Spring is finally in the air! As the air and soil warm, insects will start to awaken and butterflies are a universal favorite. Here are some resources for some butterfly-themed activities for kids. Not only can they learn, create, AND get outside, you and your kids may find good cheer in the wonders of nature!
Watch: Did you know that a gathering of butterflies is called a ‘kaleidoscope’? Watch this Nat Geo Wild video, “Go Into the Heart of a Kaleidoscope of Butterflies.” National Geographic’s other butterfly videos on YouTube are excellent.
Craft: Use whatever resources you have at home to make a caterpillar or butterfly craft. For example, if you have paper plates, cut them into wing shapes, and decorate them. Pompoms, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes are all helpful if you have them, but they aren’t necessary. You can make a great caterpillar with paper chains!
Read: I bet that if you have some kids’ books at home, you might have books with butterflies in them! There is the classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, of course. You can watch him read it here. Why not flip through your other picture books in a scavenger hunt for butterflies!
Outside: On a sunny, warm, and not windy day, have a butterfly hunt! Butterflies are attracted to environments with group plantings of bright flowers. Please, don’t chase or catch them – butterflies are easily damaged. If you spot a butterfly, be sure to claim your “butterfly hunt” badge in our online spring reading challenge!
Manito Park’s Lilac Garden on the South Hill is a great place to look for butterflies when the lilacs bloom. The city’s website has a great map of the park. Keep in mind that some areas may be closed, and please maintain social distancing when out and about. This website may help you identify your butterfly.
Happy Spring!