Caterpillar
For a few weeks now my daughter who is almost 2 has been ordering objects by size but instead of using terms like big, small or bigger, smaller she oders using ” Dada, Mama, Bubba, May-May” which is our family from biggest to smallest. While I think it’s awesome that she is I also see it as a signal she is ready to learn more about size. This is a basic cut and paste craft that incorporates a lesson about size. You could also use it for colors, shapes or more.
- Gather your materials. You will need multiple colors of construction paper ( We used 5- 1 full sheet and scrap for the circles), glue, a pipe cleaner, scissors , markers/ paint daubers and one googly eye.
- Start by having your child color/ paint the full sheet. I told my daughter that the caterpillar needed a home . I think she said something about a polka dot bed. I think.
- While they create cut 4 different sized circles. Make sure they are obviously different in size if you have a really little one like me. We aren’t trying to trick them, just teach.
- Get the glue ready and help them decide which is the biggest circle. With older / more capable children you can simple say ” Glue them in order of size”.
- Keep going. If they are overwhelmed by too many options clear all but two circles from the table. Say something like this ” The yellow circle is small and the blue circle is much bigger. Let’s find the bigger one.”
- Glue them on. While they glue or my daughter’s favorite part banging the circles on the glue use the time to do more labeling . My daughter latched on to the size terms easily so I was using this time to talk about colors , something she is still just starting to grasp.
- When all the circles are on grab a marker and add legs!
- Glue on an eye ( if you are worried about chocking hazards like the googly eye just draw it on).
- Add pipe cleaner antennae and voila!
Books About Caterpillars
Bob and Otto
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Caterpillar and the Polliwog
by Kim
Who doesn’t love an apple craft? We have a local apple festival here and the kids go nuts for anything apple at this time. This one is made from stuff around your house and apples.
First gather your supplies. You will need one apple, red paint, chenille stem, cereal loops, marker, piece of cardboard (we used a pizza box lid), and scissors.
Take your marker and draw an apple outline on your cardboard.
Cut your apple in half and squeeze out some red paint. I removed the seeds and the stem.
Let your child start stamping away. This was so much fun!
Once your child has filled in the apple by stamping, you can let it dry. Don’t worry about paint outside of the lines. They are little and you are going to cut out the apple any way.
While the apple is drying, instruct your child to thread the cereal loops onto the chenille stem. I let my daughter do it however, but this is a great time to introduce or practice patterns.
When they are done filling up the stem with cereal, thread one last one on the end. Bend the tip around and twist to secure the last loop. This will stop the others from coming off and makes a great “head”. Can you tell it is a worm yet?
I took a pencil and poked a hole into the cardboard, but you can use whatever you have around.
Push the open end of the stem into the hole. I wrapped the end around itself and the twisted the end into the loop to secure it.
Now you have an apple with a “real” worm coming out of it. My daughter really loved the craft. She has named her worm and insisted he get buckled into the van with the rest of us. She was refusing to pose for the shot. I am sure you have had those moments, too. 
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Kim is a contributing writer for No Time For Flash Cards, a mom to a toddler, a preschooler, and a foster parent, too. She juggles her day by trying out fun activities and crafts with the kids. After all, she is just a big kid herself. See what she has been up to over at Mom Tried It.
Around our home we love to do handprint crafts. There is something so wonderful about using hands to create art in an unconventional way. You can celebrate caterpillars of all kinds with this simple handprint caterpillar craft. This is the perfect activity to accompany any book with caterpillars or the life cycle of a butterfly.
Gather your supplies. You’ll need a few items:
- Tempera paint (in a color of your choice, plus a little black)
- Paint brush (We prefer the wide tip sponge kind)
- Construction paper
- Little hands, of course
Here’s How:
- Start out by prepping your work area. Lay down something to protect your work surface.
- Get your paints ready. I pour about a palm-sized circle of paint on a shallow tray or pie pan. That way I can have multiple colors on one tray. This is just preference. Do what works for you. Just be sure to get everything ready before you bring your toddler or preschooler in on the process.
- Next, using simple and clear directions, instruct your child to open their hand flat (like they are making a “high-five”), palm facing up.
- Paint only the palm and not the fingers. Be generous with the paint. Making sure to get all the side and crevicesN
- Paint the fingers up to the knuckle, black
- Remind them to keep their hand open and flat.
- Next, holding their wrist in one hand and their finger tips in the other, lay their hand flat on the piece of construction paper.
- While their hand is still down, press gently on the center of the back of the hand and all the fingertips.
- Lift the hand straight up.
- Repeat 4-5 times, the 5th time leave off the black fingers to make the head.
- Once dry, paint on two antennae and an eye and a smile, if desired.
by Eric Carle
March 20th is the anniversary of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, my very favorite children’s book. So today’s book list is inspired by it, I am without doubt that these books were influenced by the 1969 classic as well.
Percival the Plain Little Caterpillar 
Bob and Otto
The Crunching Munching Caterpillar 
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heligiman is part of my favorite non fiction for kids series ” Let’s Read and Find Out Science”. I always grab these books at garage sales and thrift stores. In this edition you follow a classroom of students observing a caterpillar as it metamorphosis into a butterfly. A classic spring activity for preschool age children to discover and learn about life cycles. Also a perfect match for your own Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden
- Gather your materials. You will need 2 pieces of different color construction paper, paint, a marker,glue,pom poms, a pipe cleaner, googley eyes, and scissors.
- Draw a big C with your marker on one piece of construction paper.
- Have your child paint the C, we are using paint rollers, I try to give my son options when possible and he chose the paint rollers. You could use crayons or markers too!
- Add as many glue dots as you have pom poms, make sure there is a lot of glue, pom poms need a good amount to stay put. Also add two smaller globs of glue for the eyes.
- Add your pom poms! I held them and asked my son which color he wanted, then he put it on.
- Add the googley eyes. Let dry.
- Cut the C out ,add the pipe cleaner by poking two small holes and threading it through, glue the C onto the 2nd piece of construction paper.
” The Crunching Munching Caterpillar” by Sheridan Cain is another story about a caterpillar who is not happy about his lot in life. There is a fair bit of language that some parents would object to. This caterpillar is often reminded that he is too fat to fly- so that poses a few challenges to parents like myself who are trying to instill healthy body images as well as using respectful words with others in our children. I have dealt with this book in two ways, first by saying that the caterpillar is getting fat but it’s a good thing because he will be sleeping for a long time in his chrysalis and needs that fat to live. Also I have simply replaced fat with big, a word that is much less ugly to many people’s ears.
for my weekly activity .Older Children will love it!
