This is a magical activity to do with your kids and now is the perfect season in Israel.
Step 1: Find some baby caterpillars. In the photos, I show you how.
Step 2: Put them in a shoe box (or similar container) with lots of leaves from their host plant. You can try identify the butterfly based on its appearance or host plant, or just wait for a surprise!
Step 3. Feed them fresh leaves daily. Watch them eat and grow, eat and grow
Step 4. Read your kids “The Hungry Little Caterpillar” daily (optional)
Step 5. After about 2 weeks, they should be full grown. They will then spin their cocoons on the undersides of fresh leaves.
Step 6. After another 2 weeks, the butterflies will emerge from the cocoons.
Though caterpillars eat leaves, unless you have a major infestation it’s beneficial to your local ecosystem to breed butterflies.
They are food for birds and they are a important indicator of overall ecosystem balance.
Unfortunately, butterflies are declining and disappearing around the world.
Also, Butterflies!!!
Do we really need an excuse to want to be close to them?