Butterfly & Moth Memories and crafts

The morning after we discovered the name of the Painted Lichen Moth from our backyard and released it from our bug box, we borrowed this adorable idea of painted feet butterfly/moth prints from a homeschool friend on facebook. The feet prints were supposed to be opposite feet so the toes went out, but we had fun with the happy accident.

Stages of the Butterfly Life Cycle Snack!!!

A couple months ago, we made some fun butterfly crafts before we did our annual field trip to the butterfly garden. A cute clothespin coffee filter one, and painted egg carton caterpillars too.

The painted lichen moth and also, a recent monarch from our backyard...

For LOADS more fun activities and crafts, check out my homemade butterfly unit study from last year: Awesome Butterfly Moments and, it's definitely worth checking out the one I put together on Click Beetles, which includes more crafts and fun bug songs: Click Beetles Won't Bug You.

My mom's homemade bird bath

Look how quirky and fun this bird bath is that my mom designed in her backyard! It's an upside down metal garbage can lid on an old milking stool, with the facet of an old sink no one was using paired with it. The birds love it, and there's even a touching story to accompany it. When my mother was a small girl, in the outer suburbs of Detroit, she used to use my grandparents' garbage lid the same way, she'd fill it with water to give the birds a drink. It started her life-long love for birds.

DIY Plastic cup binoculars

"Mom, the symbol on the bottom of these cups say they can be recycled, so... I would like to recycle them myself, into binoculars." LOL! Kids! They're holding up better than the usual paper towel roll ones, I can tell you that much. ;)

Tin Can Clothespin Craft

I saw this online made from a tuna can and had to try it. After emptying a small can of blueberries I clipped 17 wooden clothespins around it. The idea online had suggestions of placing a glass vase candle inside, or filling with small grass plants---both cute ideas, but I'm filling mine with assorted pencils. :) I love the simplicity of it!

Math Modeling Dough

Along with following the recipe solo from their math activity book, the kids had a blast measuring and making their own modeling dough. It was very pizza-doughy and, unlike the pottery and clay we normally work with, the consistency of this continued to change as they worked with it. My daughter was especially into it--she went into full-on artistic mode and practically stood on the table during her self-discovering method of working the dough. We even shaped out numbers to do our equation practice for the day. It made for a fun morning!