The Life Cycle of a Monarch butterfly

Kowhai kids noticed that all of a sudden the swan plants had no leaves on them....we wondered what had happened?

We found heaps and heaps of caterpillars, there were so many they were crawling across the concrete to find more food because they were hungry (just like 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar')

We made connections between the story and what was happening in our butterfly garden. The caterpillars were getting ready to turn into a chrysalis and sleep for about 2 weeks. Using dramatic role play, while we watched a time lapse video of a chrysalis forming and then hatching, the children wrapped themselves up in sheets and blankets like they were in a chrysalis.

We wanted to pick the caterpillars and chrysalis and have them as pets in our pockets but found out that they don't like that and die without food. We need to give them space and look with our eyes so they can hatch and live.