Butterfly Garden

The Live Butterfly Garden from the Insect Lore company is one of our coolest science kits.  We do one of these kits in each of our stores every year, so we know that of which we speak.  When you buy the kit, you get the mesh habitat and a postcard to send in for the the rest.

As the generically happy kids on the right demonstrate, you get five painted lady butterflies (well, you get shipped caterpillars, but they grow into butterflies) that live for an average of 2-3 weeks.  Add in the time it takes for the caterpillars to grow and form chrysalides (or chrysalises, if you prefer), and you get a science experiment that can last 6 weeks!  Now that's what we call getting your money's worth.

It's simple to care for your butterflies, too: all they need are some flowers or cut up oranges on the bottom of the habitat.  (Although, really?  You can just balled up tissues, too!)  The kit comes with an eyedropper with which you can put some sugar water around for the butterflies.  It's pretty darn cool seeing the butterflies uncurl their proboscises and slurp up their meals!

Stop by any ABC & Toy Zone to check out how our butterflies are doing and to pick up a kit of your own!