Classroom Butterfly Kit

Full Description

This Classroom Kit has been designed specifically for teachers and classrooms and is popular with schools because it allows each student to raise their own Painted Lady Butterfly. Each kit contains a  large, reusable, pop-up 63cm mesh habitat, a fully paid VOUCHER for 33 LIVE caterpillars with 33 individual vials with lids and food (i.e. some other suppliers require you to pay extra postage, but we DO NOT), a feeding pipette, plastic spoon, a transfer brush, a STEM Butterfly Diary and full instructions.

This Classroom Kit make a fascinating classroom project as it allow children to watch caterpillars develop into native butterflies, before being released in the school grounds. The kits are suitable for children of ALL ages from Nursery to Secondary. Each kit comes with everything needed to raise 33 Painted Lady butterflies in individual vials – watch the caterpillars develop into butterflies and because they are native to the UK, once developed, you can keep them for a few days in the 63cm high pop-up mesh habitat before releasing them. Our Classroom Kits come with a fully paid VOUCHER for the 1st lot of caterpillars included i.e. other suppliers require you to pay extra postage, so it can be ordered at anytime and then the voucher can be redeemed anytime between March and September. These kits are designed to be re-useable, so when you are ready to have another go, just order a Classroom Refill. Caterpillars are available from between March and September each year – the kits are available as gifts and the caterpillar voucher included can be redeemed from March 2025 onwards.

All our Butterfly Breeding Kits features caterpillars of the Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui, L), which are native, migrating butterfly, that can fly thousands of miles in search of food. They lay up to 500 eggs and their caterpillars feed on weeds such as nettles, so gardeners don’t need to worry! Once you have released your butterflies, they can often be seen for several days- especially if you have a butterfly friendly garden and feeder.

What happens once you receive your kit? Once you have your kit and are ready to start , return the voucher or register online and the caterpillars will be sent to you by 1st class post. Remember it will take 3-5 weeks for caterpillars to change into butterflies. Caring for your caterpillars – Once your caterpillars arrive, simply watch them eat, spin silk and grow to many times their original size. The caterpillars don’t need anything other than the food supplied in the cup and the small holes in the lid of the cup will provide plenty of air. They can stay as caterpillars for up to 2 weeks, but normally 7 days depending on temperature – 24c/76f is ideal.

What happens next?  When the caterpillars are ready to become chrysalides, they will climb to the top of the cup and hang upside down attaching themselves to the paper disc inside the lid. After 24 / 48 hours the chrysalis and will have a beautiful sheen of bronze and gold. When your chrysalides have formed move them into either your Butterfly Garden or Pavilion.

The birth of the butterfly? After 7 -14 days the chrysalides will darken and you will be able to see the colours of the butterflies through the shell. As the butterfly emerges, it will rest while pumping its wings to full size. After 1 or 2 hours the wings will be full sized and hard and the butterfly is ready to fly. Now you can decorate the inside of your Pavilion or Garden with flowers, twigs & leaves. You can keep your butterflies for 2 – 3 days feeding them sugar solution (sugar and water) or fruit before releasing them in your garden.

N.B. These kits are designed to be re-usable, so when you are ready to have another go, just order a Classroom Refill