Life Cycles

Each year we buy caterpillars and hatch them out. I wanted to do monarchs again this year but could not find any milkweed on the property, so we settled for painted ladies. I buy the refill kit and then hatch them in glass salsa or jam jars (I tape the paper with the formed chrysalises to the jar lid). There is so much science to include in these two weeks, but in these young years I keep it basic and just let them enjoy the wonder of nature - it is pretty amazing! We also have some butterfly nets to catch swallowtails, monarchs and all other unlucky creatures that come into the fields around the house. I just keep a jar and the nets on our front steps for the kids to do long term observations.