Mystery Solved: Female Gypsy Moth Has Emerged!

Earlier this week, one of our little friends found a "fuzzy chrysalis" in our play area. We have been spending a portion of this week trying to solve the mystery. What is inside that chrysalis?

Through our research, we found out that the chrysalis was really a cocoon. What is the difference between a chrysalis and a cocoon? Well, both are the pupae stage of a metamorphosis. Butterflies make a "naked" chrysalis and moths make a fuzzy/furry covered cocoon.

Being that we have been hatching Monarch's for quite some time, I happened to have a couple of chrysalis shells for the children to compare to the cocoon shell.

They do look and feel quite different.

The children are super excited about our new find. The can't wait for the rain, thunder, and lightening to subside so that they can go out and look for more chrysalises and cocoons. I honestly don't know all that much about gypsy moths. (Thank goodness we have Google!) I anticipate a field trip the library in the near future for some additional research!

Do you know anything about gypsy moths? Have any great books or resources I could look for?

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A Few Ideas With Marker Caps (As Promised)

Yesterday, I hope I convinced you not to throw away your markers that "don't work." Today, I will share with you a few ideas for what to do with all of the caps. The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are a few of our recent creations: 1) A Leprechaun/Fairy Ladder/Rope Ladder: 2) #1 if not permanently secured can also double as a rope bridge: 3) #1/#2 can also be made into a train track for your homemade trains :). (No photo available) 4) You can use them as beads for a necklace: 5) You could make them into a wind chime. (No photo available). 6. You can use them as small manipulatives to count, sort, and make patterns with. (No photo available). 7) You could use them as playing pieces in your own homemade board game. (No photo available). 8) You could put them on a wire and glue them in place to make a twirling whirly-gig. 9) You could top them with a lid from a milk jug to make tiny tables or toadstools. 10) You could make them...

Easter Egg Caterpillars!

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"The Markers Don't Work!"

How may times have you heard, "Ms. (fill your name in here), this marker doesn't work!" I know I hear it all the time. Sometimes it is because our little friends forget to replace the caps, and sometimes the markers have just been "all used up!" What do you do with all those markers that just don't work? Please don't tell me that you throw them out, try this instead: First, sort your markers out. Put the caps in one container ( save those too, I'll show you what you can do with them in tomorrow's post) and the markers in another. I have a box for the markers that "don't work" for the children to place them into every time they run across one. You can also have the children help you test the markers periodically to sort out the ones that need to be removed from the "working set." When it comes time to use "the markers that don't work," we use a small sponge paint roller to roll water onto our card...

Ms. Amy's Blog @Child Central Station

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