How To Make a Butterfly - The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric Carle
Laptime: toddler - kindergarten

Strory Circle - toddler - kindergarten

One night I was standing on the back porch looking at the stars and I heard this crunch, crunch, crunch. It was coming from the elderberry bush. On one of the leaves was a very hungry caterpillar. This little guy was munching his way through the leaves like crazy. I wonder what kind of butterfly he became?
The Very Hungry Caterpillar starts out with a little egg on a leaf who becomes a starving caterpillar who eats his way through various favorite foods, the days of the week and the pages of the book and finishes with the grand finale, a beautiful butterfly.
I love this colorful book by Eric Carle. My copy at home is looking very worn from being in my preschool bag and then in the hands of my 3 children. This is a great story for science units, nutrition, counting and the days of the week. One of the reasons that I think children love this book so much is that the main character eats his way through all of their favorite foods and they can empathize with his tummy ache after his feast. Of course, another reason is that everyone loves the thought of becoming a butterfly.

Laptime Activities:

1. For family lunch or dinner, have a caterpillar feast. Feature all of the foods listed in The Very Hungry Caterpillar. You might want to finish with some parsley or peppermint leaves to settle any tummy aches.
2. Make a butterfly with squashed paint: You will need - Tempera paints, drawing paper, paint brushes, paper or Styrofoam cups, newspaper.

• Cover your table with newspaper.
• Put different colors of paint in cups with a paint brush in each color.
• Give each child one piece of paper.
• Have the children fold the paper in half.
• On one half of the paper only have the children drop or dribble paint. Using different colors.
• Fold the unpainted half over onto the painted half and rub over the whole paper so that the paint is transfered onto the unpainted half.
• Carefully unfold the paper and you will have a butterfly with wings that are identical.

Use this activity to teach colors and symmetry.

Story Circle Activities:
Caterpillar and Butterfly finger plays:
I found these delightful finger plays on PreschoolEducation.com. This site is a great resource and I hope that you take some time to check it out.

Flutter, flutter, Butterfly Original Author unknown

Sung to: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

Flutter, flutter, butterfly.
Floating in the summer sky.
Floating by for all to see,
Floating by so merrily.
Flutter, flutter, butterfly,
Floating in the summer sky.

Roly-Poly Caterpillar Original Author unknown

Roly-poly caterpillar (wiggle right pointer finger)
Into a corner crept, (place right pointer finger in left cupped hand)
Spun around himself a blanket (spin around)
Then for a long time slept. (place head on folded hands)
Roly-poly caterpillar (wiggle right pointer finger)
Wakening by and by, ("stretch" right pointer finger)
Found himself with beautiful wings
Changed to a butterfly. (flutter arms like wings)

Caterpillar Chant Original Author Unknown

A caterpillar looks so small.
It is hardly there at all.
It munches on green leafy treats,
And it gets bigger as it eats.

It eats and eats, 'til pretty soon,
It wraps up tight in a cocoon.
When it wakes up it blinks its eyes
And says, "I'm now a butterfly!"