April 19, 2021
Do you love butterflies? (Who doesn’t?) Take a look at this amazing kit, a way to grow butterflies at home. It’s amazing!
GROW BUTTERFLIES AT HOME
What a meaningful project to do with your children, growing butterflies. Tiny caterpillars each attach themselves to an object (the lid of the container), build a chrysalis, and later emerge as beautiful butterflies you can release.
If you do nature projects all the time, this is not so new to you.
But for those of us who aren’t as active in that area, it is simply wonderful. Like, really full of wonder.
Why You Should Grow Butterflies At Home
We urban dwellers have sadly left behind some important things our predecessors enjoyed: Farming. They understood life cycles of plants and animals because they watched it over and over.
We raise our children on bicycles and scooters and sidewalks. We shop in grocery stores, and visit animals briefly at zoos or petting farms. We buy plants at department stores already in pots, and toss them at the end of the blooming season.
Our grandchildren, our sons, and our daughters learn from videos and games, simulations of anything and everything.
Before you get your feelings hurt, I’m totally generalizing here, and not accusing.
I’m simply commiserating with you about how difficult it is to live in true “nature” as opposed to brief visits to observe it.
And understand this: I’m not a camper or a farmer, not a grower or animal owner. It’s my choice and my life, and I don’t feel guilty about it.
But there is something to lament: We don’t really see the wonder of God’s creation, how things come to be in life cycles.
GROWING THINGS
So I appreciate those who farm, especially those who open up their world for us to see. Helping the city folk understand how life comes to be, over and over again in every area, every day. Thank you, farmers.
And thank you, Insect Lore, for finding out just how to supply people with something completely “do-able” at home, a start-to-finish Butterfly Garden Growing Kit with instructions, explanations, and simply life.
It even sounds strange and even dishonoring to say “kit” as a way to describe it, but that’s what it is. (Hmmm.. Kit: a set of articles or equipment needed for a specific purpose. OK. That’s not so bad.)
THE PROJECT: GROWING BUTTERFLIES
The grandboys did this last year, and they have started it again this year. It may be even more fun this time, because some of the stages are familiar and they’ve seen the whole thing from start to finish before.
I want you to check out the product, the Butterfly Farm With Live Caterpillars at Insect Lore.
And I’ll share a few very amateur photos of some of our progress when we did this before.
Of course they fail to capture the excitement and the pleasure.
Oh, the day they released them, it was just so much fun. Wishing I had pictures of that! As usual, I was “in the moment.”
What you can’t see in the pictures is the actual activity —
One video I kept has our whispers as a butterfly actually emerges from its chrysalis and spreads its wings.
A child’s voice softly says “Hey, little buddy!”
THE BASICS OF THE BUTTERFLY KITS
You can read the complete details at the site. You receive just about every item you need. And details of what to expect in the cycle.
You get a box with a cup of caterpillars that contains their food right in the cup. Also a little net tent for them to be in until they are ready to release. The instructions tell you everything to do, and when.
They do need to be left alone — not moved or jostled.
Until they emerge. Then you get to feed them!
There are a lot of items at Insect Lore, so it’s fine to look around and see all the different products.
👉🏼Just be sure you get the product that contains both the kit and the caterpillars. I think you can buy just the kit, without the caterpillars, or just the caterpillars, without the kit.
MORE ABOUT BUTTERFLIES
Here’s a great article with FAQ’s about butterflies: The Florida Museum. (In case you were wondering about some of the terms or processes.)
And even if you don’t choose to do this project, please remember to connect to nature and creation with your children and grandchildren. Visit a butterfly garden, or plant flowers that attract butterflies, and explore nature together.
I’m grateful to my daughter for knowing how important this would be to her children.
HOW DO YOU SEE THINGS GROW?
How do you experience life cycles with your family? Some folks I know have gone to great lengths to hand down the traditions of growing things (plants and animals) from one generation to the next.
Others, like me, sometimes feel that our lifestyle simply doesn’t offer many opportunities for this kind of teaching. I’m comparing us to even 100 years ago, and seeing a huge difference.
(Not that I was around then, though some days I do feel like it!)
I’m not on the team at Insect Lore. I’m not an affiliate. I just want to share something super fun with you while it’s available. The last time we did it, by the time I realized I wanted to share, they were out of stock. So if you want to do this, jump on it!
Thank you! At GFP company is always welcome!
If you liked this topic 🤗, feel free to 👉 share 👈 on Facebook or Pinterest, or send a link to a friend.
Are you on Pinterest? That is a crazy fun place! You can find so many helpful things. Take a look at what I’ve saved for you! A lot of things that never make it to the blog. Here are my Pinterest pins, and I also have categories/boards if you’re looking for something specific.
-Grammye
I’m Grammye, and I’m collecting and sharing ideas that can help you embrace the life you have.
When things are difficult, come here to refresh and relax. We’ll have coffee and talk.
You’re invited
to the neighborhood of GFP.
Accept by signing up
and I’ll send you a letter right away.
What’s the tip of the week?
Take a few minutes each day to enjoy the sensory experiences God has given us.
The gift of senses is not something we often focus on.
Step outside and really look around. Get up early and listen to the birds in the quiet. Close your eyes and notice the breeze. Look up, and realize how vast the universe really is. Or go out during a gentle rain and smell that fragrance that can never really be duplicated. When you eat fruit, stop to appreciate the design, and the wonder of living things.
The heavens declare the glory of God. (Psalm 19:1). By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. (Psalm 33:6).
Praise Him.
This post may contain affiliate links. That’s a good thing. It means if you purchase a product I’ve highlighted, the seller may compensate me for that promotion. I love to share products that are a good value and make life easier. Those little commissions may add up, and can help to offset the cost of running the blog. Or maybe even create a little income. Click here to learn more about this.