Very Hungry Caterpillar Teaching Theme Activities
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Activities for “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”
Print out characters to retell the story.
http://www.dltk-teach.com/books/hungrycaterpillar/felt_fun.htm
The children practice cutting circles while they make this caterpillar from TLC Art’s Beginnings book.
Make an edible caterpillar from banana slices and sprinkles. Use a stuffed animal caterpillar to eat through fruit pictures drawn in a book to retell the story.
Caterpillar Crafts and Activities
Sockapillar Craft
Create an adorable caterpillar using a sock, fiberfill, and colorful craft materials.
Materials:
- Athletic sock
- Fiberfill stuffing
- Yarn
- Pipe cleaners
- Felt
- Wiggly eyes
- Hot glue gun (adult use)
Instructions:
- Stuff an athletic sock with fiberfill to create the caterpillar’s body.
- Tie four pieces of yarn around the sock: one at the end and three others spaced along the body to divide it into sections.
- Have adult helpers hot glue pipe cleaner antennae to the caterpillar’s head.
- Glue felt pieces onto the head to create a backing for the eyes.
- Attach wiggly eyes to complete the Sockapillar.
Grow a Very Hairy Caterpillar
Source: Family Fun Magazine
Grow a caterpillar with real grass “hair” using potting soil, grass seed, and nylon stockings.
Class-Size Caterpillar
Materials:
- 4 cups potting soil
- 4 tablespoons quick-sprouting grass seed
- Knee-high nylon stocking
- Small yogurt container or paper cup
- Colorful ponytail holders
- Bobby pin
- Wiggly eyes
- Pipe cleaner
- Small pom-poms
- Glue
- Plastic bag
- Plate for displaying the caterpillar
Instructions:
- Combine 4 cups of potting soil and 4 tablespoons of quick-sprouting grass seed in a large bowl.
- Cut the bottom from a small yogurt container or paper cup to create a funnel.
- Slide a knee-high nylon stocking over the funnel.
- Pour or spoon ¾ to 1 cup of the soil mixture into the stocking.
- Slide a colorful ponytail holder over the stocking to section off the first soil-filled segment.
- Repeat the process until you have created five soil-filled segments.
- Tie a knot at the top of the stocking and trim away any excess nylon.
- Submerge the caterpillar in water for 10 minutes.
- Place the wet caterpillar in a plastic bag and let it sit overnight.
- Remove the caterpillar from the bag.
- Loop a partially straightened bobby pin through the front of the stocking. Glue a wiggly eye onto each end of the pin.
- Cut a pipe cleaner in half. Glue a small pom-pom onto one end of each half and attach the pieces as antennae.
Growing Your Caterpillar:
Place the caterpillar on a plate near a sunny window.
Water the entire caterpillar generously every other day to keep the soil moist.
Grass should begin sprouting in approximately 4–5 days, giving the caterpillar a covering of green “hair.”
Child-Size Caterpillars
Make smaller versions of the grass caterpillars so each student can grow their own.
Materials:
- ⅓ cup soil and grass seed mixture per caterpillar
- Knee-high nylon stockings
- Small hair bands or rubber bands
- Other decorating materials from the class-size version
Instructions:
- Prepare the soil and grass seed mixture as described above.
- Use approximately ⅓ cup of the mixture to create a caterpillar with three sections.
- Separate the sections using small, inexpensive hair bands instead of decorative ponytail holders.
- Complete the caterpillar using the same watering and decorating instructions as the class-size version.
Money-Saving Tip:
You can make two caterpillars from one knee-high stocking.
To make the first caterpillar, leave the stocking whole while filling and sectioning it. Secure the end with a rubber band, tie a knot, and cut off the finished caterpillar.
For the second caterpillar, tie a knot in the remaining section of stocking. Turn it inside out so the knot is hidden inside, then fill and section it to create another caterpillar.
A package containing three pairs of knee-high stockings can make up to 12 small caterpillars.