinements 12

1. 

   Lolita August 12, 2016 at 6:12 pm MST

   How fun!! Great Idea!
   Any suggestions on where one can go and get caterpillars? We never see any in our yard/lawn.

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  Deb August 12, 2016 at 6:29 pm MST

  Just google “buy butterfly caterpillars” and lots of sites onlinee up. Also, if you have a butterfly garden at a local zoo or conservatory, call them and ask where they get theirs.

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   ashley August 12, 2016 at 6:13 pm MST

   We did the exact same thing this spring when my kindergartener came home with caterpillars from a field trip to the butterfly farm. I had also searched Amazon and was amazed at how expensive the net habitats are. The only thing I did differently was that we taped a paper plate on the opening to make sort of a hinged lid, so it was easier to get in and out with their food.

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3. 

   Lo August 12, 2016 at 6:57 pm MST

   I live in central Florida and have planted milkweed, fennel, and parsley in the garden. I have 7-10 monarch caterpillars on my milkweed at all times and yellowtail caterpillars on the fennel and parsley. We have cocoon casings all around. My boys love to watch the caterpillars grow and make cocoons. If you live in an area for milkweed or fennel/parsley I would highly reonlinemend planting some!! 😊

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  Lo August 12, 2016 at 7:01 pm MST

  Swallowtail not yellowtail 🙂

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4. 

   Janette August 12, 2016 at 7:04 pm MST

   Lolita we bought 3 milkweed plants from our local Armstrong Nursery in April this year, they were $9.99 each. They already happened to have a caterpillar egg that had been layed on each of them. We have easily had 6-7 Caterpillars laid on our plants 4 times over by now. It is so much fun to watch them go from eggs to butterflies. I love this terreriam idea too! I think I will have to borrow the hamper idea too.

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   Q August 12, 2016 at 7:23 pm MST

   yes, i want to see if this is approved in my classroom as an inexpensive science area.(lifecycles) Thanks for all the great, frugal and fun ideas!

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6. 

   Sue August 12, 2016 at 9:17 pm MST

   We should be teaching our kids to enjoy animals and all living creatures as they are in nature, not caught and trapped in a container. It’s the same idea with keeping a large animal like a tiger in a tiny cage in a zoo where they live a miserable and unnatural life just for human amusement.

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  kei August 12, 2016 at 10:05 pm MST

  While I see your point, i know firsthand that zoos make great efforts to keep their animals living healthy and contently. Visiting animals at zoos insipre many conservation efforts in city kids who otherwise couldnt travel to Africa on a safari to see the Lions in their natural habitat. Its a place of discovery where children could see rare animals for themselves as opposed to constantly relying on google/phones to be able to see them. It insipres young children to volunteer and eventually beonlinee researchers to help save endangered species. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but do take into consideration the educational value zoos and aquariums bring to many.

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  Jennifer August 13, 2016 at 5:21 am MST

  Thank you for this, Kei. I couldn’t have said it better.

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  Bethany August 13, 2016 at 12:16 am MST

  I thought you let the butterflies go once they hatched? What harm is there in keeping a cocoon in a cage?

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  NJD August 13, 2016 at 7:23 am MST

  This is a great project to observe the life cycle with children. Then the butterflies are released. I feel this also helps child learn conservation.

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