The larva stage of the butterfly looks very different from its adult form. They look like colorful worms with legs and munch on leaves non-stop.
However, a caterpillar is an important stage in the butterfly’s life cycle. It will soon transform into a beautiful and amazing insect.
Let children explore the wonders of this insect before it goes through its metamorphosis. Here are ten caterpillar crafts that children will love.
This craft is based on the classic book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle. It is simple and easy to make, even for young children. Use this craft to retell the story. The site suggests using slices of fruits and vegetables for an authentic retelling.
Retelling stories will help improve their working memory and oral language skills. Children will improve their fine motor skills as they cut and paste to complete this craft.
Cut the paper plate in half. Trim it and leave the ribbed part of the plate. This part will become the caterpillar’s body. Cut a circle from the scrap to make the head.
For younger children, provide lines as a guide for cutting. However, the site recommends giving them pre-made pieces for this craft.
Have the children color the body using different colors. Add colorful stripes, dots, swirls, and other designs on the caterpillar’s body. Next, draw the face on the circle. Stick the head onto the body.
Finally, cut a short length of pipe cleaner. Curl the ends and attach them to the head. Add embellishments that are available, such as sequins and glitter.
For this activity, you will need:
- Paper plate
- Markers
- Pipe cleaners
- Scissors
- Glue
- Embellishments
For more information on this activity, go to InThePlayRoom.co.uk.
Buttons are the perfect material to make this craft. When put together, they create a wonderful layer of shapes and colors that can be used to teach children patterns.
Make several caterpillars following the simple AA-BB or AB-AB pattern for young children. Older kids will need more challenging patterns.
Use this craft to teach colors and shades by making the caterpillar in the same color of buttons but in different shades. Let children compare which button has a lighter color and which ones are darker.
Start by gluing the first layer of buttons on the craft stick. Let this dry. Next, add a second layer. This time, choose different sizes of buttons to highlight what is on top. Add a third layer if possible, gluing them alternately between the second layer of buttons.
Finally, add a large button for the head. Stick the googly eyes. Cut a short length of pipe cleaner. Curl the ends and attach them to the back of the head.
For this activity, you will need:
- Assorted buttons
- Craft glue
- Craft stick
- Googly eyes
- Pipe cleaners
- Scissors
For more information on this activity, go to DivineLifestyle.com.
Teach the letter C with this wonderful craft. Their fine motor skills will improve as children cut the letter C and glue the pompoms. Use this caterpillar to teach number order.
Place a series of numbers on the pompoms and ask the child what the next number should be. This will teach children to count and identify numbers.
For older children, make it more challenging by using bigger numbers or practicing counting backward.
Outline and cut out a large letter C on green construction paper. Have children glue the pompoms lining up from end to end. On the last pompom, glue the googly eyes.
Cut short lengths of pipe cleaners. Twist the ends to make it rounded. Insert these in the pompom head. Let this dry before using.
Extend this activity by using the caterpillar in a letter C hunt game. Ask children to help the caterpillar find words around them that begin with the letter C.
For this activity, you will need:
- Construction paper
- Googly eyes
- Pipe cleaner
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pompoms
For more information on this activity, go to KidsActivitiesBlog.com.
Turn strips of paper into a paper chain that resembles a colorful caterpillar. A paper chain may look simple, but it requires children to focus and use hand-eye coordination skills.
Children will cut, glue, and connect the strips of paper. This task is a great opportunity to develop their fine motor skills.
Use the chain craft to teach length. Let children compare their caterpillars. Introduce the concepts long, longer, longest, short, shorter, or shortest.
Cut the different construction paper into six inches long and two inches-wide strips. Next, have the children glue one strip to join the ends. This will become the first ring of the chain.
Teach children to insert the second strip inside the ring and glue the ends. Repeat the process until the desired length is achieved. Attach the googly eyes on the final ring for the head.
Cut a short length of pipe cleaner and curl the ends. Insert this on the head of the caterpillar.
For this activity, you will need:
- Construction paper
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Glue
- Googly eyes
- Pipe cleaners
For more information on this activity, go to Easy-Crafts-For-Kids.com.
Perfect for exploring the outdoors, this activity is a great way to help children understand how nature works in caring for small animals such as caterpillars. Let them gather sticks to use for the craft on their nature walk.
As children are outdoors, teach them to be observant, looking for possible caterpillars. Tell them to remember what it looks like, its color, and its markings if they find one.
This craft helps with the children’s fine motor skills and provides a good sensory experience. Have children make several of these to teach colors.
Play a game that will help them improve their concentration by placing all the caterpillars in one place. Ask the child to locate a particular caterpillar. For example, say to the child, “Find the caterpillar with a red body and a blue head.”
Take a stick and have the child wrap the chosen color of pipe cleaner around it. Use more than one if the stick is long. Once fully wrapped, glue the pompom on the end part of the stick. Attach the googly eyes and add embellishments.
For this activity, you will need:
- Sticks
- Pipe cleaners
- Pompoms
- Googly eyes
- Glue
- Embellishments
For more information on this activity, go to LearningAndExploringThroughPlay.com.
Explain the process of metamorphosis through this awesome craft. As caterpillars enter the chrysalis stage, they stay inside and transform into beautiful butterflies.
This craft is a great companion to a science lesson on the life cycle of a butterfly. It provides a visual representation of how the process happens, giving children a clear idea of the changes inside the chrysalis.
Make the butterfly wings colorful by flattening the coffee filter and adding colors using markers. Let children use different colors of markers to add designs. Next, hang it outside on a clothesline secured with a clothespin.
Use a spray bottle filled with water to wet the coffee filter. Set the spray into the mist setting and let the children spray to make the colors bleed and create a nice pattern. Let this dry.
Next, make the caterpillar by gluing the green pompoms to the wooden clothespin. The pompom on the opening of the clothes will become the head. To it, add googly eyes.
Take the coffee filter and gather in the middle. Use the clothespin to secure it. Wrap it around the caterpillar and insert it into the toilet paper roll. Take it out to show that it has turned into a butterfly.
For this activity, you will need:
- Coffee filter
- Water-based markers
- Clothespin
- Pompoms
- Googly eyes
- Glue
- Toilet paper roll
- Spray bottle with water
For more information on this activity, go to ModernSmallTownMama.com.
Recycle those empty egg carton trays to create wonderful crafts for children, such as this colorful caterpillar. Use this craft to teach different Math concepts to children. Make several of these in different lengths for children to count.
Let children compare which caterpillar is longer or shorter. Write numbers on each cup for children to teach number recognition and to learn number order. Use different colors for every egg carton cup to teach color patterns.
Older children may identify which caterpillar has an even number of cups and which ones have an odd. Younger children may work on many or few concepts.
Cut the egg carton tray into rows. One caterpillar requires a single row. Have children paint it with their desired color. Once dry, attach the googly eyes to the last egg carton cup.
Cut a short length of pipe cleaner and curl the ends. Poke holes in the head of the caterpillar and insert the pipe cleaner antennas.
For this activity, you will need:
- Egg carton tray
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Googly eyes
- Pipe cleaner
- Scissors
- Glue
For more information on this activity, go to FrugalFunForBoys.com.
This process of art produces fantastic results that can be used to teach different preschool concepts. The use of circles will help strengthen shape recognition among children.
Use the circles for children to practice writing or tracing their names. Ensure that there are enough circles for the child’s name. Make dotted or dashed letters on the circles for children to trace, or have children write or copy the letters of their names.
Turn this craft into a Math mat for one-to-one correspondence tasks. Place or write a number on the first empty circle.
Have children identify the written number and use counters to count and place the correct number of objects in the second circle.
Prepare the painting station by folding the white cardstock lengthwise and cutting it in half. Next, place squeeze paint onto the paper plate. Use one color of paint for each paper plate.
Once this is ready, instruct the children to dip the plastic cup into the paint and press it on the cardstock. This step should create a visible circle. Have them repeat the process until the paper is filled with lined-up circles.
Let children use the fork to make the grass by dipping it in green paint and pressing the tines on paper. Once finished, have them draw the caterpillar’s face by adding the eyes, mouth, and antennas.
For this activity, you will need:
- Paper plates
- Paint
- Plastic cups
- Plastic forks
- Cardstock
- Marker
For more information on this activity, go to TeachPreschool.org.
The interconnected circles will make this caterpillar a sure hit for those reading the book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle. Use this caterpillar for retelling the story.
Children will improve their fine motor skills as they paint, cut, and assemble the caterpillar. Use it to teach children directions and positional words.
Give instructions, such as, “Make the caterpillar crawl to the right side” or “The caterpillar will hide under the chair.”
Teach colors and color combinations using this craft. The site used shades of green and yellow for the body but kept the head red, consistent with the illustration in the book. Children may use whatever color combination they prefer.
Download and print the caterpillar template from the site. Paint the circles and let them dry. Next, cut out the circles and the rest of the parts. Punch holes in the circles. There are smaller circles that indicate where to punch.
Use brass fasteners to attach the circles. Glue the eyes and mouth. Cut pipe cleaner and form it into a V shape. Attach this to the back of the caterpillar’s head.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed caterpillar template
- Scissors
- Glue
- Brass fastener
- Hole puncher
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Pipe cleaners
For more information on this activity, go to FirefliesAndMudpies.com.
This stuffed sock turned into an adorable caterpillar is a great tool for teaching children a science lesson about them, including their food, behavior, and habitat. Make the caterpillar in different colors to teach color recognition and patterns.
Vary the number of colored rings on the sock for children to count. Use it as a puppet in pretend play area. Place it in centers as an addition to the butterfly’s life cycle.
Choose a sock that is long and has no holes. Place ample stuffing inside to take the form of a long worm-like figure. Secure the ends with craft glue.
Ensure it is tightly sealed to prevent the stuffing from coming out once children use it. Paint the toilet paper roll in different colors. Once dry, cut them into sections in one-inch width rings.
Insert the rings into the stuffed sock. Allow spacing between the rings. Use different colors of rings depending on the child’s preference. Glue the googly eyes. Cut the pipe cleaner in half and insert them above the eyes.
For this activity, you will need:
- Socks
- Toilet paper rolls
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Pipe cleaner
- Scissors
- Stuffing
- Googly eyes
- Pipe cleaner
- Craft glue
For more information on this activity, go to KidFriendlyThingsToDo.com.
Conclusion
Most of these adorable crafts are inspired by one of the most beloved caterpillars of all time, Eric Carle’s hungry caterpillar. Let children explore the wonder of a crawling insect that transforms beautifully through these crafts.
Let children be inspired while having a better understanding of the caterpillar’s process as they learn more about them.
Thank you for reading!
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