Live Butterfly Garden

We bought this butterfly pavilion for our grandson and put it up for him in our house (where he comes every day). It has been great fun for all of us to watch. The catapillars arrived in a timely manner and they behaved just as described in the literature. We have all learned from it.

Over all I'm satisfied with the product even though the garden is just a mesh pop-up cylinder with a silkscreen image and it took over 2 weeks to get the larva. I guess it was my fault for under estimating the management of my 4 year old, getting the butterfly kit without the caterpillars. Though I immediately mailed the card with my $3, it took over 2 weeks to get the larva. Now that we have everything, he's very excited and checks them out everyday. It was just the management of getting the garden and then having him waiting. If I had to do it all over again, I would order a kit that came with everything all at once.

Product was purchased for my three year old's birthday. She was all excited by the commercials -- who am I to deny her an opportunity to be in touch with mother nature. I was disappointed to learn that my purchase was little more than a nylon cage and an additional six dollar bill for caterpillars. The free caterpillar gift certificate is coupled with a six dollar shipping fee -- the fine print on the box gets me every time! I received the caterpillars and all four have gone through metamorphosis, three still in their cocoon and one has emerged as a butterfly. The one butterfly is excreting a blood like substance and my daughter is freaking out. I am all about exposing my child to nature, but this is too graphic. There is no documentation/warning and therefore no opportunity for me to protect my child. She is traumatized. Folly of me to think that she would be dancing around my front yard chasing her newly released butterflies. Stay away unless your child is able to stomach what actuality is more like a butterfly morgue. Disappointed.

My eldest daughter loved each step of this garden's processes. We watched avidly to see any changes. Unfortunately, the day that these guys hatched was also the day that I had my youngest child. So, in essence, we missed the main event. However, I highly recommend this toy unless you are due to give birth within a few weeks.

Catapillars took over a month to arrive and that is hard to keep explaining to a four year old everyday. Then when they did finally arrive, they were dead and we had to send them back before they would send us some new ones. Takes too much time for a child to understand. And why would you send catepillars by regular mail in the heat of July?