Barneblad: All about butterflies
Summer science for kids
Photo: Tom Shockey / Flickr
Monarch butterflies migrate 1,800 miles every fall from the northern United States to the warmer climates of California and Mexico.
Brought to you by Lori Ann Reinhall
It’s summer, a great time to take a walk in the woods with our families and friends—and to learn a little while having fun. This week’s Barneblad is all about butterflies, those marvelously beautiful creatures that come out in the summertime.
In Norway, butterflies are called sommerfugler, or “summer birds.” Like birds, they fly through air. There are about 2,200 kinds of butterflies in Norway, and in America, there are many more. All in all, there about 17,500 different types of butterflies.
Woods are the best place to look for butterflies, but your own backyard will do if you live near the beautiful flowers that the butterflies love. The butterflies float from flower to flower, feeding on the flowers’ nectar.
If you want to see more butterflies, you might ask an adult to plant some of their favorite flowers: colorful marigolds, milkweed, buckwheat, zinnias, and heliotrope. Butterflies are able to see the colors green, red, and yellow, which is useful to them when they are finding flowers.
Fun facts about butterflies
It’s summer, a great time to take a walk in the woods with our families and friends—and to learn a little while having fun. This week’s Barneblad is all about butterflies, those marvelously beautiful creatures that come out in the summertime.
In Norway, butterflies are called sommerfugler, or “summer birds.” Like birds, they fly through air. There are about 2,200 kinds of butterflies in Norway, and in America, there are many more. All in all, there about 17,500 different types of butterflies.
Woods are the best place to look for butterflies, but your own backyard will do if you live near the beautiful flowers that the butterflies love. The butterflies float from flower to flower, feeding on the flowers’ nectar.
If you want to see more butterflies, you might ask an adult to plant some of their favorite flowers: colorful marigolds, milkweed, buckwheat, zinnias, and heliotrope. Butterflies are able to see the colors green, red, and yellow, which is useful to them when they are finding flowers.
Some people like to catch butterflies with special nets, but because they are such special living creatures of nature, it’s best to let them fly freely. A fun game is to count the number of butterflies you see during your walk or butterfly hunt.
If you do catch a butterfly, it is important to hold it very carefully. They are delicate, and their wings can be easily damaged. Once you’ve admired it, you can gently let it go and fly away to freedom in the summer sky.
Butterflies are so beautiful that you naturally will want to color, draw, and paint them in all the colors of the rainbow. Fortunately, this is something you can do in any climate and at any time of year, not just summer.
There are many coloring books with butterflies, and the butterfly is easy to draw on your own. Here’s how:
1. Start with the head of the butterfly. Sketch in a circle for the head.
2. Create the butterfly’s antennae. On top of the head, draw two long lines for the antennae.
3. Draw the body.
4. Add in the wings.
5. Draw designs in the wings.
6. Outline your butterfly with a fine marker.
7. Color or paint it.
8. Finished!
Why not start by coloring in the butterfly below?
Learn more at The Butterfly website: www.butterflywebsite.com.
This article originally appeared in the August 9, 2019, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
