Butterfly Basket

Ever since they saw the Jeff & Paige album release concert, where performers dressed as monarch butterflies for the finale, my children have been asking for their own wings. So this spring we will be celebrating new beginnings with a butterfly-themed basket.

Dreamy Dress-up Wings available at fatbraintoys.com.

I love this theme because it is a lovely blend between science and art, which is essentially engineering. While they have pretended to emerge from chrysalis (a blanket) as butterflies (with imaginary wings) before, a new toy will enhance their play. With wings dangling from their shoulders and wrists, I am certain they will have newly affirmed confidence in their ability to be butterflies. They will feel the drag on the wings when they flap, they will see the color of bright orange as it shines in the spring time sun. They will read about butterflies and they will revisit the Jeff & Paige song "The Great Monarch Migration" to learn music and science.

"The Great Monarch Migration" is the last track on this science-packed music CD. Available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jeffpaige.

And when they are ready to curl up and read, we will open our new copies of our old favorite library butterfly books including "Butterfly Colors and Counting" and "My oh my, A butterfly!"

A simple but beautiful book that depicts (and names) real creatures.

A longer and more informative butterfly book by Scholastic.

So there is a simple list to make a Butterfly Basket for your preschool engineer. A toy, some books, and CD of great musical science. You can always toss in some butterfly wall stickers,  arts & craft stickers, or tatoos if that suits you.

Peel and Stick

Ooh! I almost forgot something for our smallest butterfly lovers out there. Check out this push and pull toy! I have recommended it before but I'll put it at your fingertips here for you... Not all push toys are created equal. There are little lawn mowers, popping ball push toys, animals that move, and more. But the Hape Dancing Butterflies Push and Pull Toy puts them all to shame, mechanically speaking. It is your child's first bevel gear. It is your child's first Rube Goldberg machine. As the wheels move forward, a rubber ring connects to the horizontal platform to make it spin. As it spins, the dangling butterflies begin to rotate and "fly."

Hape Dancing Butterflies Push and Pull