Monarch Butterflies!

We tried something fun this summer, raising monarch butterflies. It was a great activity for the kids and quite easy to do. Monarchs lay their eggs on Milkweed plants and we have quite a few growing on our property. One day way counted and found over a dozen little caterpillars on them. We took one of the fat ones along with some leaves and put it in a jar with a piece of lace held on by a rubber band across the top (you could use anything with holes in it to let them get air). We made sure that we gave them plenty of milkweed leaves (and they can eat a lot! ) After a few days it started hanging from the top upside down. We hoped to watch it turn into a chrysalis put one of the caterpillars did it while we were asleep and the other one while we were at church. Oh well! After a week or so the chrysalis turned dark and we could kind of see the wings through it and then it came out! And it wasn't a Caterpillar anymore it was a wrinkled up butterfly. After a little while of stretching and drying off he was ready to fly. It is so cool how God made Butterflies!