Butterfly house a special space
Seymour Kindergarten’s new butterfly house has become a cherished space, with tamariki and kaiako benefiting from the opportunities it provides.
The different life stages of monarch butterflies have long been an area of fascination for tamariki at Seymour Kindergarten, and kaiako have supported their learning in a variety of ways over the years. Their latest innovation has been the construction of an impressive butterfly house.
Tamariki have experimented with different methods to find the best way to capture caterpillar eggs and transfer them into the butterfly house. They tried taking eggs from the swan plants outside and raising them inside before transferring them. Sometimes this was successful, however, it took a lot of work as the leaves needed to be kept damp at all times. They tried waiting until the eggs hatched on the outside plants before transferring the newly hatched caterpillars into the house. Sometimes the predators got to them first! The most successful method has been to carefully capture the female butterfly and place her into the house so that she can lay directly onto the plants. Tamariki have loved this experience and can regularly be heard calling for a kaiako to capture a butterfly when they see one in the garden.
While caring for their caterpillars, tamariki noticed that they liked to move along the side of the house and form their chrysalis hanging from the netting. While this seemed to be a great place for them, they discovered that paper wasps were able to attack them through the netting, so making wasp traps became another project. This had mixed results but took their learning in new directions as they learnt all about the different types of wasps and other predators, what they eat and whether they are good for our environment or not.
Visiting the house daily to check on the progress of the eggs and caterpillars quickly became a favourite activity for many. The butterfly house has become a very special space where tamariki can investigate the living world, broaden their interests and develop scientific thinking skills. Through collaborative learning, tamariki used problem-solving skills, which empowered them to share their knowledge and ideas with their peers. They also gained the skills to take responsibility in looking after living things enabling them to become successful lifelong learners.