Spring is nearly here, and in our family, that means it’s time to pre-order our annual butterfly raising kit! Each year, I look forward to sharing this magical experience with my son as part of our homeschool journey. Watching caterpillars transform into butterflies never loses its wonder, and it’s become a cherished tradition in our home. Whether you homeschool or not, raising butterflies is a joyful and educational activity, and it’s simple enough for even the busiest families to enjoy together!
🦋 Education Station
After three years of using the butterfly raising kits from Education Station, I can wholeheartedly recommend them. Each kit includes eight larvae, a container for raising them, food, a feeding vial, a paintbrush, and an easy-to-follow booklet full of fun facts. The kits are high quality (all but one of our caterpillars have transformed successfully over the years), and Education Station makes it easy to get started with convenient pickup locations and shipping. The flight cage is sold separately and can be used again each year. You can also add extras like life cycle puzzles or figurines to help your child see and understand the butterfly’s journey while waiting for the transformation. They usually have some kits in store during the spring, but I suggest pre-ordering because these kits are very popular!
Address: 14511 156 St NW, Edmonton (North) | 2812 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton (South)
Website: www.educationstation.ca
🦋 Farmer & Daughter Toy Shop
These butterfly raising kits are available for pick up only at the Farmer & Daughter Toy Shop location in Sherwood Park. Each kit includes 8–10 caterpillars, a raising container filled with food, a feeding vial, and a paintbrush, plus simple instructions filled with helpful tips and butterfly facts. The shop also offers sustainably made, reusable flight cages to purchase separately and will give your butterflies plenty of space to spread their wings. Because these kits are so popular, it’s best to pre-order to avoid missing out. While you’re there, explore more wonderful butterfly-themed items like puppets, books, and even a butterfly house to welcome your Painted Ladies back after you set them free!
Address: 2008 Sherwood Drive, Unit B, Sherwood Park
Website: www.farmerdaughtertoyshop.com
🦋 Butterfly Wings n’ Wishes Ltd.
This online store has quite the array of options when it comes to their butterfly raising kits – from small rearing kits with 4–5 caterpillars to classroom-sized kits with 25-30 caterpillars and additional accessories. Each kit provides a hands-on science experience that will teach children about the butterfly life cycle. Flight cages are sold separately, and pre-ordering is recommended as these popular kits sell out quickly. For those eager to explore more, they also offer Mantis Hatchling kits which would be a fascinating, higher-maintenance option for a future summer project!
Website: www.butterflyab.ca
Do you love butterflies as much as we do? There are plenty of fun ways to make your butterfly-raising adventure a great learning experience for the whole family. Simple crafts, sensory play, and reading together can help kids connect with nature and learn more about the butterfly life cycle. Over the years, we’ve made play-dough caterpillars, tried different life-cycle activities, made butterfly suncatchers, and created a colourful life-cycle wheel to follow each stage of metamorphosis. We’ve also found some wonderful butterfly-themed books that are now favourites in our homeschool library and part of our butterfly-raising tradition every year! Raising butterflies is always one of our favourite things to do in the spring, and we hope your family enjoys this magical activity too!
