The Old Schoolhouse® Product & Curriculum Reviews

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Insect Lore Butterfly Collection Review by Tina Rice and Family

Do you have a budding entomologist in your house? Do you want to nurture a love of nature in your family? Do insects bug you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to check out Insect Lore at www.InsectLore.com. Since 1969, Insect Lore has been making nature come alive for American and European children and adults. My family had the privilege of reviewing many items from Insect Lore's butterfly collection. The company was very friendly, shipping was speedy, and the packaging was environmentally friendly (minimal and biodegradable). My four children commented, "Cool," "Wow," "Neat," and "Totally awesome." Within minutes of opening the box, the children (ages two to 12) were out the door looking for insects to capture and examine. Our 10 Painted Lady caterpillars arrived healthy and active. The caterpillars turned to chrysalides seven and 10 days after arriving and then we put them into the butterfly pavilion. The butterfly pavilion is a cylindrical, three foot tall, mesh home for your butterflies. It has a clear plastic bottom, zips open on the side, and has a string for hanging at the top. The chrysalides emerged as butterflies seven to 10 days after turning into chrysalides. We were very surprised to see the meconium that came from the butterflies as they emerged. I was expecting a drop or two, but they produced quite a bit. We kept a daily journal detailing our caterpillars' journey through metamorphosis to full grown butterflies (from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis and, finally, to butterfly). This was a wonderful way of teaching life science in a hands-on, real-life manner. Of 10 caterpillars, nine of them changed into chrysalides. All nine chrysalides changed into butterflies. Insect Lore guarantees 66 percent emergence. We enjoyed feeding our butterflies for several days before releasing them. Painted Lady butterflies are native to all 50 states and every country in the world except Australia and New Zealand, so they can be released outside when the temperature reaches 55 degrees. You need to keep in mind when ordering the butterfly kit that you need about three weeks to watch your caterpillars turn into butterflies, so don't order just before vacation. Every day there are changes and missing a few days will mean you miss some of the thrill of watching metamorphosis happen!

We also tested and loved the Creature Peeper (an over and under 3x magnifier that allows you to look at insects from top and bottom), a shatterproof Bug Jar with a mesh lid, a pop up Port A Bug (a mesh insect tent that folds compactly), Painted Lady Butterfly life cycle stage figures, and the Grow My Own Butterfly Flowers Seeds and Net Garden Set. The Creature Peeper has been in constant use by all my children. They love to catch an insect and watch it walk or fly and then release it. While the products were age rated for 4+ years, they all survived use by a two-year-old boy.

Check out Insect Lore at www.InsectLore.com and discover nature as God intended it. You won't find boring textbooks or chintzy products. The internet site features all the items in their catalog or you can request a print catalog by clicking the Request Our Catalog link, by calling 1-800-LIVE BUG, or by contacting them by e-mail at catalog@insectlore.com. Although we did not review The Butterfly Celebration, check it out at their website. This is a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday, marriage, or other special event.

-- Product Review by: Tina Rice and Family, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine

Here's another Insect Lore review!

"Go to the ant you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise" Proverbs 6:6. I have often wondered how studying an ant would help me become wise. After having a small colony of ants in my home (on purpose) for the last two weeks, I understand why the psalmist told us to study them. Ants are a terrific model of industry. Ants work hard, they cooperate with one another, and they are fun to watch! Our ants are living in The AntHill, Living Ant Habitat from Insect Lore. The AntHill is six inches tall, 11 inches wide and five inches deep. It is flat on the backside to allow ants to make tunnels, and rounded on the front side so that it resembles a real hill. The rounded side is textured so that ants can climb the hill without slipping. The entire hill is enclosed in clear plastic, which makes it escape proof. The top is hinged for putting in sand, ants, water, and food. It is nice to look at (a big plus since it has been on my kitchen counter for two weeks) and very easy to set up. Our AntHill has allowed us to watch 25 western harvester ants dig tunnels, groom themselves, eat, rest, and bury their dead. The AntHill comes with specially formulated sand, a certificate to order live ants, and an instruction and activity book. Insect Lore does not supply ants. They are provided by Life Studies in Hurricane, Utah. Simply put your certificate, along with $2 for postage, in the mail and your ants will arrive in a few weeks. When our ants got here, we just followed the directions and transferred them to the AntHill. Put the shipping container of ants in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to calm them down, open the lid and pour them in. There are no small straws or tiny holes to try to get ants into on the AntHill. Because ants sting, the Ant Hill is age-rated for eight and up. My two-year-old loves to sit and watch HIS ants work. My six, 10 and 12 year olds can sit for an hour and watch the ants work. I like to watch them while I work in the kitchen. Ant watching can be addictive! The five things that set the Ant Hill apart from other ant habitats are: 1. easy to fill with sand; 2. LOTS of viewing area; 3. shaped like a real anthill; 4. easy to feed and water the ants; and 5. easy to clean.

Give your family a Biblical lesson on hard work and wisdom; buy the AntHill from Insect Lore. Insect Lore can be contacted at www.InsectLore.com or 1-800-LIVEBUG. Their website features some wonderful ant books, models, and toys, as well as products on butterflies, worms, ladybugs, and pond life. Their prices are affordable, shipping is fast, customer service operators are knowledgeable and nice, and their shipping materials are environmentally friendly. Best of all they carry AWESOME products. Check Insect Lore out today!


-- Product Review by: Tina Rice and Family, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine