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Painted Lady Butterfly Kit - Habitat, STEM Journal, & Voucher for Chrysalis Log & Caterpillars - Grow Your Own Butterfly Kit
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Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Purchase options and add-ons
Size | 11.5 inch |
Brand | Insect Lore |
Theme | STEM |
Age Range (Description) | Kid |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 10 x 10 x 12 inches |
About this item
- Bring the Outdoors In – Help kids foster a love for the world thanks to your real caterpillars to butterflies kit with a mesh habitat, food, a care guide, a STEM journal, and a voucher for caterpillars.
- Inspire Future Explorers – Ignite a passion for science with your comprehensive STEM activity journal, packed with problem-solving games that encourage exploring your caterpillar to butterfly kit.
- Raise Butterflies with Ease – Eliminate guesswork with your easy-to-read care guide. Plan to raise any future Insect Lore-brand caterpillars for butterflies kit refills in 50-85°F weather for 3 weeks.
- Feed Curiosity – When you see chrysalides in your live butterfly kit with caterpillars, set your cup lid on your log and in your 12-in. enclosure. We’ll send your log holder with your caterpillars.
- Educator-Approved Excellence – Join the thousands of teachers, parents, enthusiasts, and kids who have learned and played with Insect Lore butterfly garden kits with caterpillars for over 50 years.
- Please note: Insect Lore is not responsible for lost or missing vouchers.
Additional Details
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 10 x 10 x 12 inches |
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Item Weight | 12 ounces |
Country of Origin | USA |
ASIN | B00000ISC5 |
Item model number | 10416 |
Manufacturer recommended age | 4 - 15 years |
Best Sellers Rank | #189 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #1 in Educational Science Kits #2 in Habitat Science Kits |
Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Release date | March 19, 2018 |
Language | English, English |
Manufacturer | Insect Lore |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
The Butterfly Garden provides kids with limitless learning opportunities, special family time - and FUN! Recipient of Newsweek's prestigious "Best in STEM 2021" Award. Learn about butterfly metamorphosis with Insect Lore's Butterfly Garden with Voucher. The Butterfly Garden is STEM Authenticated and provides children with a hands-on opportunity to explore, grow, and learn about the natural world. It's a great educational project for families to share. Please note: this kit does not contain live insects. An $8.95 fee is required at time of redemption for shipping and handling of your baby caterpillars. Butterfly Garden with Voucher Includes: A voucher to redeem at your convenience for 5 baby caterpillars and all the food they need. Pop-up, reusable, 12 inch, super-see-thru mesh habitat Chrysalis Holding Log (This item comes with your Cup of Caterpillars when your voucher is redeemed) Feeding dropper Caterpillar Quick Guide (you can also download the instructions here) READ ME insert with helpful caterpillar-raising tips Insect Lore, the Original Butterflies-by-Mail Company. We cannot ship live insects to Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, APO, FPO, or DPO addresses. Proudly Grown in the USA. Ages 4+
Important information
Safety Information
CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.
Legal Disclaimer
NO RETURN.
From the brand
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Welcome to Insect Lore!
- We're entomologist founded, and a family favorite.
- We're the Original Raise-and-Release Butterfly Company, and we believe in fostering a deep appreciation for the natural world.
- Our comprehensive kits come with everything you need to discover the extraordinary world of metamorphosis!
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What should I do when my Cup of Caterpillars arrives?
• Give your caterpillars 24-48 hours to acclimate after their journey.
• Keep your caterpillars out of direct sunlight and away from heating or air conditioning vents.
• This is an observational project.
When is the best time of year to raise butterflies?
• Depending on where you are located spring and summer are typically the best seasons, when daytime temperatures are between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
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What kind of butterfly does Insect Lore provide?
When you purchase a butterfly growing kit from Insect Lore, you are raising native Painted Lady Butterflies (vanessa cardui).
What do butterflies eat?
Adult butterflies enjoy an entirely liquid diet!
They use their proboscis to drink the nectar of flowers, or in the case of your Painted Ladies, homemade nectar and the juices of fruits.
From the manufacturer
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Explore the MagicEncourage curiosity in kids (and kids at heart) while they witness one of nature’s most captivating transformations in your own butterfly habitat. |
Step Up Learning with STEMKeep your kid curious and help encourage their analytical abilities with your 11-page STEM activity booklet. |
More Than Cute Critters and Happy HumansInspire the next generation of nature nurterers, scientists, responsible hands, and curious minds with kits from Insect Lore, a brand dedicated to inspiring explorers for over 50 years. |
What's in the box
Product guides and documents
Videos
Videos for this product
3:28
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Always a great spring learning activity
Jennifer Tarle - Tarle Speech
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the gift-giving possibilities of the kit. They mention that the instructions are easy to understand and the kit is a great way to learn about the process of butterflies. Customers are also happy with the appearance and quality of the product. However, some customers complain that the kit does not come with the caterpillars or the butterfly feeder. Customers also have mixed opinions on value, condition, and size.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the kit. They mention that it is a fun process to watch and do with their 9 and 3 year old, and it's a great kit for kids that are learning about life cycles. They say it'd be a very educational gift for both the kids and themselves, and that it helps foster an appreciation for the magic of nature.
"...The caterpillars are super cute . Watching them cocoon is always so much fun. It’s fun to always compare them all by size and such ...." Read more
"...things about the Insect Lore Butterfly Garden is that it's a hands-on experience. Kids get to feed the caterpillars, water them, and watch them grow...." Read more
"...track the progress of the caterpillars changing and has some other fun activities like addition...." Read more
"My 10 year old daughter LOVED this. It worked perfectly and I highly recommend it." Read more
Customers find the setup of the toy and game to be easy. They mention that the instructions are clear and easy to follow. They also appreciate the fun and amazing process of making caterpillars. The product is suitable for any age and is a great way to learn about the process of butterflies.
"...The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and kids will love watching the caterpillars grow and change into butterflies...." Read more
"...This kit comes with clear instructions as well as supporting educational materials...." Read more
"...The process is very simple and all the details are well explained...." Read more
"...that you can get from Ikea and comes with the voucher, instructions with some facts, and a thin dropper for feeding...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the product. They mention that it's beautiful, cool, and unique. They also appreciate the priceless photos of the butterfly release and the fact that the house is sturdy.
"My kids love growing their own butterflies. The caterpillars are super cute . Watching them cocoon is always so much fun...." Read more
"...full amount of time to observe more, they are truly a wonder, and beautiful!..." Read more
"This was a lot of fun and the butterflies were beautiful...." Read more
"...So beautiful and really great learning for the little ones (and us big ones too)...." Read more
Customers like the gift. They mention it makes a great gift and is easily giftable. Customers also appreciate the fact that the gift comes with a voucher to be sent.
"...This kit is a great present for a budding and curious child." Read more
"This is a great gift. We got one as a gift and had a great time with it, so I’ve bought a few as gifts for other kiddos...." Read more
"Great gift for a 5 year old, got it for a Christmas present." Read more
"...a tragic end to a caterpillar last spring, this was the perfect gift for my grandson...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the value of the kit. Some mention that it's worth the purchase, while others say that it was a special treat. The free or included larvae is not actually free, and the free butterfly voucher is not entirely free. The shipping fee for the caterpillars is also a source of contention.
"...It's well worth the price, and Amazon DOES have the best price around." Read more
"...a little bit by making a few minor changes, but this is still a very good toy and considering my kid's fascination with the process, along with the..." Read more
"...All in all, I think it was a cool experiment. Kind of expensive, so it was a special treat...." Read more
"...They are free, but it’s $5 for delivery. It’s definitely worth it especially if you have kids make it to experience nature...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the condition of the product. Some mention that it's fun to watch the caterpillars turn into butterflies, while others say that 1 caterpillar has already died and the other 4 are in their cocoons. Some customers also mention that the butterflies were not very healthy and that they had a difficult time parting with them.
"...The butterflies secret this red stuff from their bottoms (the instructions stress that this stuff is NOT blood) and it dripped all down the sides of..." Read more
"...She flew away, flapping her beautiful wings, probably thinking "wow! I'm flying!..." Read more
"...Anther problem was parting with the butterflies...." Read more
"...enclosure without really having to open it up....the butterflies wanted to escape many times!!!! But, I did improvise and it worked fine...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the size of the mesh cage. Some say it's a decent size, easy to use, and stores in a small space. It holds butterflies and other small insects. However, some customers say that the dimensions sometimes change a bit or the fabric component has a slight rip.
"I got this for my grandsons and it was perfect to house the 10 caterpillars that we had gotten...." Read more
"...The caterpillars were pretty small and didn’t move when they first came in, but a few days later they are moving nonstop and huge!!..." Read more
"...They wash up easily, dry quickly and store in a small space because the are collapsible. This particular brand however was a disappointment...." Read more
"...And the cup they send them in is too small for five caterpillars to crawl around in and grow and attach to the lid and form a cocoon...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the compatibility of the kit. They mention that it does not come with the caterpillars, live larva, or the butterfly feeder. They also complain that the kit does not include the nectar dish or the purple feeder.
"...This kit does not come with the caterpillars, you have to mail away for those little guys...." Read more
"...The price of the kit does NOT include caterpillars...." Read more
"...The kit comes with everything you need, including a habitat, food, and caterpillars...." Read more
"...and very educational but when I opened this package the caterpillars were not in the box...." Read more
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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The Insect Lore Butterfly Garden is a great way for kids to learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. The kit comes with everything you need, including a habitat, food, and caterpillars. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and kids will love watching the caterpillars grow and change into butterflies.
One of the best things about the Insect Lore Butterfly Garden is that it's a hands-on experience. Kids get to feed the caterpillars, water them, and watch them grow. They also get to learn about the different stages of metamorphosis. This is a great way for kids to learn about nature and science.
The Insect Lore Butterfly Garden is also a great way to get kids interested in gardening. The caterpillars need milkweed leaves to eat, so kids will need to plant milkweed in their garden. This is a great way for kids to learn about gardening and the importance of pollinators.
Overall, the Insect Lore Butterfly Garden is a great educational toy for kids. It's fun, educational, and a great way to get kids interested in nature.
Here are some pros and cons of the Insect Lore Butterfly Garden:
Pros:
- Fun and educational
- Easy to use
- Comes with everything you need
- Kids get to see the butterfly life cycle up close
- Encourages kids to learn about nature and gardening
Cons:
- Can be a bit messy
- Caterpillars can be fragile
- Shipping can be expensive
Overall, the Insect Lore Butterfly Garden is a great educational toy for kids. It's fun, educational, and a great way to get kids interested in nature.
1. A butterfly habitat "pop-up" tent, which is made of a mesh material on the sides, a plastic lid with a zipper to open on top, and a solid material bottom.
2. A butterfly food "feeder". This is a little plastic dropper. Once your butterflies emerge from their cocoons, you will need to make a mixture of water and sugar to feed them. This kit does not bring food for the butterflies once they have transformed. You will have to make it yourself, which is easy enough.
3. A post-card (mail-in) coupon and an instruction pamphlet.
It is important to realize that you will need to mail-in a redemption coupon in order to actually receive the caterpillars. When THIS kit is delivered to your house, it does not have the caterpillars inside the box. You can also call the company (with out waiting to mail in your postcard), or you can go to their online website and place your order. That's what I did - the online ordering system asks you to enter a unique code that comes with your initial kit. There was an additional processing and handling fee of $3.00 that I had to pay for them to ship the actual caterpillars to my house (I live in Florida).
One thing that I think ALL people who are thinking about ordering this set should keep in mind is... these are REAL LIVE animals. It makes sense that they would not be able to keep them in a box in some warehouse somewhere until the kit sells. By that time... well, let's just say that the animals inside probably wouldn't make it. So, you get this kit, and then you send away (or call or go online) to request your caterpillars.
We did all that. A few weeks later, a TINY little box came. Now, here is where I personally had a little problem. I live in a gated community, and every house has a little metal mail box with a lock & key. Packages that are too big to fit in these boxes are delivered directly to our doors. However, if a package will fit into the little metal mailbox, the postal carrier will leave it there. Well, being a busy Mom, I sometimes do not check my mail EVERY day. It must have been 4 days before it dawned on me... OH! I ordered that butterfly - caterpillar thing! I RAN out to my metal "community" mailbox, and sure enough... there was a tiny box inside.
Upon opening the tiny box, I found a little clear plastic container. Inside the container was a bunch of brown stuff (which turned out to be the caterpillar food), tons of brownish looking spider webby stuff, 3 crispy things (cocoons, or chrysalides) and 2 REALLY BIG caterpillars. Shocked and mortified, I called the customer service phone number immediately. I spoke to a nice man who explained that due to the extremely hot summer, the entire life cycle was sped up (during shipping, and no doubt sitting in my mailbox). It turns out that 3 of the caterpillars had already spun themselves into cocoons, and the other two had already eaten and grown to their maximum size. The customer service guy was really nice and he arranged to have another set sent out to me, FREE of charge. He recommended that we schedule it for another time of the year, so we settled on October. This man was so kind; he took the time to answer all of my questions and didn't make me feel like a dope for asking. I'm sure he's had SEVERAL calls like mine... but he was extremely apologetic and sincere. He made me feel better about the whole thing.
Well, here I had already called my son to come and look at his new "pets" BEFORE opening the little box. There was no going back. He looked inside, and said "EWE!" He also told me that it did NOT look like it did on the commercials. The food was supposed to be sand - ours was a brown, jelly like goop. There were webs (it was actually silk) all inside and the cocoons were NOT attached to the top (like they were supposed to be). What was I going to do? I decided to keep the little container and follow the instructions. I pretended like nothing was wrong! Maybe we could save the two big caterpillars and still have the experience, I thought to myself.
I will not go into any more detail about the wonder of it all - you will just have to get your own kit! I will, however, tell you that ALL of our butterflies hatched! Once they were inside our cool house... nature took its course (we keep the a/c cranked to about 70 all day, and about 65 at night). Maybe the cooler air helped them to survive. It has been in the high 90's here in Florida... probably about 120 degrees in that mailbox! DESPITE the weird start to these little creatures' lives... they really turned out to be an amazing experience. They all came out perfect.
Once they had transformed into butterflies, we actually kept them for a few weeks, feeding them a sugar and water "nectar" that we made. The whole thing was messier than I had anticipated. The "pop up" tent definitely needs to be washed out BEFORE the other replacement caterpillars get shipped to us in October. The butterflies secret this red stuff from their bottoms (the instructions stress that this stuff is NOT blood) and it dripped all down the sides of the habitat. The home-made nectar was sticky after a few days and got all over the bottom and the sides of the tent. (I used brown sugar because that was all I had on hand, so I'm sure that didn't help the cleanliness issue.) Depending on the age of the recipient, it can and will make an impact upon young minds. My son is 9... so he was old enough to stick his arm in the tent and feed them (while they fluttered around his hands!)
Anyway, that brings me back to my point that these ARE live creatures, little animals. They require CARE and you DO have to feed them. Then there is the issue of feeding them without letting them free in your house. This kit DOES live up to the hype. You just need to be ready for what ever nature throws in your direction! Also, in the event you DO get a "dud", the customer service for this product is top notch. It's well worth the price, and Amazon DOES have the best price around.
Top reviews from other countries
Achtung: Für die Zahlung muß ein Paypalkonto oder eine Kreditkarte vorhanden sein!
Bei der Bestellung der Raupen gibt man dann den Tag an, an dem sie verschickt(!) werden sollen. Der Versand dauert ca. 5-7 Tagen. Sind die Raupen dann da, hat man ca 7-14 Tagen, bis sie sich verpuppen und man sie mit Hilfe der kleinen Pappaufsteller in das - in der Grundpackung vorhandene - Habitat umziehen läßt. Eine Erklärung für die gesammte Zeit ist in mehreren Sprachen vorhanden. Und man erhäkt zwischendurch auch einige Mails mit Hinweisen in deutscher Sprache.
Ich fand das Leben der Raupen (sogar Streitigkeiten untereinander, sowie regelmäßiges Teilhäuten) sehr spannend und habe nun seit einer guten Woche die Puppen im Habitat. Nun warte ich begierig jeden Tag drauf, das ein Schmetterling schlüpft. Damit die kleinen gleich am Anfang zu fressen haben und nicht ein paar Stunden hungern müssen (was ihnen nicht gut tut!) habe ich nun auch kleine Blumen im Habitat stehn (ausgesucht nach intensiven Recherchen im Internet was diese Raupenart für Blüten braucht).
Bitte denkt dran die Schmetterlinge nicht zu lange im Habitat zu belassen sondern sie zeitig in die Natur zu entlassen.
Das Habitat ist mehrfach verwendtbar, die Becher, in denen die Raupen geliefert werden und in denen sie wachsen würd ich eher nicht wieder verwenden, da in ihm die Nahrungsreste sowie Kot liegt. Raupen kann man jederzeit über die Website des Herstellers nachbeziehen.
Raupen werden aber NUR während einer bestimmten Zeit verschickt, in denen weder der Transport noch die anschließende Umgebung für die Schmetterlinge zu kalt ist! Es ist daher möglich, dass der Gtuschein z.B. im Dezember nicht eingelöst werden kann. Dann einfach im April erneut versuchen. Der Support des Herstellers reagiert nur in englischer Sprache! Wer also Fragen hat, sollte daher Englisch können. Die Anfrage in Deutsch ist kein Problem nur halt die Antwort kommt in Englisch.
My daughter saved her pocket money for this after doing it at school, so we went ahead and purchased it. It arrived this morning. The leaflet inside has a special code that you enter either by post (with £2.99 to cover the shipping of the caterpillar larvae) or you can also enter it online and pay via paypal, which I did. It was VERY quick and easy, I can only assume that some people have been very unfortunate and have received USA stock by mistake, or that the newer stock is all UK butterfly garden boxes.
Anyway, I have paid the fee and eagerly await the caterpillars being despatched. You can only pick from a limited list of delivery dates so be prepared to wait at least a week or more for your caterpillars to arrive. ALSO - if you want to do this, eggs are ONLY AVAILABLE in the spring and summer months so be sure you order this item at the right time otherwise it will be useless until the next butterfly season!
The box only contains the butterfly net/house, a feeding pipette, and instruction booklet, as well as your unique code to redeem the caterpillars.
THIS IS MADE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR! I cannot understand the bad reviews from those intellectually challenged people who seem to think LIVE animals can be kept indefinitely on a shelf until they are sold. Caterpillars life cycle takes about 5 weeks so they would be dead and gone before the kits were sold! Of course they charge a handling fee to get you fresh larvae sent out. If people cant comprehend this basic fact, maybe they don't have the requisite intelligence to be explaining life cycles to a child. Don't be disappointed to find NO LIVE INSECTS in your kit! Sheeeesh! (eye roll)....
I will update this reviews when the larvae arrive!
27/07/13 - caterpillars arrived today. They are about 1cm long, black and hairy, and are in a small clear plastic cup with a lid and a cardboard sleeve that can be rotated around the cup to view the caterpillars. Already there are some silk like threads being spun at the bottom of the cup. Four of the caterpillars are very active and can clearly be seen crawling about and eating the thick jelly stuff at the bottom of the cup. The fifth caterpillar is alive but quite inactive and has not moved much. Some have even ventured to the underside of the cup lid.
31/07/13 - all five caterpillars are still alive, though the slow/inert one is still lying at the bottom of the cup not having moved much. They have more than trebled in size since they arrived, the largest one is now about 2.5 - 3cm long. The inside of the cup looks a bit gross now with all the caterpillar waste product (frass) and shed skins. since last night alone they are noticeably fatter; it's amazing just how fast they grow, there can be a marked difference between day and night. In this warmer weather the process is, according to the booklet, much faster. I'm expecting the chrysalis's to start forming over the next few days. At this point I'm hoping for 5 successful butterflies!
02/08/13 - 4 of the caterpillars are now hanging from the lid of the cup, one seems to be a bit more ahead of the others as it has already formed somewhat of a thick cocoon over itself, the others just look like they are hanging there. The fifth caterpillar is making its way to the top of the cup. I hope they all form cocoons at the same time as I don't know what to do if some have not and some have, as the instructions say you should not open the lid until all are hanging from the top (you can introduce bacteria etc into their environment otherwise). Exciting!
05/08/13 - All five caterpillars made it into the cocoon stage, but one was hanging not from the lid but from another cocoon. We opened the lid as per instructions and cleaned away the silk strands and debris (this apparently can cause the butterflies to become entangled and have deformed wings if you don't do this). The cocoon that was hanging from another cocoon, we have detached and laid on a paper towel at the bottom of the enclosure. The instructions say this is okay and it should still hatch out. We are now to wait for the cocoons to turn a very dark colour, and the butterflies are suppose to hatch the same day! This stage was quite yucky if I'm honest and may gross out a sensitive child, as there were 'bits' of old caterpillar skin and what looks like blood (its just 'meconium' according the booklet!). We now wait expectantly for our butterflies!
It is interesting to note that the cocoons were shaking quite violently on their own as we were doing this, apparently this is a defence mechanism! Very strange to see.
12/08/13 - First butterfly hatched out yesterday morning. We missed the actual event but it was sitting at the bottom of the enclosure. Have put fresh cut oranges and peaches in the net, as well as some fresh flowers sprayed with 'nectar' (sugar water) as per instructions. The second butterfly hatched this afternoon, and a third looks like it is about to emerge. We have taken lots of pictures. Two down, three to go!
13/08/13 - Two hatched out yesterday afternoon after writing my update. We actually caught the second one on video emerging from its cocoon - you have to be fast because once it starts, it's out in about 5 seconds, it is not the slow process you might imagine! We were very lucky to catch it. A fair amount of red 'blood' drips from their back ends once emerged, so put your habitat on some newspaper.
This morning we released all four butterflies as the fifth one was not hatched yet. We got some lovely pictures - they are happy to sit on your fingers etc as you place them on the plants. My daughter was a bit teary for a while but after explaining that her new friends needed to be free to see the world etc and that they would come back and visit her if they could, she felt a bit better. The fifth butterfly hatched in the last two hours, so he will be released this afternoon, as I feel they should not be kept in the net any longer then necessary.
In summary this has been an amazing experience for both adult and child. The whole process from receiving larvae to releasing the butterflies took 17 days. I highly recommend this item, we are already thinking about doing it again next summer!