It's Butterfly Time

Monarch Butterflies always seem to be a big deal... school's love them for their science purposes and awe factor, while people in general gasp at the orange and black beauty that flutters around them. Though the butterflies themselves can be found as early as spring, fall really seems to be the time of year they get the most attention. 

Normally butterflies live in 2 week cycles. It takes 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch, caterpillars live for 2 weeks before wrapping themselves up in their chrysalis where they remain for, you guessed it! 2 weeks. Finally, the butterflies flutter and do their jobs pollinating and egg laying for their final 2 weeks of life. However, Monarchs that are born in September are something special... they do not live for a mere 2 weeks- they live for MONTHS.


September Monarchs are designed to migrate south for the winter, traveling thousands of miles to gather in awe inspiring masses in order to survive the winter. The life cycle cannot continue on its regular scale during the winter, they will freeze and die. The special group born in the fall work extra hard in order to keep their species alive, returning in the spring to start the cycle over. 


Dressed in their holiday colors, the black and orange beauties grace us with their beauty and endurance... inspiring crafts, art and fashion world wide. 


As a special thanks, our Co-op preschool program (aptly named, Caterpillar Club) has honored the black and orange beauties with a special project... we've spent the whole week learning about and playing butterfly games, as an extra special thank you for all they do so that we may be graced with their beauty.

Egg Carton Caterpillars

Materials-

• Cardboard Egg Carton, cut into strips (I cut them short today, since they are young kids)
• 2 Large Googly Eyes per Caterpillar
• 1 Pipe Cleaner (I cut a regular sized pipe cleaner in half for the right size for these little guys)
• 4 Foamie Circles per Caterpillar
• Orange and Black Paint
• Paint Brush
• Glue
• Small screwdriver or Kabob Skewer

Instructions- 

I cut the egg cartons beforehand using a utility knife. Pick a side to be the "face" and poke 2 little holes evenly spaced for the antennas on top of the head. Run the pipe cleaner from the bottom and twist over the top to hold them in place.

Enter children... Let the kids glue/stick the dots onto the end of the antennas. Dallop black and orange paint and allow them to GO CRAZY! When dried, glue googly eyes onto the face.