Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden

I will never forget the year our homeschooling neighbors got their Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden. What excitement that transferred all the way over to our (at that time) non-homeschooled children. Even I was excited and fascinated and would go up to their house every other day or so to check on the progress of their live butterfly garden experiment.

This project is something that's easy to do and one I highly recommend for any family with children. This inexpensive educational project makes a great gift or to add a science project to your homeschool curriculum.

The video below shows you exactly how easy it is to use the Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden.



So now that you've decided to get the live butterfly garden, why not get these companion books to help provide additional details on the life cycle of butterflies and make it a fun afternoon or bedtime read.

From Caterpillar to Butterfly

Synopsis: A caterpillar comes to school in a jar. The class watches the caterpillar each day as it grows and changes. Soon, it disappears into a hard shell called a chrysalis. Then the chrysalis breaks, and a beautiful butterfly flies out of the jar! This is a perfect beginner's guide to the mystery of metamorphosis.

My, Oh My--A Butterfly!: All About Butterflies (Cat in the Hat's Learning Library)

Synopsis: With a little help from the Cat in the Hat, Sally and Dick observe a small miracle in their own backyard—the metamorphosis of an egg into a caterpillar into a chrysalis into a bright new butterfly! Along the way, beginning readers will find out how butterflies see thousands of images at once, drink nectar from flowers, avoid predators, and can be identified by size, shape, and color. Readers will also follow the amazing migration of millions of monarchs.

Disney Pixar Toy Story 3 : LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game

As Andy prepares to depart for college, Buzz, Woody and the rest of the loyal toys are troubled about their uncertain future. Disney Pixar Toy Story 3 LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game is a comical new adventure that lands the toys in a room full of untamed tots who can't wait to get their sticky little fingers on these "new" toys. It's pandemonium as they try to stay together to ensure "no toy gets left behind." Features expanded play for the Leapster2 system, so Leapster2 players can connect online for extra games, activities and rewards, and parents can get detailed learning progress reports through the online LeapFrog® Learning Path. Appropriate for children ages 4 to 7 years (grades K to 1). Works with Leapster and Leapster2 systems.

Highlights

• Help Buzz on his secret mission to navigate the vending machine and investigate what is happening at Sunnyside Daycare
• The toys are free from Sunnyside, but now they are lost at the dump
• Help Woody cross the playground to get to the garbage chute, but watch out for trucks on patrol
• Teaches letters and word building, numbers and equations, addition and subtraction and coordinate mapping
• Kids can connect online for extra activities and rewards
• Answer questions for scrubbing power to clean them off and identify them
• Parents can connect online to the LeapFrog Learning path to see what their child is playing and learning

My children has one of the original LeapFrog game systems, and they loved it! This new version provides access to extra online games too. Nice!

This will for sure be on the Christmas or birthday list of many children this year.

In order to use the Toy Story 3 game, you will need the LeapFrog Leapster 2 game system, and the case comes in handy too. 

LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System - Green

LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game Case

Child Bedroom Theme with the My Pillow Pets Lady Bug

There's nothing more adorable than lady bug child bedroom theme. I've even seen ladybug bathroom decor. If you know a lady bug lover (of any age!) there's plenty of options to satisfy their love of all things lady bugs.

Often, a love for a particular theme item starts with something as simple as a toy. My Pillow Pets Lady Bug is just the toy to begin a lifelong love for the lady bug.

I admit - I love lady bugs. My girls love lady bugs; but even though red is one of my favorite colors, I have stopped short of lady bug decor. Not sure why, I have one bathroom done in yellow duckies, guess it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to re-do it in lady bugs. ;)

Do you know a lady bug lover? If they are an adult - do they have any rooms in their home decorated in the lady bug theme; or do they just own collectibles? If they are a child - do they have a lot of lady bug toys, or is their room decorated with lady bugs?

My Pillow Pets Lavender Unicorn 18"

Children of all ages seem to adore Pillow Pets! I first heard of them from my daughter looking for the My Pillow Pets Lavender Unicorn for my granddaughter last Christmas. My granddaughter is into all things princess, and well - what's a princess without her unicorn. ;)

Then, my daughter-in-law was looking for the My Pillow Pets Monkey for my grandson. Equally as cute, and not quite so girlie. His room is in a jungle theme, so naturally the monkey was perfect for him.

So if both of my grandchildren wanted these, then I figured I'd best find out what they were. What I quickly learned is that there's tons of My Pillow Pets in all different animal shapes.

It didn't take long for my younger children still at home, to hear about My Pillow Pets, and now they also want them. Since I figure you can't have too many stuff toys, especially those that turn into a pillow!

These toys are durable and great for travel; but they do contain some elements that could come off (the eyes), and thus make them not suitable for children under 3 years of age.

Now the quest is on to own them all. As my daddy always says, don't start something you don't intend to finish - and that holds true with collecting things. ;)