The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is one of my all time favorite children's story.  Not only does it introduce the life cycle of a caterpillar, but it also helps with sequencing, which is a very important skill for preschoolers to learn.
 To make the book come alive I used an empty Parmesan container, and made it into a caterpillar. The students love the hands-on addition to the story. I also found a template online for the different fruits that the caterpillar consumes. As I read the story the caterpillar comes alive and eats the food. I give each student a chance to feed the caterpillar. I also used a paper bag for the chrysalis and made a butterfly that stays in the bag until the end of the story. At the end of the story I put the caterpillar in the bag( chrysalis), and pull out the butterfly. Below are the directions on how to make the caterpillar. 

 

 

 

• 1 empty parmesan  container
• 2 wiggle eyes ( can be purchased at most craft stores)
• 1 piece of green construction paper
• Template of the caterpillar food-http://www.dltk-teach.com/books/hungrycaterpillar/
• 1 brown paper sack  
• 1 paper butterfly