Raising caterpillars into Monarch butterflies with children

Have you ever wanted to raise Monarchs  with your littles? Raising caterpillars into butterflies with children is a wonderful way to experience wildlife in a careful and beautiful way. Follow these easy steps to raise your very own Monarchs. One of the special parts about hosting caterpillars in your garden is the day that they come back, and you get to witness their life in phases all over again. 

Step 1: Source native milkweed 

You can often find native milkweed at your local nursery. Side note: We suggest supporting local small businesses vs. bigger companies. 

Step 2: Care for plant

In our garden, our milkweed is in a pot, and often needs to be watered daily. You will know when your milkweed plant needs water when the first few inches of the soil is dry. The climate will impact the frequency that you need to water your milkweed (for example, we’re in a sunnier climate, and therefore need to water more often). Be careful when watering your milkweed plant, as you do not want the pressure of a watering can/hose to knock off the pre-hatched caterpillar eggs.  

Step 3: Observation vs touching 

Continue caring for your milkweed plant, and soon you’ll notice leaves being eaten - that indicates that you have caterpillars. They can be hard to see at first, because they stay out of view of birds by spending most of their time underneath the leaves. 

It’s important to remind children of the senses that they can participate in when it comes to the caterpillars. Looking is great, while touching impacts the growth of caterpillars and makes them want to leave their current environment. It’s important to create a safe and calm climate for the caterpillars to grow in.

Art tip: Ask children what colors and shapes they see on the caterpillar. Get out some crayons, colored pencils or paint to sketch, paint or write a story about the caterpillars. After drawing the caterpillar your child may want to create a story or movement pretending to be the caterpillar. This could evolve into a whole afternoon living like the caterpillar - eating the leaves, inching across the floor trying to find a safe place for their chrysalis and ultimately turning into a Monarch.  

Step 4: Where have the caterpillars gone? 

Now, you won’t always see the caterpillars turn into butterflies, because they can journey up to 10 feet away to find a hidden and secluded spot to create their chrysalis to transform into a butterfly. Keep your eye out to avoid stepping on caterpillars, because believe it or not, they may just inch across your ground. Trying to find the chrysalis is a fun observation game for children in the garden. 

Step 5: Monarch Butterflies

Once the caterpillars have moved away from your milkweed, it can take 2-3 weeks for the leaves to grow again. But any flowers on your plant will attract the Monarch butterflies back to feed, lay eggs and start the whole cycle again.  

You can learn more about the endangered Monarch butterflies and how to support them here at Save Our Monarchs