Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities for Preschoolers

 

I knew when I started this series of preschool activities matched with popular children’s books, that The Very Hungry Caterpillar would be one of the titles I tackled.  I love this book because it is filled with so many learning opportunities. Children, of course, learn about the caterpillar life cycle but also nutrition, days of the week, and counting! I hope you like The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities for preschoolers I’ve put together for you.  I want to make it clear to preschool teachers that YES, you can share this with your students and their families. You can send them a link, print out the printables, and send them in the mail, whatever works for you and your students. I usually ask that all materials are only used for classroom use, but our classrooms are now virtual and remote. I know some teachers are reading the book I share on video and then sending the activities to their students.

The Book

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a classic that most preschool teachers like myself can recite from memory. It is a fantastic book. Not only does it explain the life cycle of a caterpillar/ butterfly. It also is useful for a lesson about the day of the week and healthy eating! Children love the repetitive nature of the story as much as they love the big reveal at the end.

 

 Activities for The Very Hungry Caterpillar

 

Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities with FREE printables

Get All printables for these preschool activities here <— click to download.

Bug Sorting
Sorting is a hugely beneficial activity that helps children learn to discern between objects, but this sorting activity is also great for fine motor development. You can use whatever you like, but I urge you to use small objects if you don’t have tongs. If you have tongs or want to get some with my affiliate link here, use things like big pom poms, or even foam blocks.

Move Like The Bug
Print out these bug cards here. Cut them out and shuffle. Make sure you have enough floor space to really move, so you might want to push a coffee table or couch to the side of the room. Hold up a card, and your child can move all around this space, just like the bug on the card. There is no right way or wrong way to do this; just get those wiggles out, move your body, and have fun!

Roll & Cover Watermellon 
For this activity, you will need a die or dice, a tray, something to mark the spots like buttons, and the printable. Roll the dice and cover the same number of dots as you rolled. Keep going until the whole cookie is covered. For older kiddos, use two dice and have them do some addition. For younger kids, you can take turns rolling to make it go faster.

Bug Classification 
This activity asks children to classify the bugs by one criterion, whether they have wings or not. This activity is all about talking to children about different attributes of bugs. I like using this activity after reading this book because we can focus on how the caterpillar didn’t have wings, but after he turned into a butterfly he did. Things change and develop. How can you relate that to their lives?

Download printables here

 

 

Preschool Activities for If You Give A Mouse A Cookie without Printables

Mini Blueberry Kabobs.
Use toothpicks to make little fruit kabobs. These are always a massive hit with my kids and are great for hand-eye coordination too! As children add the berries they naturally count, they notice the texture, the shape, smell, and hopefully taste also! You can do this with any fruit that the caterpillar ate, but in my experience, blueberries are the best for handling.

Classic Egg Carton Caterpillar 
A classic craft that young children love!

Name Caterpillar 
Teach children about the letters in their name while creating this simple craft.

Paint Stick Caterpillar 
If you don’t have a paint stick handy, try using smaller pom poms and a craft stick instead.

Paper Plate Butterfly Craft 
I love this craft because there are so many ways to do it. You can use glue and jewels or plain old paint. No matter what, it’s lovely!

Monarch Butterfly Craft 
These are so simple and so pretty!

Handprint Butterfly Craft 
This is such a fun craft to do because it shows how wee their hands were when they made it.

Caterpillar C Craft
C is for caterpillar!

Fruity Scented Playdough
Sensory activities open up a world of creativity. Add some fun playdough toys like these.

Caterpillar & Butterfly Sensory Bin 
Sensory bins are great for storytelling as well as sensory exploration.

Butterfly Garden & Printable Observation Sheets
I can’t stress enough how beneficial this butterfly garden activity is for young children. Watching real caterpillars transform into butterflies is incredible and well worth the investment if it is within your budget ( use my affiliate link and buy one here). If it is not, I purchased one recently, and it should be arriving any day. I will be observing and sharing videos of the observation on my Facebook page. I’d love for you to follow along and let me help you teach this super fun science to your children remotely!

 

 

Caterpillar Song
You can teach all about the caterpillar life cycle with this song.

 

 

Like these plans? You will LOVE our Thematic Units.

They are affordable and have step by step instructions meant for parents without experience teaching their kids at home. Perfect for 3-5-year-olds. Browse through the library to see our many options.

Learn more here. 

 

I need a simple preschool plan instead.

Need something more simple for your preschooler during the Coronavirus school closures? Try our one activity a day Lunch Break Learning preschool plan for busy families.