A small note. If your refrigerator is not magnetic (like stainless steel), most dishwashers are still magnetic. Some doors are magnetic. And if all else fails, we painted an under the kitchen breakfast counter wall with magnetic paint (it worked fine, I just put up 5 coats of it in about an hour).

​The adults who come to our house play with the magnet wall just as much as the kids do. The trick?

Have really cool magnets.

And, also, have a variety of magnets. We collect magnets in our house. All kinds. When we go somewhere new, we get magnets. And then we talk about them, remind ourselves of our memories, ask questions and storytell. As in all Quick Literacy Tips, this one spans the ages - little kids on up to adults.
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Please share!

We used the butterfly kit from Insect Lore, which you can purchase here. Everything came intact and we had no problems with the kit itself.

There are some well-known fan favorite books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar that are good to have on hand, but we can get more specifically into the science of butterflies too. The books below are a good starter pack for understanding butterflies from toddlers, on up.
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​The Thomas Marent Butterfly book is filled with photography that is detailed and very engaging to look at. Liliana loved looking at this book over and over again. Gail Gibbons' book does a great job diving in to the butterfly life and is migration patterns. 

This takes 5 minutes of your day. If you have a toddler, you will be making the observations and leading the conversation. If you have an elementary aged student, they can make the observations. 
Most importantly, you are looking for metamorphosis with the butterflies. 

Keep track of your observations, just like scientists would! You are running a butterfly experiment. Some observations you might want to watch are, how quickly it takes the caterpillars to cocoon themselves, how long they are cocooned and what they eat once they've emerged as butterflies.

Keep your butterfly books out for your child to continue reading. Often times, kids want to relive fun memories through books. They will connect their experience with the books you used while you had your butterfly kit. Leave them out and let your kids peruse. 

And, keep making observations for conversation. When you see butterflies out and about, point them out excitedly. If you are excited, your kid will be too. 

We are looking forward to doing another round of butterflies this year and will add to our butterfly book arsenal.

If you have any specific questions about doing a butterfly kit or have questions on books that go well for a certain age, or your child specifically, please reach out. I'm happy to answer specific questions!

​Enjoy!

Please share!
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​And I have a few friends with toddlers who want to know...

​Little kids are interested in everything. So the short answer is, keep doing what you're doing - exposing them to new things, getting outside, reading new stories, enjoying different experiences, foods and people.
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But, there are books that can encourage wonder and building things and nurturing ideas. And some of these books are my favorite picture books for adults, too. 

Here is a list to get you started. 

• Ideas are All Around
• Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
• Beyond the Pond
• Wild
• Hands
• Violet the Pilot
• Papa's Mechanical Fish
• Anything is Possible
• A Long, Way Away
• Young Charlotte, Filmmaker
• Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea

• Ada Twist, Scientist
• What Do you Do with a Problem?

Copy my Amazon Wishlist of Curious Books for Curious Kids to your own wishlist! This list will be updated periodically as new books are released or reviewed.

​Enjoy!