This butterfly was outside the yard when the children first saw it. They called it repeatedly and finally it obliged and flew into our garden so we could see it better.
Earlier this spring we had a nest of baby spiders by the bench;
Those baby spiders entertained us for several days before they left to find homes elsewhere. The children were very protective of the baby spiders and ensured no one sat on the bench and damaged the web.
Some of the children are afraid of bugs – especially spiders and wasps. I believe that learning about the insects we encounter will help the children overcome any fear of them. When we know what these insect do we begin to understand how they can benefit us.
Even wasps are welcome to visit our yard – they have a job to do in the garden too. We don’t let them build their nests where we play though. When they are near we give them the respect they deserve.
Daily I am summoned to various parts of the yard by a child asking “What kind of bug is this?” That question is followed by many more. I don’t always have the answers but we do research to find out more.
I always try to remain calm even when we discover insects that I don’t like – such as these aphids we just found on the oats in our garden;
Where are the lady bugs – we need them now! A strong negative reaction may instil unnecessary fear. I’ll explain why I dislike certain insects and what we can do to avoid contact with those that we don’t like.
Earlier this week two of the girls were sitting in the garden smelling the herbs and flowers. They were conversing quietly and I overheard one say “Ok, it’s your turn to pet him now – he’s really soft.”
I moved closer to see what they had found. It was a bee – possibly the biggest, fattest, fluffiest bumble bee I have ever seen. It was busy moving from one flower to the next and every time it landed the girls would PET IT!?!?
I tried to remain calm as I said “Please don’t pet the bumble bee.” but I’m sure my voice was a much higher pitch than normal.
“But we love him” the girls replied.
“Yes, I know, but he’s busy working and we don’t want to make him angry. Watch him but don’t interrupt what he is doing.”
Love my job
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