Hungry caterpillar - early literacy, sequencing, and math

The Hungry Caterpillar

This is such a cute story to read and there are so many fun activities that come along with it! I've done a lot with my students over the years and all the kids really do enjoy it.

With my students/daughter I spent a week reading the story with our other books during story time, than once they/she was familiar with it we began talking about the Caterpillar and what we already know about him such as his legs, what he eats, what he is born out of (now you may think you little one is too little to understand but I was doing this with 2 and 3 year old and they loved it). Than you are ready to make your caterpillars.

*Made from egg carton, paint it, glue eyes, put on antenna.

Next comes the chrysalis and cocoon, during this part of the book you can talk about the change the caterpillar is going to undergo, what else changes.. like seasons, trees, you!

*To make chrysalis and cocoon I folded to pieces of card stock into boxes and glued them together

Now the butterfly the best part! Children love when the butterfly comes. Now you can talk about colors, body shape and patterns. In addition to creating the butterfly you can have some printed out pictures of butterflies to decorate with different colors, patterns and such.

*To make butterfly take a piece of paper towel and paint with water colors, let dry. Color wooden cloths pins with different colors to make butterflies body. Pinch the paper towel in the middle and crunch it enough to allow it to fit into the opening on the clothes pin. Add eyes!

There are so many great ideas that go along with this book and many others that teach wonderful skills, also have you ever thought of using your child's favorite book as a birthday party theme!?

Here is a little game I like to play with students to get them into the book and learn through doing

1. Egg: Have children hold their ankles. bend down, and round their body like the shape of an egg.
2. Larva: Squirm like a worm.
3. Pupa: Crawl into a sleeping bag (large pillowcases, leap frog bags) with colorful kerchiefs inside.
4. Butterfly: Children pop out of the bag swaying their colorful kerchiefs behind them.