Butterflying in San Diego
Butterflying isn’t the first thing that pops in my head when I think about Fall activities. To me, Fall has always been more about leaf peeping, pumpkin picking, and apple farms. That all changed last year when we read CITIZEN SCIENTISTS.
affiliate links are included below.
This is a cool book that gets kids excited to participate with and explore nature. There is an adventure/focus for each season and the Fall one is all about butterflying. I highly recommend the whole book for inspiring adventures.
I also highly recommend the book WINGED WONDERS by Meeg Pincus. It’s a gorgeous, fascinating book about how the mystery of butterfly migration was solved.
Butterflying in San Diego
It turns out, in Southern California Butterflying is an ideal field trip to do in the late Summer, early Fall. If you live further north, then mark your calendar for earlier in the summer to see Butterflies at their peek.
WHERE TO GO
A Butterfly Garden is the ideal place to go Butterflying. We went to the Butterfly Garden in San Dieguito County Park. This is a fun park to explore with kids. There are trails, playgrounds and a pond. There is also a Butterfly Garden.
The Butterfly Garden is at the Northern end of the lower park. You can park nearby in a lot. We parked at the other end and hiked to the garden and back. The garden has an assortment of flowers and other plants that attract butterflies (along with hummingbirds and bees).
More Info about the Park & Garden: WEBSITE
WHAT TO BRING
- Sunscreen
- Water bottle
- Journals and Pencils (for kids who love to draw or create on adventures)
- Camera to practice taking photos (for kids who love a tool to use on adventures)
- Butterfly Guidebook (optional for kids who want to know more)
Butterflying Activity Ideas for Anywhere
Below are a variety of butterfly activity ideas for all ages to expand on your Butterflying adventure.
- Look for a Butterfly exhibit near you. Many zoos have seasonal butterfly exhibits. There are also places like the Butterfly Wonderland in Arizona (which my kids absolutely loved!) that are open year round.
- Butterfly Storytime for Preschoolers from My Storytime Corner – excellent Butterfly themed read alouds and more extension activities.
- Preschool Butterfly Unit from Bambini Travel – great ideas for a range of ages.
- In the Garden Unit from Bambini Travel – for kids who want to learn and explore more about flowers.
- Butterfly Art Prompt: put out photos from your trip or from a favorite butterfly book with simple drawing materials and invite your child to draw a butterfly.
- Plant your own butterfly garden. Have older children research what plants attract butterflies and plant some in your own garden.
