Metamorphosis of a caterpillar

Several weeks ago we received 5 caterpillars or larvae to hatch in our butterfly habitat.  The children did not see them as eggs but were able to see them as tiny caterpillars.

 They watched them grow into really big caterpillars by eating the special food at the bottom of the container.

 Once they grew really big, they make their way to the top of the container and attach themselves by their 'girdle' in preparation for becoming a chrysalis. 

Overnight, they changed. 

The children could not believe their eyes.  If you do this at home or with your class, make sure no one touches the container during this process.  Three of five seemed to make it into a chrysalis.  The other ones were incomplete with only a part of their bodies changing. 

The afternoon children then helped to remove the chrysalids from the container and pin them to the inside of the habitat.

Now, we wait!  Once they emerge, we feed them with sugar water and let them go!

This has inspired many children to make a life cycle of a butterfly book.

We also had an activity where the children are able to create the life cycle with glue and pasta (and a few other things too.)

We can't wait to see the completion of this metamorphosis!