The Very Hungry Caterpillar

This is a simple literacy craft activity based on the classic story for toddlers and older children to try at home. It is a great craft activity that also encourages children to explore the natural surroundings. The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a classic story which is enjoyed by young toddlers and older children alike. It contains a wealth of information for children from food, life cycles, counting, days of the week. We have enjoyed the story since M was a baby.

Set Up

So I used play dough which I had made myself. I also included a basket for them to collect their natural objects in and then a copy of the story for inspiration. It really is that simple and of course you could buy play dough as opposed to making it.

So their first task was to set off in the garden to find all manner of natural bits and pieces that they could use to create their own mini beasts. Based on the story we of course wanted to make caterpillars and butterflies so we needed eyes, wings, antennae and legs. Sticks, petals, grass, leaves and also berries were all collected. I was close by at all times to ensure that especially F did not attempt to eat anything that we found. Then it was back to the table to use the play dough and the items that they had found to make their own mini beasts.

I was so impressed at how they set to work. Both were in full concentration mode and both needed no input from mummy. F happily squashed the dough down with her fingers and then set to work pushing lots of the berries in. M instantly started creating a butterfly and then moved onto a caterpillar, ladybird and even a snail. They looked fantastic and they were both so proud of their creations. So proud that we have kept them. We are currently trying to dry them out and then we plan to cover them in pva glue in an attempt to preserve them. This is definitely a book that I would recommend reading with children and a craft activity that we will be doing again.