Flutter, Flutter, Butterfly

While anticipating the arrival of our butterflies, we learn a new song Flutter. Flutter Butterfly following a familiar tune. It is interesting to engage our palms to shape like wings by connecting our thumbs to make a series of quick delicate movements up and down or from side to side.

The moment we have been waiting for has finally arrived! Margo excitedly greets an emerged butterfly by coming closer and singing the above song beautifully. Through this whole experience we feel great joy as well as gaining heaps of knowledge from learning about and observing the metamorphosis of our Painted Lady butterflies.

Practicing patience to care from the time our baby caterpillars arrive, we are drawn to them as they are delicate and yet beautiful creatures. In this way we learn to exhibit respect and empathy toward the other living things. This is great as we are having to think  and brainstorm about the animal kingdom works and how humans have an effect on other animals and the surrounding environment. 

Fides finds a connection between his observation and perception of metamorphosis. One is all complete as his way of referring to a butterfly who has completed the stages of metamorphosis. 

Once all of them emerge we take opportunities to play with the butterflies. In modern urban life, there is very little opportunity to interact so closely with nature. We talk to the butterflies, we sing to them, and we feel the butterflies tickle our hands. A sense of belonging is evident throughout. 

The time has come now for us to release the butterflies! During our individual moment to release our selected butterflies, each one of us is asked to dedicate 4 lines of poems. There is a compilation of lovely expressions such as ...

• I love you, butterfly
• Fly high to the sky
• ​I am going to miss you
• ​If I were a butterfly, I would spread love 

Another learning opportunity for us to express our interests in butterflies is through an act of summarization. Emily, refers to a classic storybook A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, describes the process from the beginning until the whole growth. 

This time round we include drama as a valuable tool to represent our learning. As a process-oriented artform, drama provides endless opportunities for us to be creative and collaborative while learning about the world around us through various artistic means. 

What makes drama so valuable, when it is learned in the center of the learning process, is that we gain so much more understanding of concepts. Drama also supports our learning of essential life skills such as intellectual, psychological, and physical well-being.

Kindest,
​Children & Friends.