Interplay Butterfly World Review

We recently were sent Interplay Butterfly World to review. The boys have always wanted to try one but I’ve always wondered whether I would be able to find the caterpillar eggs etc and raise them ok…

The kit is suitable for children aged 5+. It comes with:

• Pop-Up Butterfly
• Rearing Cage
• Jar Cover
• Small Plastic Pot & lid
• Paint Brush
• Informative Guide written by Nick Baker
• Caterpillar Order Form

While you don’t received your Caterpillars with this kit you do receive a kit and advice in the booklet about to go out and find your own. The booklet talks you through the whole stage from collecting the eggs and growing them into pupae ready to be transformed. All the extras you require are a spare jam jar and fresh daily plants for food.  If this is something you’d rather not do you can send off for live Caterpillars (painted lady butterflies). There is a code in the back of the booklet too for this to give you a special discount. I chickened out of rummaging around the local heath looking for eggs (almost impossible with a puppy & two boys on tow in this household) and received from Interplays supplier Gribblybugs a lovely container which includes all the food required to grow your caterpillars into pupae.

The boys had a wonderful time after the caterpillars arrived and they were given their own shelf in the kitchen that we could examine them from every morning. The boys found it amazing how quickly they suddenly grew and fattened up and couldn’t wait for the “change” to take place!

After about two weeks of growing and starting to spin fine lines they changed into the pupae. It seemed to be one a day for the next week which of course the boys adored! After a couple of days of the last one changing into a cocoon the first one popped open! Watch the video below as they very very quickly emerge!

 

When they had all emerged we (following the instructions in the booklet) gave them a sugar and water solution and with the morning being bright and sunny we released them out into the garden. You can keep them and feed them at home and so continue the cycle but we decided to release and head off soon to try collecting our own. I always wondered if the price £12.99 plus butterflies would be worth it but I would quite happily but these as presents for all I know now! It’s been an amazing experience over the three weeks and the boys loved seeing the difference every day by far one of the best hands on kits there are out there!