|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Creating a Butterfly Garden |
|
|
| Themes |
| Ecosystems, Butterflies |
| Group Size |
Age Level |
Preparation Time |
any size group
|
4-8 years
|
5 minutes |
| Activity Time: |
Activity Type: |
Activity Location: |
| 15-20 minutes |
Creative, craft |
outdoors / indoors |
| Objective: |
To give children an opportunity to learn about the life cycles of a butterfly by designing their own butterfly garden. Children will learn about the components necessary for a successful butterfly garden. |
| Things to Consider |
| Butterfly gardens attract mature butterflies, as well as providing food and shelter (safe habitat) to the butterfly through various stages of its life cycle -- from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. A good butterfly garden will have water, sunny places for butterflies to warm their wings and will be sheltered from strong wind. Remember, that adults feed on flowers, leafy plants provide shelter for eggs and caterpillars eat leafy greens. |
| Materials |
paper, crayons, yarn, string, egg carton sections, seeds, dried flower petals |
|
|
| Directions |
1. Give children a definition of a butterfly garden, e.g. "Butterfly gardens attract mature butterflies, as well as providing food and shelter (safe habitat) to the butterfly through various stages of its life cycle -- from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly."
2. Offer some suggestions about what they might add to their garden to help butterflies grow, eat, drink, etc. For example: • sunshine; • large flat stones for butterflies to use for basking in the sun; • little puddles for butterflies to drink from; • flowers with purple, yellow or orange blossoms and short or flat petals; • plants such as parsley, carrots and dill for caterpillars to eat; • plants that attract butterflies such as hollyhocks, marigolds, nasturtiums, violets, asters, zinnias, butterfly bush (these plants provide shelter and food for butterflies); • some butterfly gardeners!
3. Ask children to think about what they think should be in a butterfly garden.
4. Give children materials to begin creating their own butterfly garden pictures. |
|
|
 |
|
|
Objective
Quick Links