This is a fun activity to do, for the name alone!
Materials:
- nylon stockings/knee socks
- potting soil/compost
- grass seed (use a quick-grow variety or wheat grass)
- rubber bands or hair ties
- chenille stems / pipe cleaners
- googly eyes
- pom poms (optional)
Directions:
1. Mix the soil/compost with the grass seed. We did this in large quantities for the whole pack but it’s about one cup of soil to one tablespoon of seed.
2. Pour into the nylon socks. This is quite tricky and messy. Best to either pour in or take big handfuls and stuff in.
3. Tie off the end and snip any excess.
4. Use rubber bands/hair bands to segment the caterpillar.
5. Add google eyes and use pipe cleaners to make antennae.
6. Get the Brownies to take them home, keep them in a sunny spot and water them each day.
7. We asked the Brownies to bring them back in about a month later when they were starting to get hairy.
8. We also had weekly updates on our caterpillars progress (if struggling to grow then put in a plastic bag which works a bit like a greenhouse).
